The 2020 WJC could be the exception since many of the best players in the tournament might turn out to be those eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft, to be held at Bell Centre in Montreal on June 26-27.
Alexis Lafreniere, a 6-foot-1, 196-pound forward with Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, tops that list and is one of five players for Canada who could be chosen in the first round of the 2020 Draft.
"[Lafreniere] brings the qualities that players require to have success in the NHL today," Director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr said. "The two outstanding ones for him are his quickness and his poise. Every part of the game he's composed, he's smart about it, but he's quick and he has speed so he can execute plays. He sees the ice, he reads the play. Everything he does is at a high tempo."
The 2020 WJC will be held in Ostrava and Trinec, Czech Republic from Thursday through Jan. 5, 2020. Canada, which finished sixth in the 2019 WJC, will play in Group B in the preliminary round, along with Czech Republic, Germany, Russia and the United States, with games at Ostravar Arena in Ostrava. Group A consists of Finland, which finished first in 2019, Switzerland, Sweden, Slovakia and Kazakhstan, and will play at Werk Arena in Trinec.
The tournament could have as many as 10 players from five countries selected in the first round of the 2020 Draft. Here's a look at those players (listed alphabetically):
Yaroslav Askarov, G, Russia:The likely backup to Amir Miftakhov, Askarov (6-3, 176) is an intimidating presence with great athleticism and a quick glove. He is 11-2-3 with a 2.38 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in 16 games for SKA-Neva in Russia's second division. He was voted the best goalie at the 2018 IIHF World Under-18 Championship after he had a 2.31 GAA and .916 save percentage in six games, and then helped Russia to first place at the 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup after he had a 1.25 GAA and .960 save percentage in four games.
Quinton Byfield, F, Canada:The left-handed center for Sudbury in the Ontario Hockey League is a powerful skater with breakaway speed and an exceptional skill set. He's third in the OHL with 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) and has 101 shots on goal in 30 games. Byfield (6-4, 215) can overpower goalies with his shot and is relentless in retrieving pucks in the offensive zone.