Defenseman Oskari Laaksonen and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will vie for spots on Finland's roster, while Matej Pekar will go to camp with the Czech Republic. Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson was the latest addition to the mix, named to Team USA's camp roster on Wednesday.
Laaksonen (third round, 2017) has taken on top-pair minutes for Ilves during his first Liiga season, leading his team with an average ice time of 20:46. His 13 points (3+10) are tied for eighth amongst league defensemen.
Luukkonen (second round, 2017) is 15-5-1-1 this season and ranks fourth among OHL goaltenders in both goals-against average (2.50) and save percentage (.922). He was named CHL Goalie of the Week on Wednesday after turning away 48 shots in a pair of wins for Sudbury, including a 28-save shutout of Mississauga.
Pekar (fourth round, 2018) has 30 points (10+20) in 28 games to begin his OHL career in Sudbury. He scored nine of those goals during his first 15 games in October.
"He's doing exactly what we hoped," Sabres assistant general manager Steve Greeley told Sabres.com back on Oct. 24. "The tough part for him will be staying that consistent offensively, but I think what we've been happy with is the opportunities.
"… Like with any young player there'll be some ups and downs, but we know that his downs won't be the result of his work ethic or his compete level. Every player goes through a little bit of a time where he's snake-bitten, but as long as he keeps generating chances and impacting the game offensively, the points will come back."
Read our full Q&A with Greeley on Laaksonen, Luukkonen and Pekar here.
Samuelsson (second round, 2018) is off to a strong start to his NCAA career at Western Michigan with six points (3+3) in 14 games. After being lauded for his defensive abilities on draft night, he told Sabres.com last month that he's made it a point to work on his offense since joining the Broncos.
"Being such a big guy, I want to get quicker - quicker on my starts and stuff like that," he said. "…Coming into this year, it's something I've continued to try to do, being more involved in scoring," he said. "In today's game, all five guys need to be involved in offense so I'm trying to work on that."
