As we journey our way through this slow period of the NHL calendar, the rescheduled 2022 World Junior Championship in Edmonton should provide some much-needed entertainment for our hockey minds.

For the LA Kings, a team filled to the brim with high-end prospects, the World Juniors has become an excellent stage for fans to catch a glimpse of the future of hockey in Los Angeles.

In the last few years, upwards of nine players have attended the tournament, but injuries, age, and questionable roster decisions have widdled this year’s attendance for Kings prospects to three.

Kasper Simontaival, Samuel Helenius, and Helge Grans ready to represent their countries in the rescheduled 2022 World Juniors

Forwards Kasper Simontaival (3rd Round 2020) and Samuel Helenius (2nd Round 2021) will be representing Team Finland, and defenseman Helge Grans (2nd Round 2020) will be headlining a talented Team Sweden, all with eyes set on the prized gold medal.

Martin Chromiak (5th Round 2020) was on the original tournament roster for Slovakia back in December, but an undisclosed injury has forced him to miss the rescheduled event.

It’s unfortunate for Chromiak. A player who has quickly climbed up prospect rankings among the LA youth. After missing development camp, there was hope to watch him flourish in the WJC.

For now, we’ll have to see if he can recover in time for next month’s Rookie Faceoff in San Jose. He has recently posted a video of him working out, so he may be returning to full strength soon.

Brandt Clarke, considered the most talented prospect in the LA Kings system not yet in the NHL, did not make the roster for Team Canada, a questionable decision considering the skill and offensive prowess Clarke brings to the ice. To have a player like that not be one of your choices, if not your top pick, is quite baffling.

Kasper Simontaival (Finland)

Kasper Simontaival, a third-round pick in the 2020 draft for the LA Kings, could be a sneaky candidate to lead the tournament in scoring. Though Simontaival may be considered small in size, standing at 5’9″ and weighing 176 pounds, he plays with a great deal of tenacity and excels around his opponent’s net. He’s a prairie dog in the crease, popping up from his burrow to find himself in prime scoring position and pot home loose pucks.

Kasper showed some of those skills in Finland’s final tune-up game over the weekend, scoring a goal and adding an assist in their 5-2 win over the USA.

This will be Simontaival’s second World Juniors appearance after finishing with an impressive six points (2g,4a) in seven games in the 2021 WJC leading to a bronze medal.

Samuel Helenius (Finland)

During the State of the Franchise event this past season, development coach Nelson Emerson took the mic to gush over a few prospects and singled out Samuel Helenius with two words, “he’s mean.” Fresh off a week spent at the LA Kings development camp, Samuel now returns to the WJC for his second try at a gold medal.

Helenius isn’t quite the offensive producer as his fellow LA prospect Simontaival, but he’s a force in the neutral zone and powerful along the boards. This tournament should give the Kings 2021 second-rounder a chance to exhibit those strengths before he heads to Ontario for his first full season with the Reign.

Helge Grans (Sweden)

Coming off his first year of AHL hockey with the Ontario Reign, defenseman Helge Grans will make his World Juniors debut with Sweden. It was an excellent first year with the Reign for Grans, finishing with 24 points in 56 games.

Many scouts view the 2020 second-round pick for the LA Kings as a player filled with raw talent, and if patience is shown, he has the potential to develop into a top-four defenseman in the NHL.

The aggressive playstyle he brings to the ice can betray him every so often, but if he learns to utilize it at the right time, he can provide plenty of offensive production from the blue line.

He illustrated that skillset flawlessly in Sweden’s first warm-up game against Finland, scoring a shorthanded goal.

Grans will get every opportunity to provide some offensive production playing on the top defensive pair alongside Simon Edvinsson, the Red Wings sixth overall pick in the 2021 draft.

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