Castron's take: Devils' WJC players

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The New Jersey Devils had seven prospects represent their respective countries at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship and swept the podium for the second year in a row when Michael McLeod and Team Canada won gold; Jesper Boqvist, Fabian Zetterlund and Team Sweden earned silver; and Joey Anderson and Team USA took home bronze ‪on Friday night‬ at Key Bank Center.

Devils Director of Amateur Scouting Paul Castron was in attendance throughout the 12-day tournament and had this to say about each prospect:
Michael McLeod - Canada - 1G, 3A, 7GP, plus-5
"He's had a ton of chances and had the puck a lot whenever he's been on the ice. I personally would have put him on the power play. Maybe I'm biased because we drafted him, but he could be on it. He's got more than enough skill, but he's been given a role and he's accepted it and he's been doing a great job on the penalty kill and, while he might be on the fourth line, they've been generating a lot of stuff.
"For two years in a row he's been thrown into this checking role at this tournament and I even see that as something that could happen with us because of his skating ability, but he's still got a lot of skill and at some point that's going to come out.
For him to play, he's going to have to earn the coaches' trust and obviously they love offense, but they trust the guys who prevent goals. Scoring won't be his role right away. When he gets his [NHL] opportunity, his job will be to not get scored on. Whatever offense he adds will just be gravy. This experience in this role will certainly help him with that and earn him more minutes on the offensive side of the puck."
Jesper Boqvist - Sweden - 1G, 6GP, plus-3
"He seems like he's been chasing the puck or waiting for the puck. I mean, he's trying, but he needs to have the puck to be effective and make something happen. He's only played maybe six games before this tournament, so I don't want to say he's rusty, but his timing might be off or his confidence not where it could have been if he had be able to play the whole season.
"He's really going to have to expand on getting stronger. He's a bigger guy and needs to fill out and put on 20-25 pounds and that's going to take time. Sometimes you want it to happen quicker because you really like what a guy has to offer, but it doesn't work like that. It takes time, but he's talented. He's fast. He's a good player for today's game with speed and skill. We'd like him to be a little grittier in some situations because [Devils coach John] Hynes is always talking about winning those battles and touching the puck first and I think that will come as he gets stronger."
Fabian Zetterlund - Sweden - 2G, 7GP, minus-3
"If you would have asked me who would be on the power play, Boqvist or Zetterlund, I would have said Boqvist because he's a playmaker and they do use him on the second unit, but they use Zetterlund in front of the net on their top unit. He's a big presence in front of the net, plays gritty and screens goalies.
"He's always into the game. You notice his shifts because he's an energy guy and he's so strong. He's not tall, but he's stocky. He's one that could stay out of the gym for a bit. We're not telling him to get stronger. He's already there, but we love the way he competes. He's got skill too. Sometimes guys get labeled as a grinder or energy guy, but he wouldn't be on the power play just for that. He's got to make plays with all those skilled players he's out there with, so you know he's got skill and makes smart decisions."
Joey Anderson - USA - 4G, 3A, 7GP, plus-4
"I thought he started out pretty slow. I don't know if he was frustrated, but he's missed a lot of hockey this season. His timing could have been off, but you don't have to worry about him because he's such a great worker and leader and I'm happy with his game.
The skill part of his game is really underrated. He's got a lot more skill than people give him credit for. They talk about him being a leader and a competitor and his ability to impact the game, but even in his draft year [coming out of the USNTDP] when he was with all those good players, he wasn't just the third wheel. He was a good player on that team and I think the same could be said here. The coaches trust him in all situations and he's definitely got enough skill to be successful offensively too."
Yegor Zaitsev - Russia - 1A, 5GP, plus-1
"In the games I've seen he's just been average. I saw him in the super series and he seemed to play a bigger role for that team. It doesn't seem like he's getting the same quality minutes that he was getting earlier. He's not playing bad, but he's not standing out enough in special ways in this event for me.
"Since his draft, I was expecting more of a defensive player and he'll probably end up being that, but he's actually shown some pretty good offensive tools as well. When he was getting more ice time, he was used on the power play and showed pretty good skills there.
"His leadership and his compete level was outstanding. He played hard every game and I think his effort is there, but he's just not getting the quality ice time that he was then at this event."
Mikhail Maltsev - Russia - 2A, 5GP, minus-2
"I'm actually really happy with his game. I think he's a big strong kid who's got more skill than I think he even realizes. I think he's always leaning towards the defensive part of the game, which isn't a bad thing because that's what will probably get him to the next level at some point, but he's playing big minutes in all situations and his compete level is good. He's making plays, being physical and showing a strong two-way game. He attacks the puck both ways. When he comes back, he's stripping guys from behind; and on the forecheck, he's got such good reach and size. I think he's very effective.
"I haven't seen him in Russia, but the guys that have seen him play over there really like what he's doing and I really like what I've seen from him here."
Marian Studenic - Slovakia - 5GP, minus-1
"I love the way he's playing. He doesn't have a lot to play with on that team. They just don't have a lot of depth, but I think he's their best player. His skating is really good. His hockey sense, playmaking, he takes it to the net all the time, uses his feet a lot … they just don't have enough depth for him to be able to be a consistent offensive threat, but I think he's been their best player, even though I don't think he had a point in the tournament.
"He takes the puck hard to the net a lot, so I'd like to see him convert more on those opportunities, but he's unbelievable with his speed and skill and played in all situations and created a lot of opportunities for a team that didn't score a lot here. I really like the way he played."