Rookie Watch: Top players who competed at World Junior Championship

The impact several rookies are making on the NHL is one of the major storylines of the 2025-26 season. Each week, NHL.com will examine topics related to this season's class in the Rookie Watch. This week, six NHL rookies who played five or more games for their country at the IIHF World Junior Championship (in alphabetical order):

The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, held at Grand Casino Arena, home to the Minnesota Wild in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and 3M Arena at Mariucci on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis, will run from Dec. 26-Jan. 5.

Yaroslav Askarov, G, San Jose Sharks: Askarov helped Russia to a silver medal at the 2020 WJC after finishing with a 2.71 goals-against average and .877 save percentage in five games. He made 21 saves in a 5-4 overtime win against Sweden in the tournament semifinal round. He had a 2.50 GAA and .913 save percentage in six games at the 2021 WJC, when Russia finished fourth.

Chosen No. 11 by the Nashville Predators in the 2020 NHL Draft and acquired in a trade by the Sharks on Aug. 23, 2024, Askarov is tied with Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes for the lead among rookie goalies in wins (12-9-1) and is first in games played (22; all starts). He has a 3.22 GAA and .902 save percentage. In November, he went 8-2-0 with a 1.88 GAA and .947 save percentage in 10 games.

Zeev Buium, D, Vancouver Canucks: Buium was traded by the Minnesota Wild to the Canucks, along with forwards Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, for defenseman Quinn Hughes on Dec. 12. In four games with Vancouver, the 20-year-old has four points (two goals, two assists) and is plus-2.

Buium played a big role in back-to-back gold-medal winning efforts by the United States at the 2024 and 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship; he had 11 points (five goals, six assists) and was plus-21 in 14 games. Buium had six points (two goals, four assists) and was plus-10 in seven games at the 2025 WJC, averaging 25:13 of ice time.

He ranks second among rookie defensemen this season with 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) and is also second with 10 power-play points (five goals) in 35 games.

Oliver Kapanen, C, Montreal Canadiens: Kapanen played a key role for Finland in a silver medal-winning effort at the 2022 WJC, where he had two points (one goal, one assist), won 54.1 percent of his face-offs (59-of-109) and averaged 16:03 of ice time in seven games. He served as captain for his country at the 2023 WJC and had three points (two goals, one assist) in five games.

The 24-year-old, selected in the second round (No. 64) of the 2021 NHL Draft, is tied for first among NHL rookies with 11 goals and is fourth with 19 points in 36 games. Kapanen averages 14:16 of ice time and is third among rookies in face-off wins (147). He has a 47.7 face-off winning percentage (308 total face-offs) playing a bottom-six role.

Ryan Leonard, RW, Washington Capitals: Leonard won back-to-back gold medals with the U.S. in 2024 and 2025. He had 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 14 games. Leonard was named the tournament's most valuable player while serving as captain in 2025 when he had 10 points (five goals, five assists) and was plus-10 in seven games.

The 20-year-old is close to returning from shoulder and facial injuries he sustained in a 4-3 shootout loss at the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 5. The No. 8 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, he is tied for fifth among NHL rookies with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 29 games. Leonard is averaging 13:20 of ice time and is third in penalties drawn (15).

Axel Sandin-Pellikka, D, Detroit Red Wings: The 20-year-old right-handed defenseman, selected No. 17 in the 2023 draft, has represented Sweden on three occasions at the World Juniors. He had 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 21 games. He won a silver medal and was named the tournament's best defenseman in 2024 (10 points; five goals, five assists) and was again named best defenseman after scoring the most goals by a defenseman (four goals, six assists) while serving as captain in 2025.

Sandin-Pellikka ranks fourth among rookie defensemen with 14 points (four goals, nine assists) and averages 18:13 of ice time in 37 games for the Red Wings this season. He's played with Ben Chiarot of late and is fourth among first-year defensemen with 37 blocked shots.

Jesper Wallstedt, G, Minnesota Wild: At the 2022 WJC, Wallstedt starred for Sweden, earning best goalie honors and helping his country to a bronze medal after finishing with a 1.62 GAA and .939 save percentage in five games despite the tournament being initially canceled and then resuming in August due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In seven WJC games, spanning two tournaments, the 23-year-old was 3-3-0 with a 1.81 GAA and .935 save percentage.

Wallstedt, chosen No. 20 in the 2021 NHL Draft, is 10-2-2 with a 2.10 GAA, .933 save percentage and NHL-leading four shutouts in 14 games (all starts) with the Wild this season. He became the fourth rookie goaltender in NHL history and first in 87 years to have four shutouts over a span of six games, joining Frank Brimsek (Boston Bruins, 1938-39), Dolly Dolson (Detroit Cougars, 1928-29) and Tiny Thompson (Bruins, 1928-29).

Wallstedt also was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for November after going 6-0-0 with a League-best 1.14 GAA, .967 save percentage and three shutouts in six games. He edged Askarov (8-2-0, 1.88 GAA, .947 save percentage), Anaheim Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke (four goals, 10 assists in 15 games), New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (five goals, six assists in 15 games) and Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov (four goals, six assists in 13 games) for the honor.

Matthew Wood, RW, Nashville Predators: Selected No. 15 in the 2023 draft, Wood had four points (two goals, two assists) in five games for fifth-place Canada at the 2024 WJC. The 20-year-old averaged 12:47 in ice time in a middle-six role. Wood is tied for 10th among NHL rookies with 14 points (eight goals, six assists) and has five power-play points (two goals) while averaging 12:47 in ice time in 28 games.