Davidsson, Mittelstadt, Luukkonen and Budik named to World Juniors camps

Four Sabres prospects were named to preliminary rosters for the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship last week, and all four rode the momentum and made crucial impressions with their home teams before departing for their respective countries training camps.

After being named to the United States preliminary roster, freshman forward Casey Mittelstadt (2017, first round) recorded assists in each of his two games last week to give him points in five straight contests as Minnesota was swept by Ohio State with a 2-1 overtime loss on Friday and a 4-1 defeat the next night.
Through 19 games, Mittelstadt is tied for the second in team scoring with 17 points (5+12) while leading the Gophers with a plus-6 rating and 2.74 shots on goal per game.

In Sweden, two-way centerman Marcus Davidsson (2017, second round) followed up his World Junior nomination with one of his better games of the season Thursday, finishing off a give-and-go with a quick forehand for his second goal of the year to help Djurgarden IF to a 6-3 triumph over Linkoping HC.

Davidsson, who was unable to point in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over IF Malmo Redhawks, has nine points (2+7) in 23 games while averaging 12:00 of work per outing for the SHL's third-place club.
Defenseman Vojtech Budik (2016, fifth round) parlayed his inclusion on the Czech Republic's camp roster into a solid week for the Western Hockey League's Prince Albert Raiders, nearly doubling his season production with five points in the week's four games, including a one-goal, one-assist effort Wednesday in a 5-4 shootout loss to Medicine Hat.

The wrist-shot goal was a rare feat for the defenseman Budik, who now has two on the season and six in his 157-game WHL career. In 27 games this season, Budik has gathered 11 points and 80 shots on goal.
In Finland, Leki goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (2017, second round) won one of his two starts last week to bring his record to 9-7 with a 2.82 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.
On Tuesday, Finland's projected World Junior starter made 27 saves in a 6-2 win over Jokipojat. Luukkonen followed up with a 30-save performance Friday to keep his club competitive in a 2-1 overtime loss to Kiekko-Vantaa.
All four players are expected to be key members of their teams when the World Junior Championship begins Dec. 26 at Key Bank Center and HarborCenter in Buffalo.

Europe

Victor Olofsson (2014, seventh round) drove the net and roofed the puck for a pretty goal Thursday to help Frolunda HC to a 4-0 blanking of Karlskrona HK.

On Saturday, the sniper circled and fired for another marker and later added one into an empty-net as Frolunda HC defeated Mora IK 3-1. Olofsson also provided a primary assist in the victory to have his hand in all three goals in the victory.

Olofsson has been red hot of late, capturing points in nine straight games and boosting himself to a point-per-game player with 24 in an as many games. His 15 goals rank second in the entire Swedish Hockey League.
Rasmus Asplund (2016, second round) captured an assist Thursday as Farjestad BK feel to Vaxjo Lakers HC 5-4, but the centerman left the game after being elbowed in the head with less than five minutes to play and did not return. He'd miss the next two games with his future timetable yet to be determined.
Asplund has centered Farjestad's second line all season long, has points in six of his last seven games and a total of 16 (4+12) through 26 contests.
In Finnish junior action, Oskari Laaksonen (2017, third round) was unable to point last week as Ilves U20 lost a pair of games before closing the week Saturday with a 3-2 win over Tappara.
Laaksonen, who eclipsed the 23:00 of action in all three contests last week, has captured three goals and 11 points in 33 games.

NCAA

Christopher Brown (2014, sixth round) set a screen and knocked in a rebound Saturday as Boston College fell to Northeastern 5-2. Brown, who now has gotten on the score sheet in consecutive games for the third time this season, heads to the break with five goals and 10 points through 18 outings.
Boston College defenseman Casey Fitzgerald (2016, third round) produced five shots on goal in the Saturday loss to Northeastern.
Fitzgerald collected three goals and nine points in his first dozen games, but his production has run dry with no points in his last five games. The third-year defender has posted five shots on goal or more in six of his 17 appearances.
Maxwell Willman (2014, fifth round) did not play last week as Brown was bested by Bentley 3-1 on Wednesday before rebounding with a 2-2 tie Saturday at Vermont.
Willman has skated in just nine of the Brown's 13 contests this season, picking up one goal, five points, and 25 shots on goal.
Jacob Bryson (2017, fourth round) went without a point over the weekend as Providence defeated RIT 8-3 on Saturday before dropping the tail end of the weekend set by a 4-0 score. Bryson has 12 points, including 11 assists to serve as the team's co-leader in the category, and a plus-2 rating through his first 18 games.
Linus Weissbach (2017, seventh round) picked up a helper Friday to extend his point streak to six games as Wisconsin was defeated by Notre Dame 3-2.
Weissbach was shut out the next night as the Badgers closed out the first half of the season with a 6-0 loss to the Fighting Irish, giving the freshman five goals and 14 points in 18 appearances prior to the break.
Ivan Chukarov (2015, seventh round) recorded an assist for the third-straight game Tuesday as Massachusetts was drilled by Connecticut 8-2.
Chukarov saw his streak snapped Sunday in the Minutemen's 2-1 win at Union, leaving the junior rearguard with three points (0+3) and 10 shots on goal in eight games since returning from an injury that saw his miss the first nine dates of the schedule.
William Borgen (2015, fourth round) recorded a combined three shots on goal as St. Cloud State tied North Dakota 2-2 on Friday, and closed the series with a 3-1 win on Saturday. Borgen has appeared in all 15 of the Huskies' contests, contributing one goal and eight points
Judd Peterson (2012, seventh round) produced three shots on goal over the weekend as St. Cloud State played to a tie and victory over conference rival North Dakota. Peterson has connected for 10 points (1+9) in 15 games while winning a team-high 123 faceoffs.
Brett Murray (2016, fourth round) did not play over the weekend as Penn State hit the break with a non-conference sweep of Robert Morris via 5-2 and 7-4 victories.
The sophomore winger has five points (1+4) and 37 shots on goal while skating in 16 of the Nittany Lions' 20 games.
Philip Nyberg (2016, fifth round) posted identical one-shot-on-goal, plus-1 efforts last week as Connecticut smoked Massachusetts 8-2 on Tuesday and doubled Colgate 4-2 on Saturday.
Nyberg has appeared in 11 games this season, notching two goals and three points while leading the team with a plus-6 rating.

OHL

Cliff Pu (2016, third round) captured five points in the week's three games, highlighted by sniping his 14th goal and adding a pair of assists in Sunday's 6-2 shredding of Erie. Through 29 games, Pu has lit the lamp 14 times and posted 39 total points.

Defenseman Austin Osmanski (2016, seventh round) notched an assist Thursday in Peterborough's 5-4 overtime victory over Sudbury, and then ended the week without a point in losses to London and Sarnia. Osmanski has one goal and 12 points at the 30-game mark.

WHL

Red Deer winger Brandon Hagel (2016, sixth round) sat out of the week's action as he recovers from injury, leaving him with seven goals and 23 points through is first 27 games.

QMJHL

Vasily Glotov (2016, seventh round) went without a point in the week's three games as Shawinigan won once in three tries.
In 29 games, Glotov has amassed 12 goals, five assists, and 91 shots on goal.
For more on all the youngsters in the Sabres pipeline, check out Kris Baker's website, SabresProspects.com. You can also follow him on Twitter (@SabresProspects) for in-game updates throughout the week on any Buffalo prospects that are in action.