We\u2019re in the midst of the final IIHF international break before the World Juniors, meaning we\u2019ve had plenty of opportunities to watch top young prospects playing their hearts out this week.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s this week every year when scouts start to realize how small the sample size is with the players they\u2019re chasing for June. Many leagues have played around 20 games so far, so we\u2019ve got a solid idea of who\u2019s capable of what.<\/p>\n
Today, we\u2019re looking at five players who weren\u2019t receiving a ton of love heading into the draft campaign, but have started to pick up steam. Some of them might continue to rise up the rankings<\/a>, while others might fade into the background. Either way, these are five players you need to know:<\/p>\n Alexander Command, C (Orebro, Sweden U-20)<\/p>\n Command wasn\u2019t too high on my radar heading into the season. He wasn\u2019t on the Swedish Hlinka Cup roster and has little international experience. But in the Swedish U-20 league, he\u2019s been incredible. He has 11 goals and 22 points in 14 games with Orebro, putting him just one point behind potential first-round pick Marcus Nordmark among all U-18 skaters. He\u2019s up with the Swedish U-18 team now, and he\u2019s been one of the best forwards so far. <\/p>\n Command stands at 6-foot-1, and he loves to play with a physical edge. He\u2019s an explosive skater who plays with a ton of energy and is no slouch defensively, either. I\u2019m surprised he isn\u2019t getting more love, honestly \u2013 his ability to find multiple ways to be effective every single night makes him intriguing. I think he\u2019ll improve upon his \u201cW\u201d rating from NHL Central Scouting (projected 6th-7th round pick).<\/p>\n Joe Iginla, RW (Edmonton Oil Kings, WHL)<\/p>\n