Welcome back to The Journey.

I do not have to tell you twice, the playoffs are a time to embrace some of the best hockey you will see, no questions asked. Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of prospect watching. While there are always exceptions to the fact, as I shed light on last week in my playoff prospect watch piece, for the most part, it's not often that we see full-fledged prospects make impacts during the playoffs.

Not to worry, that is when you shift your attention to the World Championships, which kickstarted on Friday afternoon. Since many of the country’s top players are fighting for the Stanley Cup or taking a well-deserved vacation at this time, this tournament is usually filled with a healthy number of prospects, even some draft eligibles. To go even further, since this year’s tournament is held in a bubble, taking place in Latvia, many NHL regulars elected to bow out of this year's event, given their experience with the bubble in last season’s playoff run. This means that this year's tournament is beaming with young talent. 

As my usual focus is targeted towards fantasy, I am going to highlight a few names to keep close tabs on for your drafts for next season. I am going to omit players who spent a good chunk of the 2020-21 campaign in the NHL, such as Jason Robertson (USA), who is now an obvious target for fantasy deployment next year. 

Of course, make sure to catch some of the draft eligibles such as Mathew Berniers (USA) or Owen Power (CAN), as they are strong talents and are both expected to be selected well within the top 10 of this year’s entry draft in July. 

Here some 2021-22 fantasy-worthy prospects to keep an eye on during this year's World Championship of Hockey. 

Nils Lundkvist (SWE), Rangers

If you aren’t familiar with Nils’ work, I advise you to watch some game tape. The Rangers prized defenceman is an offensive juggernaut, with a cannon of a release and thirst for offensive production. 

At just 20 years of age, Lundkvist recently wrapped up his fourth season in the SHL, third as a full-time member. During his time, he has accumulated 78 points (30G + 48A), with 63 of those coming in the previous two seasons. His 14 goals (2020-21) led the entire league among defensemen, and his incredible efforts awarded him the league's Defenceman of the Year honors. 

He has yet to ink a deal with Rangers. However, all indications are that he will do so during the off-season and make the trip overseas for training camp. While an AHL stint is highly likely, his skillset is certainly one that could surprise some out of camp. Regardless, he is a must-watch during this tournament. 

Moritz Seider (GER), Red Wings

While Nils Lundkvist is certainly a talent to keep an eye out for, Seider may be the most sought-after prospect in this tournament. Given his decision to remain in Sweden to continue his competition amongst men, the world was deprived of seeing him in action at this year's WJC. A tournament that he should have thrived in. 

His decision was probably for the best, however. His game took tremendous leaps over the course of the year, both offensively and as a two-way presence. Often, we were blessed with tremendous clips of his bone-crushing hits during his time in Rogle (SHL). Oh, I forgot to mention that he is a very recent 20 years of age. On the scoresheet, he fell just short of the top-10 in defender scoring, totaling 28 points (7G + 21A), leading the charge for U20 skaters – not just defenders. 

Barring any unforeseen circumstance, it's expected that Mo will suit up, or at least try out, for the Red Wings for the 2021-22 campaign. Of course, at this point, it seems highly unlikely for anything to jeopardize the reality of him earning a role. I have a feeling he is going to be at the top of the list as a favorite prospect. 

Zac Jones (USA), Rangers

Jones, 20, is in an interesting spot within the Rangers organization. If you noticed, he is not the only defender among the Rangers depth in this article and is accompanied by a list of very capable young defenders – names such as Nils Lundkvist, K'Andre Miller, and Adam Fox.  And this is excluding their veteran group. Basically what I am hinting at is that there is a real possibility of one of these names being dealt. At least in my opinion. It's no secret that the club has been tied to Jack Eichel, and if this deal has even the slightest chance of happening, there is a good chance that one of these names may be included in the conversation – again, in my opinion. 

I digress. Jones is coming off of a stellar sophomore campaign with UMASS (NCAA), finishing third in defensive scoring with 24 points (9G + 15 A) through 29 matches, assisting them to a Frozen Four Championship. Following his frozen four tour, he made the instant transition to the Rangers backend and looked right at home. He produced four assists through 10 games, with three of those occurring in his last three matches, after being promoted up a line and given powerplay responsibilities. Like Lundkvist, he is an offensive player and will be in direct competition for a permanent spot in next year's line-up. 

Anton Lundell (FIN), Panthers

It was a hectic season for the Florida Panthers' future star center, one that included two bronze medals (WJC and SM-Liiga), an incredible 0.96 goals-per-game season as a 19-year in the Liiga, and now a World Championship to wrap it all up. His two-way game has always been credited, but even his offensive game took to new heights this season. Despite missing time during his WJC absence and a small bout with injury, he led his team (HIFK Helsinki) in goals with 16 and was looked to as a go-to producer when in the lineup.

In fact, if it were not for an unfortunate Covid setback among the league, pushing back his playoff run, it's likely that Lundell would have signed his ELC and joined the now playoff-bound Panthers to conclude the year. Fans will have to settle for this tournament.

As mentioned, it's his two-way presence that makes him so intriguing and destined to become a top-notch second-line center. However, with a knack for producing points when needed, he makes himself fully fantasy-worthy players, regardless of the format. Think Barkov 2.0.

Cole Perfetti (CAN), Jets

Before even having the opportunity to take part in his first NHL training camp, Cole Perfetti will throw on the red and white. At just 19 years old, the sharpshooting teen is coming off a respectable rookie season in the American Hockey League. Taking advantage of an opportunity that wouldn't be there if it weren’t for Covid, he posted nine goals and 26 points through 32 games with the Manitoba Moose – tied for seventh in rookie scoring. 

In a normal world, Perfetti's chances to make the team out of camp next season would be slim, as there is still some work to be done towards becoming a complete player, However, thanks to his unique circumstance, he received the opportunity to stack up to higher and heavier competition first hand – taking on face-offs, puck battle, and high-end goaltenders. This gives him a tremendous advantage heading in. Here lies another reason for a revised policy on 19-year-olds suiting up in the AHL. 

Enjoy the tournament.

Follow me on Twitter @hall1289 for prospect updates.