NHL U18 – Misryoum spotlights five rising U18 prospects from Slovakia, including Alexander Command and Wiggo Sorensson, ahead of the NHL Draft Lottery.
A drumbeat of excitement in Trencin and Bratislava is now giving way to the sharper focus of draft season, with Misryoum spotlighting five NHL Draft-eligible prospects who made real noise during the 2026 Men’s U18 World Hockey Championship in Slovakia.
The loudest takeaway from the tournament was how much performance under pressure mattered. especially for players involved with Team Slovakia and Team Czechia.. With the NHL Draft Lottery set to follow. Misryoum turned its attention to prospects whose impact at the U18 level suggests they could be on teams’ radars come June.. Among the names drawing attention is Alexander Command. a left-shot center for Sweden. whose all-around reliability helped shape the group’s late push.
Command stood out as a complete player, trusted across roles and matchups that forced him to handle top-level assignments.. Misryoum notes that his tournament showed a blend of discipline and intent: he battled through traffic. competed hard at both ends. and delivered when Sweden needed dependable minutes.. His production also kept climbing, reinforcing the idea that his steadiness is paired with real upside.
That matters because scouts aren’t just chasing highlight reels at this stage. Players who can be plugged into multiple situations without losing their structure often move up draft boards faster than pure specialists.
Alongside Command, Wiggo Sorensson impressed with a faster, more attack-minded profile as Sweden’s left-shot center.. Misryoum observed that Sorensson’s game is built for pace, thriving in transition and pushing play forward off the rush.. He was used in all situations and contributed both offensively and defensively. finishing the tournament with a positive impact that suggested he can handle more than one job for the team that drafts him.
Elton Hermansson brought a different flavor of offense as a right-shot winger. pairing scoring touch with vision and a willingness to battle in the hard parts of the ice.. Misryoum highlights how his U18 tournament performance reinforced his standing, with a stat line that reflected both creativity and finishing.. Just as important. he showed composure along the boards and in physical stretches of play during Sweden’s tougher medal-round matchups.
If there’s a theme emerging from Misryoum’s look at these prospects, it’s that modern teams want “complete” offensive players. The ones who can drive play, sustain pressure, and still compete physically are the profiles that tend to age well as development accelerates.
In goal, Latvian goaltender Patriks Plumins became impossible to ignore.. Misryoum’s focus on the tournament’s standout netminding performances points to a blend of size. coordination. and battle strength that fit the standard teams look for when they’re planning long-term.. While goalie development is never a straight line. Plumins’ showing in Slovakia gave him momentum heading into the next evaluation cycle.
On the defensive and leadership side, Adam Goljer captained Team Slovakia and offered a composed, two-way presence.. Misryoum notes that his usage across even strength. power play. and some penalty-killing responsibilities suggested coaches trusted him in key moments. while his tournament play helped address questions about his adjustment to game speed.. Meanwhile. Marcus Nordmark. a left-shot winger. flashed elite skill but also showed the kind of inconsistency that can complicate a team’s risk calculus.. Misryoum’s view is that Nordmark’s ceiling is real. but his development staff will need to steer him toward the shift-by-shift discipline the NHL demands.
What it means for June is straightforward: the U18 tournament didn’t just separate the best prospects on talent.. It also revealed who handled pressure, who played with structure, and who can translate their role into a higher-level system.. That balance often decides how high a player rises when draft day becomes reality.