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2017 World Junior Summer Showcase: Brady Tkachuk A Player To Watch

By Suraj Sukumar

MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 05: Members of Team United States lock arms and sing the US national anthem during the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal game against Team Canada at the Bell Centre on January 5, 2017 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Team United States defeated Team Canada 5-4 in a shootout to win the gold medal round. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 05: Members of Team United States lock arms and sing the US national anthem during the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal game against Team Canada at the Bell Centre on January 5, 2017 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Team United States defeated Team Canada 5-4 in a shootout to win the gold medal round. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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Brady Tkachuk will showcase his talents at the World Junior Summer Showcase, as he hopes to represent the United States at the World Junior Championships

Brady Tkachuk comes from a great hockey family. His father, Keith Tkachuk, had a great NHL career, and hiis brother, Matthew Tkachuk, is on the rise with the Calgary Flames. With plenty of pressure to perform, the youngest Tkachuk is hoping for a big year in 2017.

USA Hockey kicked off the 2017 World Junior Summer Showcase on July 28. It will feature games against other countries, and concludes with a clash between team USA and team Canada next Saturday, August 5. To kickoff the event, USA Hockey organized two teams of American prospects, USA White and USA Blue.

Keeping Good Company

Tkachuk will represent Team USA Blue, led by New York Islanders prospect Kieffer Bellows. This is a major step in Tkachuk’s career, as he gets a taste of the next level of opponents. He captained USA Hockey to a gold medal at the 2017 U-18 World Junior Championship, and is committed to Boston University for the 2017-18 season.

Tkachuk is not only skilled, but leads by example. He continues to show strong leadership skills, and is ranked fourth by hockeyprospect.com. One spot ahead is WJC-17 and WJC-18 standout Joel Farabee. Both players will join the Boston University ranks, and could have a chance at a national championship together. The highly-skilled forward should also be a major part of the 2019 WJC-20 team next year.

Oliver Wahlstrom is another 2018 draft-eligible prospects. He also represented USA Hockey at the WJC -18, and is committed to Harvard University for the 2018-19 season.

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This is the best time for Tkachuk to increase his draft stock. To make a good case during the Summer Showcase is one thing, but a strong WJC-20 performance would be huge. He will have a freshman year at the NCAA level as well, but the international tournaments continue to hold a strong presence at the NHL Draft. Tkachuk started 2017 in a big way at the U-18 tournament. If he continues down this path, he could become the top American prospect.

Other Players to Watch

One of the more interesting match-ups is between Dallas Stars goaltending prospect Jake Oettinger and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Joseph Wall. Both players are playing for a starting role this winter, but the better goalie should be featured in the last few games of the Summer Showcase.

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Chicago Blackhawks defensive prospect Chad Krys is another player to watch in the Summer Showcase. He should be a guarantee to make the team, as one of the most experienced players in the USA Hockey system. Bellows and Calgary Flames prospect Adam Fox are in a similar boat.

Despite the big names, Tkachuk will have plenty of attention thrown his way. He is one of the younger players, but is a strong two-way player coming up the ranks.

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