The World Juniors are going on and they are as exciting as you can possibly imagine. These young prospects are incredible and most of them will impact the NHL very soon.
Speaking of impacting the NHL soon, look no further than Team Czechia forward Eduard Sale. He was drafted by the Seattle Kraken (20th overall) in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
He has made a huge mark on this tournament so far. In the first game Czechia had against Slovakia, Sale had one assist. They lost the game 6-2 as that Slovakian team came to play right out of the gate.
They needed to bounce back in a big way on day 2 when they took on Norway. They did just that and won the game 8-1. It was a dominating performance from the reigning Silver Medal winners.
The Seattle Kraken had to love Eduard Sale's big game on Wednesday.
Sale made a huge impact on this game which is part of the reason that Czechia won in such a dominating fashion. They need him to be productive if they want to have a chance at medaling again this year.
He did just that by having a hat trick in the victory. Czechia fans loved to see it but so did those who cheer on the Seattle Kraken. All of his goals were impressive as he forechecks hard, has a ton of skill, and knows where to be as a goal scorer.
The puck finds good players and it found him a lot in this big win. He showed the world exactly why the Kraken drafted him so high.
So far in this tournament, Sale has four points in two games. There is a good chance that he will continue playing well and showing the world who he is as a player.
With the Barrie Colts of the OHL in 2022-23, Sale has 7 goals and 14 assists for 21 points in 25 games. He'd like to produce even more than that but he is still young and developing. This World Juniors event might be just what he needs to build up some incredible confidence.
It shouldn't be long before Sale is a key contributor in the NHL. The Kraken have a ton of good talent to put around him which could end up being a big key to their future. Sale will fit in well with some of the other good young players that they have acquired over their short amount of time.
Sale and Czechia are back in action on Friday when they take on Team USA. This is a good test for both sides. You can expect the Seattle Kraken prospect Eduard Sale to come ready to play in that one as well. They should be excited about him up there in the Pacific Northwest.