Monday morning, an article from The Athletic was published, with three well-informed authors projecting the World Junior Championship (WJC) rosters for the 2027 tournament. Scott Wheeler, Corey Pronman, and Max Bultman -- two prospect-centric writers and a Red Wings-focused journalist -- prepared the piece.
The trio, all of whom were present for the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase (WJSS), put together presumptive WJC lineups for the United States, Canada, Sweden, Finland, and Czechia, five of the ten nations that will be putting their best under-20 players against each other representing their home countries.
Included in the rosters were three New Jersey Devils prospects: Alexander Command (Sweden), Matias Vanhanen (Finland), and David Rozsival (Czechia). The Devils were one of 15 teams to have at least three prospects listed, joining the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders as the only Metropolitan Division organizations with that many inclusions.
In the projections, Command was listed as Sweden's third-line center, Vanhanen was listed as Finland's top-line left-winger, and Rozsival was listed as Czechia's fourth-line right-winger. These spots in the respective lineups should come as no surprise -- as much as Command is a highly-touted prospect, he was put behind Viggo Bjorck and Theo Stockselius, who have a higher ceiling and more experience, respectively. In fact, on such a stacked Swedish roster, his placement should be considered a compliment to his skills and perfectly encapsulates what he brings to the table as a prospect.
The New Jersey Devils could be well represented at the World Junior Championships
Vanhanen, who was the leading scorer for the Everett Silvertips in 2025-26, will likely be Finland's top scorer in the 2027 tournament, given that their lineup is the thinnest of the bunch and he is the most dynamic skater they have. He'll likely be the main facilitator on their power play while their goaltenders have to carry the load for a somewhat weak roster.
Rozsival was a bit of a surprise addition to the Czech roster, given his draft pedigree as a sixth-rounder, though his puck-protecting, defense-first, physical toolkit lends itself well to a fourth-line role. He likely won't produce much, but the fact that he's likely to be included in the tournament to begin with is a plus for the Devils' pipeline.
The Devils will seemingly have a number of prospects to look forward to watching in the early-January tournament, with two players likely to have substantial roles for their respective countries. For an organization that is generally considered to have a middling prospect pool, this is a big win.
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