The Buffalo Sabres had four prospects competing in the 2021 World Junior Championship. Three of them will play for the Gold Medal tonight. Ryan Johnson and Team USA will meet Team Canada, which features Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn.

All three of these players have had good moments throughout the tournament. Cozens is tied as the top scorer, Johnson has played a good two-way game, and Quinn has played a solid role for the Canadians.

The player that caught my eye the most during this short tournament was the fourth prospect that isn’t playing for a medal in J.J. Peterka. He played for the German team that went through a lot of adversity, but still managed to make it to their first-ever quarterfinal appearance.

They played most of their games with only 14 skaters (nine forwards and five defensemen) due to a Covid-19 outbreak on the team when they arrived in the bubble. As a result, Peterka and Ottawa Senators prospect Tim Stutzle played a lot of minutes carrying the team.

Attacking the Puck

Peterka is the type of forward that the Sabres need in their lineup. Fans talk about wanting a team that is harder to play against and he’s that type of player. It’s not because he’s going to drop the gloves or try to put the opponent through the wall all night. It’s because he’s constantly attacking the puck in all three zones.

The clip above against Slovakia is a good example of what I’m talking about. He pursues the puck in the neutral zone to cause a turnover and get possession back for his team. Below you’ll see him do a similar thing in the offensive zone against the Slovakian defender. He trails the puck and immediately puts pressure on the defender on the wall that causes a turnover and a high-danger pass to the middle of the ice.

He already has a solid two-way game built for a player that will turn 19-years-old next week. It’s one of the promising traits that project him out to be a good middle-six winger for the Sabres down the road. He won’t just contribute offensively, but it’ll be in all three zones.

Transition Game

The German forward was also impressive in transition throughout the tournament. He often had the puck on his stick in the defensive zone and carried down the wing with speed when he entered the offensive to create scoring chances for his club. Peterka and Stutzle enabled the German club to have a dangerous transition and counter-attack game that allowed them to put the puck in the net.

When he was in the tournament, Peterka was one of the best players in controlled entry and exit percentage according to data collected by Mikael Nahabedian (@hunterofstats).

Controlled Zone Exit (%) Leaders at the #WorldJuniors after Day 9:

🇫🇮 Anton Lundell – 73% Controlled Exit %
🇨🇦 Jamie Drysdale – 71%
🇺🇸 Trevor Zegras – 70%
🇩🇪 John Peterka – 67%
🇨🇭 Simon Knak – 67%
🇨🇦 Bowen Byram – 66%
🇷🇺 Semyon Chistyakov – 62%

— Mikael Nahabedian (@hunterofstats) January 3, 2021

Scoring Variety

The transition game was just one of a handful of ways the second-round pick generated offense. Peterka ended up with 10 points (four goals and six assists) in six games.

He was able to use his big body along the walls to fight off defenders and score in around the net. In the clip below against Switzerland, you’ll see an example of this.

He also possesses a dangerous shot that allows him to be a threat at 5 on 5 and on the power play. In this clip, you’ll see him rip a one-timer over the shoulder of the Swiss goaltender with the man advantage.

Lastly, he has good vision and doesn’t panic with the puck on his stick. He set up the game-winning goal in overtime against Slovakia doing just this. He got the puck with a defender sliding in front of him. Instead of just shooting into the shot blocker, he remains calm and moves the puck to the defender at the top of the zone. Mario Zimmerman then snaps a shot by the Slovakian goalie for the win.

There’s a lot to be excited about in Peterka’s game and his potential for the Sabres. He’ll head back to Germany to play for EHC Red Bull in DEL. Red Bull features a few former Sabres/Amerks organizational members in Derek Roy, Philip Gogulla, Andrew MacWilliam, and Zach Redmond.

Peterka is a player that could be ready to come over to North America next season and begin his pro career in the AHL. The crazy part is he’s also eligible to participate in the 2022 World Junior Championship if the Sabres want to send him.

Photo Credit: Codie McLachlan/Getty Images