U-18 Four Nations Cup - Part 2

McKeen's correspondent Rafik Soliman weighs in from Europe with notes on many prospects that participated in the U-18 Four-Nations Cup in Monthey, Switzerland. In Part 2, we look at several players from Team USA and Team Finland.

Team USA

The U-18 squad out of the US National Development Program not only went unbeaten in the tournament, they also showcased some interesting players.

Seth Jones (2013), D, U.S. National Under-18 Team

The son of former NBA player Ronald "Popeye" Jones, captained his squad to the tournament victory and was among the best players .. you have to love his combination of size and skill .. the late 94-born and 2013 draft-eligible defenseman is 6-foot-3 and 201-pounds and already displays NHL-size and strength .. plays hard and displays accurate tape-to-tape passes .. rarely overreacts in his defensive zone, even if he is set under pressure by a forchecking forward and uses his body and long reach to cover the puck .. is a smooth skater with decent speed and is able to make quick turns under full speed and still manage to hold full control of the puck .. despite his good mobility, you don't see many hits from him .. was drafted in 2009 by the Everett Silvertips in the WHL Bantam Draft and by the Waterloo Black Hawks in the USHL Entry Draft.

Jacob Trouba (2012), D, U.S. National Under-18 Team

The 6-foot-2, 194-pound puck-moving defenseman had a strong showing at the tournament .. he always plays with high intensity and can lay out punishing hits .. isn't afraid to go to the net to score goals .. sometimes gets caught when he's frequently rushing forward by turnovers .. as a right-shooting d-man, he is the perfect addition on the powerplay .. has a hard and accurate one-timed shot, which he used often on the PP .. a very good and quick skater .. has committed to the University of Michigan for the 2012-2013 season, but Trouba's OHL-rights are held by the Kitchener Rangers.

Nicolas Kerdiles (2012), F, U.S. National Under-18 Team

Scored five goals in three games and was the top-scorer at the Four-Nations Tournament .. the 6-foot-1, 196-pound forward showed nice finishing abilities .. while he doesn't look flashy on the ice, he is still an effective and good skater .. has a beautiful one-timer from the high slot, which he uses often and seems to be always on net .. protects the puck well and has nice puckhandling ability .. plays the game of a power forward and isn't afraid to crash the net .. battles hard for loose pucks along the boards and often comes out with the puck .. has made a verbal commitment to the University of Wisconsin .. played at the 2011 U-18 World Junior Championship and won Gold with Team USA as an underager.

Team Finland

Finland finished second, despite the U-18 squad missing its best 1994-born players who were playing with the U-20-team. The team still showcased some interesting talents.

Nico Friman (2012), F, Jokerit Helsinki

Scored three goals and was the second best scorer at the tournament .. is a scoring forward who plays under the radar most of the game and you recognize him for the first time when he scores .. the right-handed shooter can be a weapon on the powerplay .. has a decent and especially accurate shot, which can be deadly .. an ok skater with decent speed .. has good hands and is a well-versed stickhandler .. only 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, you don't see him lay out that many hits .. plays with the U-20 team of Jokerit.

Joonas Korpisalo (2012), G, Jokerit Helsinki

An athletic goalie who plays the butterfly style .. is 6-foot and has average size for the modern type of NHL goalies .. loves to challenge the shooters and recovers fast after the shot .. has quick legs and moves well .. tries to play the puck behind the net, but seems a little bit careless .. he has hockey-bloodlines, as his father is a longtime Finish-hockey player .. he plays this season for the U-20 team of Jokerit Helsinki.

Esa Lindell (2012), D, Jokerit Helsinki

Already equipped with good size for a defenseman, with his 6-foot-2 and 190-pound frame .. likes to join the offensive rush and takes the shot when he sees the chance .. logs big minutes and plays in crucial situations in both special teams and at even strength .. a good hitter and displays nice mobility and decent speed .. is among the top scorers for his U-20 Jokerit Helsinki team and debuted this season in the 2nd highest Finish League.