Rinkside Roundup: Viggo Björck’s scintillating professional debut turning heads

With the hockey world’s eyes fixed on the 4 Nations Face-Off, the first best-on-best Men’s tournament in a decade, noteworthy prospect performances may have passed under the radar. 

These were not lacking last week.

From dream debuts to stellar 30-minute-a-night performers, young talents came to play in a week headlined by the established superstars of the game. 

Viggo Björck is already getting Swedish hockey fans excited as a 16-year-old lighting up the J20 and scoring in his first HockeyAllsvenskan game. Radim Mrtka’s range and defensive intelligence have quickly become integral to the Seattle Thunderbirds’ game plan, assuming the role of No. 1 defenceman.

Among young Canadian prospects, a trio of dynamic players stood out. Liam Greentree continued his torrid scoring rate, good for third in the OHL. In the AHL, Bradly Nadeau has scored goal after goal in the new year, largely from the left circle on the man advantage, while Luca Cagnoni displayed his defensive strengths.

Viggo Björck, C/RW, Djurgårdens IF (2026 Draft)

Season Stats: 25G, 43A, 68PTS (J20 Nationell)

Last Week Stats: 5G, 1A, 6PTS (J20/HockeyAllsvenskan)

A third-period marker to extend a lead five to one rarely sparks a deafening roar from the home crowd. Viggo Björck’s goal was anything but ordinary, however.

The 16-year-old forward received a pretty backhand saucer pass from Djurgårdens’ ageless wonder Patrik Thoresen while driving the middle lane off the rush and whipped the puck top corner above the helpless netminder’s blocker to tally his first-ever professional goal in his debut.

One of the top prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft, Björck has lit the lamp time and again this season, leading the J20 Nationell with 68 points in just 38 games. His elite vision, timing, and puck skills have overwhelmed competition even four years his senior. It is, however, the Swede’s motor, pace, and detailed and variable rush and cycle patterns that made him a consistent threat to score in his professional debut.

Insulated by Thoresen’s experience and physicality, and elevated by his pace, playmaking, and handling skill, Björck was given offensive opportunities with good linemates in the 10-minute performance. The Stockholm native showed precisely how he can influence games through intelligence and skill.

Björck’s manipulative details and playmaking nuance are special tools. Dir. European Scouting Lassi Alanen wrote about his performance against the USNTDP at the U18 Five Nations:

“The passing skill shone in flashes at 5-on-5, too. He manipulated defenders off the rush, dragging them wide before finding the trailer with a perfectly timed pass. He handles and passes the puck with such grace and smoothness; it's visually very pleasant to watch. Lots of small and subtle, yet advantage-creating plays.”

Djurgårdens IF is training an elite group of young talents. Evolving alongside Anton Frondell, Victor Eklund, and older brother Wilson Björck, Viggo is surrounded by high-end thinkers of the game and he might just have the brightest future of them all.

Scoring a howitzer on his debut left an immediate impression and it won’t be the last time he sparks an explosion of cheers at the historic Hovet.

Radim Mrtka, RD, Seattle Thunderbirds (2025 Draft)

Season Stats: 3G, 27A, 30PTS (WHL)

Last Week Stats: 0G, 4A, 4PTS

Ever since transferring from HC Oceláři Třinec in Czechia to join the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL, Radim Mrtka has been the rock on their blueline. At 6-foot-6, the right-shot defenceman covers a large radius defensively and his smooth edges help him adapt to switches in play.

This past week, he displayed a cohesive two-way game, marked by aggressive yet composed defensive hockey across nearly 30 minutes of ice time a night and an exploration of his on-puck play and activation habits in the offensive zone.

Against the Kelowna Rockets on Tuesday, he picked up a pair of secondary assists in a 3-2 victory and made attacking down the left wing a consistently uncomfortable task. An intelligent player with strong scanning habits and timing, Mrtka kept a consistent – and aggressive – gap with the puck carrier, picking his spots for a lunge or stick check wisely. 

As I wrote in my report of that performance: 

“[P]laying consistently aggressive yet composed defensive hockey for nearly 30 minutes, exploring his on-puck creativity, and consistently being the most aware player on the ice is certainly impressive. I can see why Mrtka is garnering interest inside the Top 10, his tools, intelligence, and defensive runway could make for a rare top-four RD with his package of skills.”

Bradly Nadeau, C/RW, Chicago Wolves (Carolina Hurricanes)

Season Stats: 19G, 15A, 34PTS

Last Week Stats: 2G, 0A, 2PTS

The Carolina Hurricanes’ 30th overall selection in 2023, Bradly Nadeau has stood out for his elite and versatile goalscoring skill for quite some time. While he struggled to produce for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships – like so many of his teammates – he was not put into positions or roles he’s excelled in this season, tasked with the bumper spot on the power play.

Conversely, he is deployed in his preferred left-circle spot on the Chicago Wolves’ power play, scoring goals like these regularly:

The sniper has potted 13 goals in 18 games since returning from international duty, but it has been his detailed defensive habits, marked by mature stickwork, reliable scanning, and quick reactions.

While his Wolves went winless against Cleveland and Rockford last week, his continued danger in front of goal and intelligence on both sides of the puck bodes very well for the Carolina Hurricanes, who could begin reaping the rewards of yet another shrewd swing on undersized skill at the draft within the next year.

Liam Greentree, RW, Windsor Spitfires (Los Angeles Kings)

Season Stats: 38G, 54A, 92PTS

Last Week Stats: 3G, 3A, 6PTS

Sporting an array of high-end to elite-level tools, Liam Greentree was starved for support on a Windsor team that finished second last this past season. To say that he’s dominating the OHL this season would be an understatement. Sitting third in league points, Greentree has systematically dissected the league’s defences with highlight-reel handling, proactive physicality, and deceptive playmaking and goalscoring habits.

While his skating mechanics remain awkward, his anticipation and creative off-puck routes have enabled him to consistently find himself in the right place at the right time at both ends of the ice. Greentree’s defensive impact has refined since the season began. 

The Spitfires’ captain showed off the breadth of his strengths in a balanced and dynamic four-point performance against the Sarnia Sting. On his first goal, Greentree shelved a backhand short side, following a forced turnover on the forecheck.

For his second, he chose to attack four defenders all on his own, veiling his release through both defenders’ sticks and powering the puck past the netminder. Displays of daring like this one haven’t been uncommon and have allowed Greentree to push his boundaries and explore the outer limits of his skill.

Greentree’s skill has broken open games all year long in Windsor, and he was – once again – one of the league’s most dominant players this past week.

Luca Cagnoni, LD, San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

Season Stats: 12G, 22A, 34PTS

Last Week Stats: 1G, 2A, 3PTS

The time is right to be an undersized puck-moving defenceman with high-end skill and intelligence looking to break into the NHL, and Luca Cagnoni could be knocking on the Sharks’ door in the short term. The AHL rookie has set the pace from the blueline for many offensive sequences for the Barracuda this season, using his mobility and deceptive skill to retain possession under pressure and constantly shift angles offensively. 

The 20-year-old blueliner may have logged a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win over Bakersfield on Saturday night, but it wasn’t his creative playmaking and dynamic skill that moved the needle in that game. Rather, Cagnoni’s meticulous stick habits and controlled gap against the rush created many contested pucks and some clean turnovers leading to odd-man rushes.

The San Jose Sharks look well set down the left side of their future defensive core, highlighted by Sam Dickinson’s elite physical tools and Cagnoni’s elite hockey brain.