No one can say it's been a boring tournament so far. The world juniors have featured upsets, nail-biters and still have some huge tilts on the schedule. Here's a look at some of the players – win or lose – who have proven themselves to be ones to watch for the NHL in a couple years.

Tomas Hertl, C – Slavia Prague (Cze.)

Though he couldn't get his team past the mighty Russians, Hertl was a force for the Czechs in the quarterfinal. Using his strength to shield the puck, he played a great possession game and showed excellent playmaking hops on the team's only goal. Through a translator, he came out of the loss with a positive attitude.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/article...daily_20120104