Top 10 World Junior Performances by Current Toronto Maple Leafs
By Mike Jack
Rasmus Sandin (D) – Sweden
Rasmus Sandin played in two World Junior Championship tournaments in 2019 and 2020 when he was 18 and 19 years-old. He had already been drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1st round (29th overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
Before his first World Juniors appearance, Sandin had finished his only OHL season with the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds with 12 goals and 45 points in 51 games and was starting his first AHL season with the Toronto Marlies.
During his first U20 WJC tournament, Sandin was able to score two goals and four points in five games which are great numbers for a defenseman, but he really broke out during his second tournament.
In the 2020 World Juniors, Rasmus Sandin returned to Team Sweden putting up a whooping 10 points in 7 games which included three goals. He lead all defenseman in the tournament in points and had the fourth most points out of any player at the tournament.
Rasmus Sandin’s 10 points are the seventh most by any defenseman in a single season in the World Junior Championships tournament history.
Sandin would be awarded the Best Defenseman award, a spot on the U20 WJC All-Star Team, a Top 3 Players on Team Sweden award and the award for Most Points by a Defenseman to go along with Sweden’s bronze medal finish.
Rasmus Sandin was playing well in his first 25 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season putting up 8 assists while showing defensive maturity but was recently added to the injured reserve after taking a brutal knee-on-knee hit.
Hopefully Sandin will be healthy soon so we can watch him continue to mature into a top NHL defenseman.
2020 World Juniors
Alternate Captain
Bronze Medal
Best Defenseman Award
All-Star Team
Top 3 Players on Team Award
Most Points by a Defenseman in the Tournament
7 Games, 3 Goals, 10 Points
2019 World Juniors
5 Games, 2 Goals, 4 Points