Simply commenting so I can find this again since "Custom" rosters don't show up in Armchair GM History. I'll likely add more details to how I selected my roster.

Kostin led Russia in points while playing on the 4th line last year. I can’t wait to see what he can do when Bragin gives him real minutes. On second thought, the Blues are so decimated by injuries to wingers that Kostin might be on the Blues as soon as tomorrow.

He was definitely a lot tougher, cause there definitely a few players that wouldn’t surprise me if their NHL clubs would rather keep them in the AHL over the WJC even since they’ve excelled there already such as Zadina, Tolvanen.

I would probably throw Nikolai Kovalenko into the mix as well to play on the wing for Russia, and although Russia is usually a team comprised almost entirely out of 19 year olds, I wonder if Vasily Podkolzin is also on the radar due to the way he lit the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament on fire.

EDIT: Also I imagine Grigori Denisenko is on the radar as well, or at least he should be. Kid is uber skilled, could be one of Russia's better forwards at the tournament.

I wanted to include so many younger Russians and those playing in the CHL, but like you said they tend to use more 19 year olds and those they’ve developed so I had to look a lot to who they played with during the CIBC Super Series to kinda make some of the picks.