World Junior Championship guide: Top contenders, key players to watch

"The best players under 20, who are not in the NHL, will play in the annual holiday tournament beginning Friday through Jan. 5 in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. It's a chance for draft-eligible players such as Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg and Juho Piiparinen to make an impression against their international peers, and for drafted prospects to show their development. The U.S. is looking to three-peat on home soil, Canada is looking to get back on track, Denmark wants to avoid relegation,"

"Canada is missing an entire line and defense pairing worth of players, which will have an extraordinary impact. Not that anyone expected Celebrini or Schaefer to be released, but there was hope for the other three at various points earlier in the season. With those five, Canada would have been the runaway favorite. As it is, gold is still an expectation, but the competition is much closer."

The IIHF World Junior Championship runs late December through Jan. 5 in Minneapolis and St. Paul and features top under-20 players outside the NHL. Draft-eligible names like Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg and Juho Piiparinen can raise draft stock, while drafted prospects can display development. The U.S. seeks a three-peat on home ice, Canada aims to recover, and Denmark fights to avoid relegation. Several teams, notably Canada and Finland, are missing key players due to NHL and AHL obligations, shifting medal probabilities and making the tournament more competitive than expected.

Read at ESPN.com