Canada announces the junior camp roster, including Macklin Celebrini and Fraser Minten of the Leafs.
Thirty invitees were announced on Tuesday for Canada’s selection camp in advance of the world junior hockey championship, including Macklin Celebrini.
With 10 goals and 25 points in 15 games this season for Boston University, the 17-year-old Vancouver product is ranked second in the NCAA and is predicted to be among the top picks at the 2024 NHL draft.
Ten first-round selections, including fellow forwards Matt Savoie, Conor Geekie, Nate Danielson, Brayden Yager, Matthew Wood, and Easton Cowan, will join him at Canada’s camp, which opens on Sunday in Oakville, Ontario.
In the mix is Fraser Minten, who was sent back to junior after playing four games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in October.
First-round picks Denton Mateychuk, Oliver Bonk (son of former NHL player Radek Bonk), Tanner Molendyk, and six-foot-seven Maveric Lamoureux are among the invited players on defense.
The four goalies competing for a spot in the tournament—Mathis Rousseau, Scott Ratzlaff, Domenic DiVincentiis, and Samuel St-Hilaire—are scheduled to compete in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The only player from Canada’s 2023 gold-winning squad still playing is Owen Beck, a draft choice by the Montreal Canadiens. After an injury, the forward was later added to the roster after being cut from the selection camp in December of last year.
Additionally, there won’t be much top talent accessible.
This season’s NHL players are Connor Bedard (Chicago), Adam Fantilli (Columbus), Shane Wright (Seattle/AHL), and Kevin Korchinski (Chicago), all of whom were members of the squad the previous year and are eligible to return.
Other possible NHL additions at the moment are Zach Benson of Buffalo and Matthew Poitras of Boston.
The remaining players vying for the defensive spot in the tournament, which takes place from December 26 to January 5, are Michael Buchinger, Jorian Donovan, Jake Furlong, Tristan Luneau, Ty Nelson, and Noah Warren.
Canada will begin camp with practices on Sunday and Monday in Oakville. Then, on Tuesday and Wednesday, they will play two games against a team of university all-stars.
Anholt stated, “We anticipate a very competitive camp.” “We are excited to announce our final roster, which will proudly wear the Maple Leaf beginning on Boxing Day.”
READ MORE
Lukas Dostal and Ridly Greig were two of the most impressive rookies last month.
Greig played just two minutes due to an injury in November, while Dostal went 1-3-0, winning just once in overtime against Arizona. You could refer to it as the “Rookie Curse,” as it appeared to afflict the NHL’s best rookies the entire previous season. You’re hot for a month. Next, you’re in the dark.
The preseason favorite to win the Calder, Matty Beniers, was the only player who remained steady during the previous season. In the end, he succeeded, and now Chicago Blackhawks player Connor Bedard wants to follow in his footsteps.
In terms of value overall and statistically, Bedard has been the best rookie this season. Even though the Blackhawks are an extremely poor hockey team, you can always rely on Bedard to give it his all. Bedard has always had the right to win the Calder Trophy, and it appears that a significant loss will be necessary for him to do otherwise.
After three months of the season, what is the status of the Calder Trophy race? Here are ten of the most promising prospects available at the moment.
Connor Bedard, C. (Blackhawks of Chicago)
Yes, this is not shocking. Bedard is on pace to score more than 70 points this season after becoming the first rookie to reach the 20-point plateau. He’s playing offensively as you would expect, especially in the absence of players like Corey Perry and Taylor Hall. Who Bedard plays with appears to be irrelevant because he succeeds and improves everyone around him. The best young player in the NHL right now is continuing on his current trajectory, and I don’t see him slowing down anytime soon.
Luke Hughes (Devils of New Jersey), D
Hughes is enjoying the season that most people anticipated. The 20-year-old defenseman, who can move the puck, is playing at a 50-point clip and making an impact both at even strength and on the power play. Hughes has the highest offensive IQ of any rookie, leading the group in both GAR and WAR. Although Hughes’s defensive play has occasionally been lacking, he has thus far fulfilled all expectations placed on him for a player his age being thrown into the deep end.
Logan Cooley, C. (Coyotes of Arizona
Cooley filled in for Barrett Hayton, who was sidelined due to an injury, and took the lead at center. Last month, he scored 14 points in 24 games, including a solid seven points in 14 games. He is still acclimating
Marcus Rossi, C. (Wild Minnesota)
Anyone who has kept up with Rossi’s progress thus far must be ecstatic. It’s good to see him playing at a 50-point pace this season considering that he had to play catch-up after joining the Wild and the COVID-19 health issues that kept him out for almost the whole 2020–21 season. It’s encouraging to see that despite the team’s early difficulties, he has been among Minnesota’s best players. As of right now, he plays on the team’s top line alongside Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, a far cry from last season, when he was struggling and ultimately sent back to Iowa.
Drake Faber, D (Wild Minnesota)
How successful was Faber? Evolving-Hockey reports that the blueliner, at 6.5, is just behind Luke Hughes of New Jersey (7.2) in terms of goals above replacement of any rookie. In a top-four role, Faber is a fantastic two-way threat who is playing at a 40-point clip. After going through a little dry spell at the end of November, Faber started December strong with a two-assist performance against Chicago. With an average ice time of 23:10, the 21-year-old leads all rookies; no one else has yet to go over 20 minutes.
Connor Zary, C (Calgary Flames)
Zary’s November production was surpassed only by Connor Bedard (12 points) with 10 points in 13 games. The Flames called him up to give the team an extra scoring boost and he immediately found a home in the top six. Before being called up last month, Zary was one of the league’s top scorers and a standout in the AHL the previous season. He will not be returning any time soon.
Joseph Woll, G. (Mapulets of Toronto)
It was just a matter of time until Woll replaced Ilya Samsonov as the starter. However, the season is only two months old? Woll ranks ninth among goalies with at least 10 games played, according to MoneyPuck, with a goals saved percentage of 7.3 above average. With an 8-5-1 record, he is also receiving the tougher starts than Samsonov. Coach Sheldon Keefe seems to be most at ease when riding Woll, who finished the regular season last year with a 6-1-0 record before being forced into a rescue role in the second-round playoff series against Florida. We’ll watch Woll’s potential to lead the Leafs.
Leo Carlsson, C (Ducks of Anaheim)
The way Carlsson has evolved has been amazing. Even though you can never be sure if he’ll play two straight games, you can nearly always count on something happening when he’s in the lineup. After 16 games, he already has seven goals, 12 points, and a hat-trick under his belt. In spite of the team’s recent setbacks, he has helped Anaheim stay in the top six. Although it’s unfortunate that we don’t get to see him perform every night, that will soon change.
