The headline, one-on-one matchup at the world junior hockey championship will feature Canadian forward John Tavares and Swedish defenceman Victor Hedman, the consensus best two players available in the 2009 NHL entry draft.
Both are considered franchise centrepieces.
The choice between them could come down to this tournament, to the 2009 portion of their seasons or to the most pressing need of the club owning the first pick in June. Either way, the NHL seems to have two more stars coming its way.
Tavares has been talked about in Canada since 2005, when he was 14 and received "exceptional player" status to join the OHL early. He is in his second world junior tournament.
The Oshawa Generals' superstar is an offensive force (52 points in 31 games this season) and was a top faceoff man at the 2008 tournament in the Czech Republic.
Hedman has the potential to become a player along the lines of Chris Pronger or Zdeno Chara. The 18-year-old is 6 foot 6 and 225 pounds and is still growing. Playing for Modo, he is one of the top defencemen in the Swedish Elite League.
While Canada has three potential first-round selections, the Swedes come with a quintet of potential first-tier prospects, including two players — Hedman and winger Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi — who could be selected in the top five.
A look at some of the draft-eligible players NHL scouts will be watching over the next fortnight:
Finland
Defenceman Tommi Kivisto, left winger Toni Rajala.
Czech Republic
Right winger Tomas Vincour.
Canada
Centre John Tavares, centre Evander Kane, defenceman Ryan Ellis.
Sweden
Defenceman Victor Hedman, left winger Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi, centre Jacob Josefson, defenceman David Rundblad, defenceman Tim Erixon.
Slovakia
Centre Richard Panik.
Russia
Defenceman Dmitri Kulikov.
United States
Right winger Jordan Schroeder.
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STARS IN THE MAKING
In addition to draft eligibles, the world junior hockey championship is replete with players already with clubs. The following is a list of the players (by country) selected in the first rounds of the 2008 and 2007 NHL entry drafts:
Canada
- D Thomas Hickey (Los Angeles; 2007; 4th overall)
- D Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis; 2008; 4th)
- C Cody Hodgson (Vancouver; 2008; 10th)
- D Tyler Myers (Buffalo; 2008; 12th)
- D Colten Teubert (Los Angeles; 2008; 13th)
- C Zach Boychuk (Carolina; 2008; 14th)
- G Chet Pickard (Nashville; 2008; 18th)
- C Angelo Esposito (Pittsburgh; 2007; 20th)*
- C Jordan Eberle (Edmonton; 2008; 22nd)
- C Tyler Ennis (Buffalo; 2008; 26th)
* Since traded to the Atlanta Thrashers
United States
- LW James van Riemsdyk (Philadelphia; 2007; 2nd)
- C Colin Wilson (Nashville; 2008; 7th)
- D Ryan McDonagh (Montreal; 2007; 12th)
- D Kevin Shattenkirk (Colorado; 2007; 14th)
- D Ian Cole (St. Louis; 2007; 18th)
- D Jonathon Blum (Nashville; 2007; 23rd)
- C Jim O'Brien (Ottawa; 2007; 29th)
- G Thomas McCollum (Detroit; 2008; 30th)
Sweden
- D Erik Karlsson (Ottawa; 2008; 15th)
- C Mikael Backlund (Calgary; 2007; 24th)
- LW Mattias Tedenby (New Jersey; 2008; 24th)
Russia
- LW Nikita Filatov (Columbus; 2008; 6th)
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CANADIAN CONTENT
Players in the world junior hockey championship previously drafted by Canada's six NHL teams (draft year and round in brackets):
Montreal
- Ryan McDonagh, defence (U.S., 2007, first).
- P.K. Subban, defence (Canada, 2007, second).
- Danny Kristo, right wing (U.S., 2008, second).
- Nichlas Torp, defence (Sweden, 2007, sixth).
Ottawa
- Erik Karlsson, defence (Sweden, 2008, first).
- Jim O'Brien, centre (U.S., 2007, first).
- Andre Petersson, right wing (Sweden, 2008, fourth).
Toronto
- Jimmy Hayes, right wing (U.S., 2008, second).
- Jerome Flaake, left wing (Germany, 2008, fifth).
- Chris DiDomenico, centre (Canada, 2007, sixth).
Calgary
- Mikael Backlund, centre (Sweden, 2007, first).
- Mitch Wahl, centre (U.S., 2008, second).
- Keith Aulie, defence (Canada, 2007, fourth).
Edmonton
- Jordan Eberle, centre (Canada, 2008, first).
- Milan Kytnar, centre (Slovakia, 2007, fifth).
- Teemu Hartikainen, centre (Finland, 2008, sixth).
Vancouver
- Cody Hodgson, centre (Canada, 2008, first).
