Team Canada goalie Oliver Roy, left, makes a pad save as Team Sweden forward Carl Klingberg, right, watches the puck during second period IIHF world junior hockey championship pre-competition action in Toronto on Tuesday, Decemeber 21, 2010.Nathan Denette
POOL A
FINLAND
Not much is expected of the Finns this year as the talent level of their under-20 players dipped. Scoring will be a problem since their best forward, Mikael Granlund, taken ninth overall in the 2010 NHL entry draft, is out with a concussion. This team will revolve around small but flashy defenceman Sami Vatanen, a fourth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks. He is a smart, mobile defenceman with a big shot who plays bigger than his 5-foot-10 size. Unfortunately, that will not be enough to bring Finland its first medal since the bronze in 2006.
GERMANY
The Germans are not medal threats but their development program is showing signs of improvement. Three players on the team were taken in the 2010 NHL entry draft, with forward Tom Kuehnhackl (fourth round, Pittsburgh) the most notable. The player to watch is 17-year-old forward Tobias Rieder, who has 29 points in 32 games with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. He may be taken in the first two rounds of the 2011 NHL draft.
SLOVAKIA
The Slovaks overhauled their development program four years ago after the national team floundered in the world junior tournament for several years. They were a surprise fourth in 2009 and fell back in 2010, although they could surprise some teams this year. The best player is defenceman Martin Marincin, an Edmonton Oilers prospect who is a point-a-game man in the WHL. Veteran forward Richard Panik, a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect who has 39 points in 33 OHL games, will once again lead the offence.
SWITZERLAND
The ascension of the Swiss to the top of the hockey world has been anticipated for several years but their teams have yet to reach the medal podium. However, they knocked off the Russians at last year's tournament to finish fourth and could make the medals this time despite their 8-0 loss to Canada in an exhibition game. Forward Nino Niederreiter, taken fifth overall by the New York Islanders in the 2010 NHL draft, should be one of the top scorers in the tournament. The most important player on the team, though, is goaltender Benjamin Conz.
POOL B
CZECH REPUBLIC
Like the Slovaks, the Czechs went to work on their development program when two consecutive gold medals in 2000 and 2001 gave way to a long dry spell that was only broken by a bronze in 2005. In the 2010 NHL draft, only two players from the Czech Republic were taken: forwards Petr Straka (second round, Columbus) and Jakub Culek (third round, Ottawa). Both will be in Buffalo to lead the Czech offence.
NORWAY
This is one of the teams that make the argument this tournament is too long and has too many teams. The Norwegians made the jump from the lower division for the first time since 2006 when they served as cannon fodder, going 0-6 while being outscored 38-6. Things should not be much different this time around. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Sondre Olden, although he is not having a good season with his Swedish club team, will be of some interest to local fans. Lars Volden is said to be a decent goaltender but he will not have much fun in Buffalo.
RUSSIA
The Russians and the Swedes are the two teams that can spoil the greatly anticipated Canada-U.S. final. As they showed in the recent Subway Series against Canadian all-star junior teams, the Russians will be a high-skill team that can also play a physical game. Leading the way offensively are two first-round draft picks from 2010, forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Evgeny Kuznetsov, along with Maxim Kitsyn. They also have a top-notch goaltender in Igor Bobkov, who plays for the London Knights of the OHL.
SWEDEN
With a long list of high NHL draft picks, the Swedes are one of the deepest teams in the tournament. Like the Russians, they play a physical game with a lot of skill. Their weakness is discipline, which cost them a win over Canada in an exhibition game. Keep your eye on forward Gabriel Landeskog, who plays for the OHL's Kitchener Rangers and is expected to be one of the top picks in the 2011 NHL draft.