Team Canada has finalized its roster for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships and a couple New Jersey Devils prospects are featured.
Forwards Michael McLeod and Blake Speers both entered camp as bubble players, or at least were not considered locks, but impressed enough to earn spots on the roster.
Team CAN F (not lines):
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) December 15, 2016
Jost-Strome-Gauthier
Dubois-Barzal-Stephens
Joseph-Roy-Speers
Dube-Cirelli-Raddysh
McLeod
Don't read into order.
McLeod, a 1st round pick of the Devils in June, has a respectable 28 points in 26 games with the Mississauga Steelheads since being sent back to the OHL.
Those totals certainly don't jump off the page for a 1st round pick in his Draft+1 year, however, it is worth noting McLeod is scoring on ~6% of his shots, compared to 12.2% last year. If McLeod were shooting ~12% this season, he'd have a much more impressive 12 goals and 34 points through 26 games thus far.
In other words, he has more to give offensively. When you factor in what he brings to the table defensively, and his ability to drive play up ice, he is certainly deserving of a spot on Team Canada.
Speers, a 3rd round pick of the Devils in 2015, suffered a wrist injury in his first game back with the Soo Greyhounds after being reassigned by the Devils. He hasn't played an OHL game since, but he has fully recovered and Hockey Canada obviously saw enough in selection camp to warrant putting him on the team.
Things could change, obviously, but I expect Speers to play on a skill line and see some (2nd unit) power play time whereas I think McLeod is more likely to be used in a shutdown and penalty killing role.
Regardless of how each player is utilized, it's encouraging that they cracked an always strong Canadian roster.
Their first meaningful game comes on Boxing Day.