Team Canada announced their 30-man roster for next week’s training camp for the upcoming 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship in Helsinki and Toronto Maple Leafs prospects Mitch Marner and Travis Dermott have been selected.
Marner, 18, was chosen fourth overall in the 2015 NHL Draft by Toronto and is a lock for a roster spot, with 15 goals and 32 assists in 22 games for the London Knights this season after after finishing 2nd in OHL scoring last season.
Other forwards include 2015 first rounders Dylan Strome(ARZ), Lawson Crouse(FLA), Travis Konecny(PHI), Nick Merkley(ARZ), Mathew Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier(NYI) and 2014 first rounders Michael Dal Colle(NYI) and Brendan Perlini(ARZ).
Dermott,18, was selected 34th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft and is tied for the Ontario Hockey League in defensive scoring, with one goal and 23 assists in 26 games for the Erie Otters.
Canada chose 11 defenders and will narrow the list that includes Dermott, 2015 Gold Medal winner Joe Hicketts(DET), 2014 first rounders Haydn Fleury(CAR) and Travis Sanheim, 19-year-olds Jake Walman(STL), Brandon Hickey(CAL) Vince Dunn(STL) and Roland McKeown(LA), 2015 first rounders Thomas Chabot and Noah Juulsen and 2016 top prospect Jakob Chychrun down to eight.
Toronto could have as many as six prospects playing in the upcoming tournament later this month, but that depends on whether the club gives permission to Marlies forwards William Nylander or Kasperi Kapanen to head to Europe.
Both youngsters are 19 and still eligible to play for Sweden and Finland after participating in the 2015 World Junior in Toronto/Montreal last December, but TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported last month that Leafs management has not given any thought of allowing them to play.
2015 second rounder Jeremy Bracco and fifth round pick Dmytro Timashov played for Team USA and Team Sweden in Lake Placid, NY over the summer and are expected to be selected when the two countries release their preliminary rosters in the next week.
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The Maple Leafs have placed forward Joffrey Lupul on injured reserve retroactive to November 28 and have recalled forward Rich Clune from the Toronto Marlies. Lupul played in the loss to Washington on Saturday but did not practice Sunday and was scratched in favor of Daniel Winnik for the 3-0 victory over Edmonton on Monday.
The undisclosed injury will keep Lupul out for all three games of the Leafs upcoming road trip, which opens against the Jets in Winnipeg on Wednesday.
Clune has two goals, four assists and 59 penalty minurtes in 15 games for the Marlies and played two games for Toronto at the end of October. He has likely been added to provide a bit of sandpaper and energy on the fourth line against tough Central Division opposition in Winnipeg, Minnesota and St. Louis.
The goaltending situation for the upcoming road trip is cloudy, as head coach Mike Babcock indicated on Monday following the debut shutout victory of rookie Garret Sparks that the 22-year-old making the next start would be contingent on the health of James Reimer.
The Leafs will bring Reimer, Sparks and Jonathan Bernier on the road and if the Morweena, MAN native is ready to go on Wednesday, it is possible that Sparks will be sent down.
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