The World Junior Championship is just over a month away, and we should start to hear about what the rosters look like in the coming weeks.

One of the most interesting questions every year is what NHL teams will do with their U-20 players. Do they keep them on the NHL roster, or are they willing to send them to the world juniors to be leaders for their country for a few weeks? 

It’s obvious some youngsters will stick in the NHL. There’s no shot that the San Jose Sharks are even contemplating whether to send Macklin Celebrini, as he sits near the league lead in scoring. He’s more likely to play for Canada’s Olympic team in February than to play for their world junior team over the holidays.

Other players have had a taste of NHL action, but we’ve already seen them sent back to their junior clubs. Guys like Jett Luchanko and Brady Martin are virtual locks on the roster for Canada. 

There are a few players who are in limbo. They are still playing in the NHL, but they’ve been playing in a lower role, or they have been in and out of the lineup because teams want to ease them into the NHL.

Let’s look at eight Canadians and whether they are likely to stay in the NHL or get released to the world junior team.

Matthew Schaefer, D, New York Islanders

This feels like the easiest player to discuss on the list.

Schaefer should stay in the NHL. He’s been borderline dominant already for the Islanders, and he should continue to face the toughest competition in the world.

The argument for sending U-20 players in the NHL to the world juniors is to give them a chance to get back to dominating the competition, but Schaefer seems to be doing just fine. It doesn’t make much sense for the player or the team for Schaefer to be released for the tournament. 

Beckett Sennecke, RW, Anaheim Ducks

This one is a bit tougher. Sennecke has been great for the Ducks, and they have outperformed expectations thus far, but there have been a few hiccups for Sennecke in the early going.

Sending him to the WJC would allow him to assert himself as one of the best, if not the best, players at the tournament. That said, having him in the NHL, where he can work through his mistakes, will allow him to develop his overall game further.

Sticking around the Ducks makes a lot of sense, and that’s probably what happens. 

Ben Kindel, C, And Harrison Brunicke, D, Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins' rookie duo could both be important pieces for Team Canada. They are in slightly different situations right now, though.

Kindel has been playing fairly consistently, and he’s found himself in the Penguins' top six as of late. His pace and playmaking have always been strengths, but his five goals have been nice to see early in the year, as he goes to the hard areas and gets rewarded for it. He’s playing solid minutes and earning more power-play time as well.

Brunicke’s been scratched since Nov. 3, having played nine games. The 10th game would burn off the first year of his entry-level contract, so the Penguins are staying patient before deciding what they want to do.

He’s been solid at both ends of the ice, but there have been rookie mistakes along the way.

The team has spoken of a detailed plan for Brunicke's deployment in the NHL. They could be holding him out of the lineup for an extended period so that they can send him to the AHL on a conditioning stint, a seldom-used loophole for getting a 19-year-old some AHL time in the short term.

When it comes to the world juniors, Brunicke should likely be loaned out if he hasn’t been returned to junior yet. As for Kindel, there's a bit less certainty there. The case for him to be lent to Hockey Canada is simple: let him go and be a key piece before returning in January to pick up where he left off. 

Sam Dickinson, D, And Michael Misa, C/W, San Jose Sharks

Dickinson and Misa are in two different boats at the moment.

Dickinson is benefiting from his time in the NHL. He’s getting a fairly regular shift, and he’s working through the ups and downs of being a rookie blueliner in the NHL. 

Misa’s dealing with a foot injury at the moment, and while he’s been fairly steady in his games, he hasn’t truly hit his stride. An AHL conditioning stint when he returns from injury could get him ready for the WJC with Team Canada, where he could go and be one of the team’s most impressive talents. A stint with the WJC squad could set him up for a very nice second half in San Jose.

Berkly Catton, C/W, Seattle Kraken

Having surpassed the nine-game plateau, Catton has burned the first year of his entry-level contract, but he still could be sent back to junior hockey, as doubtful as that may be.

Catton has played top-nine minutes and has flashes of really intriguing play. He only has three points, but he’s looked well.

Depending on how his season is going in a month, the Kraken could look to use the world juniors as a way to give Catton a break from the grind and allow him to chase down a gold medal. They did this a few years back with Shane Wright before sending him back to the OHL. With Catton, it feels like he would be back in the NHL after the experience with Team Canada. 

Zayne Parekh, D, Calgary Flames

Parekh's start to the season hasn’t been as smooth as many expected. The uber-skilled offensive blueliner hasn’t made his mark in the attacking zone, and his defensive game has been exposed at times.

He was injured in a recent game and was deemed week-to-week with an upper body injury, so health will also play a factor.

If Parekh returns by the beginning of December, sending him to the AHL for a conditioning stint would make some sense, and then loaning him to Team Canada could give him a chance to gain some of his confidence back after a rocky start to the season in Calgary. Being a leader and a go-to option for Canada would be a great thing for Parekh's development this season.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs placed center David Kampf on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination.

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported this roster transaction a few hours before the Maple Leafs announced it Thursday afternoon.

If Kampf clears waivers on Friday, his current contract will be terminated, and the UFA will have an opportunity to sign with another team.

Kampf is in the third year of a $9.6-million contract, earning $2.4 million per season.

He started this season playing in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies after Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube cut him in training camp.

Even while centers Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz dealt with injuries early in the campaign, Kampf wasn't called up to the Maple Leafs’ lineup.

With the Marlies, the 30-year-old from Czechia made four appearances and recorded one assist before leaving the team to ponder the future of his hockey career, as he reportedly had no interest remaining in the AHL.

This season’s stint in the minors was the first of Kampf’s career since he played 33 games with the Rockford IceHogs in 2017-18, ahead of his first NHL campaign.

Regarding Kampf’s leave, he was eventually suspended without pay by the organization. Ultimately, that set the table for the center’s departure from the club.

Kampf played four seasons for the Maple Leafs, featuring in 301 regular-season contests and 26 post-season appearances along the way. He scored 31 goals and 85 points in his tenure with Toronto, including a career-high 11 goals in 2021-22 and 27 points in the following campaign.

Before the Maple Leafs brought on Berube, Kampf was a reliable forward in the three seasons under Sheldon Keefe. According to naturalstattrick.com, he led all forwards in average ice time on the penalty kill during that span.

He also registered a 51.8 faceoff percentage, winning 1,676 draws. Only John Tavares and Auston Matthews won more faceoffs than him between 2021-22 and 2023-24. In some instances, Keefe would send Kampf to start overtime to win the opening draw and head back to the bench in exchange for another forward.

On a broader scale, Kampf has played eight NHL seasons, split between the Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks. In 536 career NHL games, Kampf scored 48 goals and 143 points.

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