USA vs. Canada: World Junior Hockey Championship roster breakdown

It will be the United States versus Canada once again on New Years Eve at the World Junior Hockey Championship, as the rivalry renewed on Boxing Day at the 2016 tournament in Helsinki has returned to its rightful slot on the sports calendar.

Both teams will have appeared in three games before their head-to-head clash, which will decide seeding, if not the winner of Group B.

So, to help you contribute to the conversation sure to be held around shrimp rings and various finger foods while wearing party hats, we've broken down the rosters.

Forwards

In many respects, the level of talent eligible, but not at Canada's disposal is as interesting than the team in Toronto to start the tournament. Connor McDavid, Mitch Marner, and Travis Konecny are among qualified skaters, while projected No. 1 overall draft selection Nolan Patrick is unavailable due to injury.

Regardless, this allows us to become familiar with the incoming wave of talent.

Lottery selections Dylan Strome and Mathew Barzal form a potentially dominant one-two accompaniment down the middle, while Pierre-Luc Dubois, Tyson Jost, and Michael McLeod are prized first-round talents on the roster. Taylor Raddysh, Mathieu Joseph, Dillon Dube, and Anthony Cirelli seem poised to break out in their first opportunities on the big stage, while Mitchell Stephens and Julien Gauthier are among two of the five returnees on a team with no draft-eligible players.

Even without Brock Boeser and surprise omissions Alex DeBrincat and Logan Brown, the U.S. possesses a group of forward prospects that can stand up to any - including Canada. The Americans have as many first-round futures as its rivals, led by a lottery pick from last summer in Clayton Keller. Returnee Colin White will be at the forefront of a group of mid-to-late first-round picks out of the development program, including Kieffer Bellows, Jack Roslovic, and Tage Thompson.

Running rampant this season in the Ontario Hockey League, Jeremy Bracco will be depended on to score. There's also a talented group, who by virtue of playing at the collegiate level, don't have eye-popping numbers, including Joey Anderson and Erik Foley, rising prospects Patrick Harper and Tanner Laczynski, as well as 16th overall selection Luke Kunin.

Edge: Canada.

Its high-end talent is superior, and the depth of scoring through the pre-tournament indicates that the top prospects will be protected, not relied on exclusively.

Defense

In most cases, reliance on an undrafted defenseman would cause a little angst for a hockey-mad nation like Canada. But Philippe Myers isn't your average player passed over seven times by all 30 teams.

The tall, mobile, workhorse from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies is expected to log major minutes on a blue-line full of blue-chip prospects. It's expected that he'll slot in the top four with Thomas Chabot, Noah Juulsen, and Jake Bean - each first-round prospects. Mid-first round selection Dante Fabbro and second-round picks Kale Clague and Jeremy Lauzon round out the group.

It's another relatively thin back line for the United States, which will carry three defensemen chosen within the top-50 selections of their respective drafts. The returning Charlie McAvoy is expected to assume the workhorse role of Zach Werenski from the last tournament as the only high-end prospect in the group.

The U.S. group hails almost exclusively from the NCAA ranks, with Edmonton Oilers fourth round selection Caleb Jones the lone defender plying his trade in the CHL.

Edge: Canada.

The Americans were patterned similarly when they won bronze in Helsinki, but prospect to prospect, it's not particularly close.

Goaltending

Carter Hart and Connor Ingram - the top statistical goaltenders in the Western Hockey League - will look to solidify the often-tenuous position for Canada. Hart's expected to have the edge, but both have essentially been perfect in pre-competition contests.

Tyler Parsons is expected to be lead netminder for the United States. What the Memorial Cup winner may lack in experience, is made up for with his immense success in junior.

Edge: Unclear.

There's little separating two goaltenders chosen six slots apart last summer. Hart has the sparkling numbers, and Parsons the shiny trophies.