It appears Kris Versteeg won't be spending the winter in Switzerland.

After reportedly signing a one-year deal with Swiss side Bern, he's heading back to North America due to health-insurance complications, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.

Versteeg, 30, spent last season with the Carolina Hurricanes and Los Angeles Kings. The winger finished with a respectable 15 goals and 23 assists in 77 games, and had a goal and assist in five postseason games. A veteran of 550 regular-season NHL games, he's scored 131 goals and added 182 assists in his career.

The two-time Stanley Cup champion is likely to at least get a professional tryout before training camps open.

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If anyone cares, it's Steven Stamkos.

The Tampa Bay Lightning captain didn't participate for Team Canada at the last two Olympics - in 2010 because he was passed over, and in 2014 because of a broken leg - and he was asked about the significance of the World Cup on Monday. He responded in kind.

"It's huge," Stamkos said, writes Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. "You don't know when you're going to get those opportunities again. With the talent that Canada has, your window's pretty limited when it comes to these things."

As more and more players drop out of the tournament that begins Sept. 17, Stamkos' positive feelings make for a story. The Markham, Ontario product has been through a lot recently after missing much of last year's Stanley Cup playoffs due to blood clots, so he's not taking anything for granted.

"I've been looking forward to this for a long time," he said.

Stamkos said he's no longer taking blood thinners and had a great summer of training, so he's ready to go. On Monday, he found himself on Canada's top power-play unit, playing with Sidney Crosby, John Tavares, Ryan Getzlaf, and Drew Doughty.

Who wouldn't be excited about that?

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Expectations were never high for the Czech Republic entering the World Cup of Hockey, and after injuries to several of their key players, odds are certainly not in their favor.

Of course, Czech Republic general manager Martin Rucinsky is certainly not ruling his team out, but he is quick to admit the losses of David Krejci, Tomas Hertl, and Radko Gudas will be felt.

"Losing Krejci, Hertl, and Gudas was not easy," Rucinsky said, according to Michael Langr of NHL.com. "All of them are quality players. Krejci should have been our first center. We wanted to have Hertl among our top-six forwards as well. And (Gudas) is one of the toughest defensemen out there. We are going to miss those guys. But at the same time, we see it as a chance for others. It's not just us. Every team has had some changes and we have to deal with it. Let's move on and go forward."

Meanwhile, according to captain Tomas Plekanec, the injury problems give the Czechs the opportunity to play the underdog role - a position he has used to his advantage over the course of his career.

"For me, the best feeling was always to prove people that they were wrong," Plekanec said. "When I was young, nobody believed me when I said I could play professional hockey and make it to the NHL. And I used it as a motivation to work even harder and prove those people they were wrong. It would be great to show everyone at (the World Cup) that they were wrong too."

Prior to the injuries, oddsmakers gave the Czech Republic 20/1 odds of winning the tournament, tied with Team North America as the second-biggest long shot among the eight teams.

While the team may not have the same firepower as other squads, defenseman Andrej Sustr feels that shouldn't make them any less competitive.

"We don't have as many big names on our roster as they are on many other rosters," Sustr said. "But we will play with team effort and good defense and I believe that it can bring us success. Everyone has their pride and we are going to have a good tournament there."

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There's a method to his madness.

Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock's rosters at the past two Olympic Games and the upcoming World Cup of Hockey have followed a distinct pattern.

It's become no secret that Babcock has tried to construct his defensive pairings with both a left-handed shot and a right-handed shot on each contingent. Of course, that criteria has led to the omission of players such as Kris Letang and P.K. Subban, who both shoot right.

On Monday during a press conference, Babcock finally revealed why having a defenseman with a left-handed shot is so important.

So, in case it wasn't clear before, Babcock has clearly thought this through.

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Boston Bruins forward Zach Senyshyn underwent a successful appendectomy on Sunday, the club announced on Monday.

The surgery will keep the 19-year-old out of the NHL rookie tournament, but he is still expected to report to the Bruins' main training camp, though his level of participation is not yet known.

Senyshyn was drafted 15th overall by the Bruins in 2015. He is coming off his third season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League where he put up 45 goals and 65 points in 66 games.

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Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen will be sidelined three-to-four weeks after sustaining an upper body injury at a pre-Olympic qualifying game Friday, general manager Lou Lamoriello announced.

Andersen is expected to be back for the start of the regular season, but will miss the World Cup of Hockey, where he was selected as one of three goalies to Team Europe.

After learning of the injury, the Leafs flew Andersen from Belarus to Toronto over the weekend for an evaluation with team doctors.

The Maple Leafs acquired Andersen from the Anaheim Ducks via trade during the offseason, after a season in which the 26-year-old went 22-9-4 with a 2.30 goals against average and .919 save percentage.

There is no word yet on who may replace Andersen on Europe's roster.

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The 2016 iteration of the World Cup is far removed from the political tensions that came with the early Canada Cup tournaments, but make no mistake: There's nothing Russia would love more than to come out on top of an international tournament played on Canadian soil.

And while the roster is made up of familiar faces from around the NHL looking to get that job done, there are a few relatively unknown but very talented KHL players in the mix to add a touch of old school intrigue.

Here's what we project Russia's lines to look like:

Forwards

Head coach Oleg Znarok's team boasts an embarrassment of riches up front, including a trio of the game's top goal scorers in Alex Ovechkin, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Nikita Kucherov.

If that wasn't enough, superstar center Evgeni Malkin and his heir apparent Evgeny Kuznetsov are there to lock down the middle, with Pavel Datsyuk - who's now plying his trade back home - slotted on the left for good measure.

The third line will be quick and skilled, featuring a pair of KHL forwards and the reigning NHL rookie of the year, while some more defensively responsible players get the call on the fourth line.

Add it all up and Russia's forward group will be as dangerous as any other in this tournament.

Defensemen

Here's where things get a bit iffy for Russia, a country that hasn't produced many elite defensemen over the years.

Andrei Markov is by far the oldest and thereby most experienced defenseman on the roster, but at age 37, may be a bit long in the tooth to keep up with this tournament's star power.

The rest of the top six is young and full of potential, but, apart from maybe Dmitry Kulikov in Buffalo, not quite top pairing material on even their own NHL squads.

One X-factor here could be Nikita Zaitsev, who will be making his Toronto debut after signing with the Maple Leafs during the offseason.

Goalies

The youngster Andrei Vasilevskiy may end up being the best of the bunch down the road, but even after an impressive showing during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he'll remain buried behind a Vezina Trophy winner in Sergei Bobrovsky and Semyon Varlamov, a former finalist for the award.

Both Bobrovsky and Varlamov played well at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, albeit in a poor and disappointing tournament for a team playing on home soil.

Power Play

Word to the wise: Don't take penalties when playing Russia.

These power-play units will run circles around much of the opposition.

Penalty Kill

If Russia gets into penalty trouble, however, the opportunities will be there.

Artem Anisimov and Nikolay Kulemin should see heavy minutes up front, while their more offensively-minded brethren will also be called upon to help lock things down in their own zone during four-on-five situations.

Deploying Ovechkin is never a bad thing, really.

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Vancouver Canucks forward Henrik Sedin has been named Team Sweden's captain for the upcoming World Cup of Hockey, the Swedish Ice Association announced Monday.

Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg was initially named captain, but after pulling out of the tournament because of a knee issue, Sedin has been deemed the replacement.

Sedin's brother, Daniel, will serve as an alternate captain along with Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson.

Last season with the Canucks, Sedin recorded 11 goals and 44 assists in 74 games.

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Few are picking Russia to come out on top at the World Cup, and Canada has long been listed as the favorites.

While the 2016 version of this tournament doesn't have the same tradition as the Canada Cups of old, it's safe to say Russia will do everything possible to steal this one from the true north strong and free, especially after failing to medal at the past three Winter Olympics.

Here are three questions that will need to be answered along the way.

Can Russia bounce back from Sochi disappointment?

Much was expected from a Russian squad playing the 2014 Olympic men's hockey tournament on home soil, but an emotional shootout loss at the hands of T.J. Oshie and the Americans derailed the quest to finish first in the group stage and therefore an easier path to the gold-medal game.

A quarterfinal loss to Finland ensured Russia's failure to earn a medal of any color in Sochi, where the home country eventually finished fifth.

Medals at the three following World Championships (gold in 2014, silver in 2015, bronze in 2016) were nice, but that tournament certainly isn't on the same level as the Olympics, and doesn't have the same level of top-flight NHL talent that the World Cup will boast.

It won't erase the sting of Sochi, but triumph in Toronto has a nice ring to it.

Is the defense good enough?

While Russia's offense was deemed good enough to exclude the likes of Alex Radulov and Ilya Kovalchuk, the blue line leaves much to be desired.

Long gone are the days when Sergei Zubov and Sergei Gonchar dominated at the position. Andrei Markov ranks third all time among Russian defensemen in the NHL, but at age 37, his best days are behind him and there's reason to question whether he can keep up in what's expected to be a fast-paced tournament.

That leaves Dmitry Kulikov and Dmitry Orlov as the next best options, with promising youngsters Nikita Nestorov and Alexei Marchenko set to carry heavy loads.

Watch out for Nikita Zaitsev as a potential game breaker, as the 24-year-old will no doubt be looking to make a good impression in Toronto after signing with the Maple Leafs this summer.

Who starts in goal?

Russia will bring three capable goalies to the World Cup, giving head coach Oleg Znarok reason to pause when deciding who will start.

Sergei Bobrovsky has a Vezina Trophy (2013) on his resume, and backstopped his country to a Bronze at the 2016 World Championships on the strength of a .931 save percentage in nine games.

Semyon Varlamov, however, has proven to be a quality option in net while playing for a Colorado team that doesn't make it easy on him, and he did play well in Sochi when given the chance.

It's Andrei Vasilevskiy who's been most impressive recently, stepping up for Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Out of the three options, his save percentage in 5-on-5 play this past season (including playoffs) rises to the top.

if we eliminate recency bias, Bobrosvky is the likely front-runner for the gig, and Varlamov is probably the backup as a result of his dependable play in recent years.

Vasilevskiy, though, might be the best of the bunch.

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