No Nolan Patrick, no problem.

Sure this year's edition of the world juniors will not include the early consensus first overall pick in next year's draft, but there are still many intriguing names to keep you glued to the television this holiday season.

Related: Injury will keep Nolan Patrick from playing in world juniors

This year's crop will see a star-studded cast highlighted - primarily - by players who have already heard their names called out on draft day, but that just means we have proven young talent to gaze upon.

Dylan Strome

Dylan Strome was arguably the best player on a Team Canada squad that struggled immensely last year. Strome put up four goals and two assists in five games - not too shabby.

This season the Arizona Coyotes' first-round pick was expected to remain with the Coyotes, but after seven games and just one goal, he now finds himself back with the Erie Otters, where he's making a mockery of his competition.

Strome has 15 points in six games in the Ontario Hockey League. This year's tournament will allow him to face stiffer competition as he looks to prove he belongs back with the big club.

Alex DeBrincat

Alex DeBrincat's first taste of the world juniors certainly didn't go as expected last year.

The 18-year-old American was ejected in his first game of the tournament for spearing Canada's Travis Konecny. He was injured in his second contest after taking an awkward ride into the boards against Sweden. In all, DeBincat played just five games and scored a single goal.

The Chicago Blackhawks draftee is having another strong junior campaign with 28 goals and 56 points through 26 games, but it will be interesting to see if he can finally bring his offensive touch to the world stage.

Pierre-Luc Dubois

The man who the Columbus Blue Jackets drafted over Jesse Puljujarvi in June should be a lock on Team Canada.

Yeah, it's still surprising to some that the Blue Jackets elected to go with Pierre-Luc Dubois, but they did, and now the towering forward will have the chance to showcase his talents against the world's top junior players.

This tournament could be more important to Dubois than any of the other candidates on this list. The 18-year-old failed to crack the Blue Jackets' lineup out of training camp and since returning to junior has not produced like he did a season ago.

After posting 99 points in 62 games last season, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles forward has just 18 points through 20 games. So what better time to get back on track than while wearing the red and white?

Eeli Tolvanen

Not every stud in the tournament has his rights claimed.

Finnish forward Eeli Tolvanen will have not only the crowd's attention, but many NHL scouts will also be keeping a close watch.

Tolvanen is currently playing with the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League, where he sits fourth in league scoring with 14 goals and 24 points in 21 games.

The sophomore is improving on his nearly point-per-game rookie campaign and early on looks to be the next hot prospect out of Finland. He's committed to Boston College next season, and will likely be more committed to bringing Finland back-to-back titles.

Alex Nylander

Alex Nylander certainly didn't look out of place last season in his first taste of the world juniors.

The Buffalo Sabres' first-rounder shone with Sweden, totaling four goals and nine points in seven games. Fast forward another year and Nylander should enter the tournament with more tricks to his arsenal thanks to some fermenting in the American Hockey League.

Nylander is off to a stellar rookie campaign with four goals and 14 points in 22 AHL games. And with brother William no longer in the picture, expect Alex to take on more of a leadership roll with the club.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The very early results are in, and a likely quartet leads the 2017 All-Star fan vote.

After one week of voting, Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price and forwards Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers are the top vote-getters by division, meaning they're in line to serve as captains for the four-team 3-on-3 tournament.

Here's a look at the top-five vote-getters from each division.

Atlantic :
1. Carey Price, Montreal
2. Jaromir Jagr, Florida
3. Shea Weber, Montreal
4. Jack Eichel, Buffalo
5. Patrice Bergeron, Boston

Metropolitan:
1. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh
2. Alex Ovechkin, Washington
3. Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh
4. John Tavares, NY Islanders
5. Taylor Hall, New Jersey

Central:
1. Patrick Kane, Chicago
2. P.K. Subban, Nashville
3. Jonathan Toews, Chicago
4. Patrik Laine, Winnipeg
5. Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis

Pacific:
1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton
2. Brent Burns, San Jose
3. Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary
4. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles
5. Joe Thornton, San Jose

Not a John Scott to be found in that group of 20.

Fan voting runs through to 11:59 p.m. ET on Jan. 2, and the All-Star Game is set for Jan. 29 in Los Angeles.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers are magic.

Alain Vigneault's squad sits tied atop the Metropolitan Division, its 35 points good for second-most in the Eastern Conference. New York's 95 goals lead the NHL - only three other teams have scored 80 or more - yet at 5-on-5, the Rangers hardly have the puck on their sticks.

The Rangers and Ottawa Senators are the only two teams currently in playoff position while ranked in the bottom five in possession.

Even more amazing: the Rangers' plus-30 goal differential is tops in the league, and that's with a .917 team save percentage (10th in the NHL). Henrik Lundqvist's only at .914 - not very Lundqvist-like, as he's always at .920 or better - while Antti Raanta's picking up the slack, checking in at .931.

On fire

Helping matters is New York's power play, which ranks sixth in the league at 22.7 percent. The Rangers are also a top-10 penalty killing team, coming in at ninth at 85.1 percent.

There's more. Three Rangers are shooting over 20 percent on the season: leading scorer Kevin Hayes (23.8 percent), Michael Grabner (22.8 percent), and Pavel Buchnevic (22.2 percent in 10 games). After shooting a career-low 8.2 percent last season, Rick Nash is firing at 15.1 percent. The hockey gods are fickle.

Thing is, the Rangers danced to this number last season. New York finished 26th in the league in 2015-16 in possession, coming in at 47.36. What's concerning is that through a quarter of the season, they're even worse. And after scoring five or more goals in 10 games through Nov. 21, the offense is regressing - as expected.

After a 7-2 beating of the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 15, in which New York was outshot 38-25, the Rangers have scored five in a game once, and 23 times in nine games.

Possession obviously isn't the be all and end all, but it's becoming more and more clear that the teams at the top of the Corsi ledger are the ones left standing late in the spring. And that's all that matters.

The Rangers are in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, in a game hockey nerds should find interesting to watch. One of the teams is going to have to have the puck.

(All statistics courtesy: Corsica Hockey)

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers are magic.

Alain Vigneault's squad sits tied atop the Metropolitan Division, its 35 points good for second-most in the Eastern Conference. New York's 95 goals lead the NHL - only three other teams have scored 80 or more - yet at 5-on-5, the Rangers hardly have the puck on their sticks.

The Rangers and Ottawa Senators are the only two teams currently in playoff position while ranked in the bottom five in possession.

Even more amazing: the Rangers' plus-30 goal differential is tops in the league, and that's with a .917 team save percentage (10th in the NHL). Henrik Lundqvist's only at .914 - not very Lundqvist-like, as he's always at .920 or better - while Antti Raanta's picking up the slack, checking in at .931.

On fire

Helping matters is New York's power play, which ranks sixth in the league at 22.7 percent. The Rangers are also a top-10 penalty killing team, coming in at ninth at 85.1 percent.

There's more. Three Rangers are shooting over 20 percent on the season: leading scorer Kevin Hayes (23.8 percent), Michael Grabner (22.8 percent), and Pavel Buchnevic (22.2 percent in 10 games). After shooting a career-low 8.2 percent last season, Rick Nash is firing at 15.1 percent. The hockey gods are fickle.

Thing is, the Rangers danced to this number last season. New York finished 26th in the league in 2015-16 in possession, coming in at 47.36. What's concerning is that through a quarter of the season, they're even worse. And after scoring five or more goals in 10 games through Nov. 21, the offense is regressing - as expected.

After a 7-2 beating of the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 15, in which New York was outshot 38-25, the Rangers have scored five in a game once, and 23 times in nine games.

Possession obviously isn't the be all and end all, but it's becoming more and more clear that the teams at the top of the Corsi ledger are the ones left standing late in the spring. And that's all that matters.

The Rangers are in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, in a game hockey nerds should find interesting to watch. One of the teams is going to have to have the puck.

(All statistics courtesy: Corsica Hockey)

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Forgive Jack Eichel for feeling a lot older than 20.

The focal point of the Buffalo Sabres' offense tweaked his ankle Monday night, and while that's expected after his high ankle sprain, it was revealed Tuesday morning that the forward's also nursing a sore hip, according to Sportsnet's John Shannon.

"I'm fine," Eichel said of his ankle, The Buffalo News' John Vogl reports. "I'm good. Going through an injury like this, you know it's going to come back and bother you at times, but it's fine now."

Eichel will be in the lineup Tuesday night against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers, and he downplayed the hype around the top two picks in the 2015 draft meeting for the second time in their careers.

"You guys are obviously going to make it look like it's Eichel-McDavid, that whole thing, but it's a team game," he said. "It's always been a team game."

Eichel's got three goals and one assist in four games this season, and has scored in every game he's played against the Oilers. (He's played one game.)

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ryan Spooner let his game do the talking first.

Lately the subject of trade rumors coming out of the Boston, the Bruins forward recorded an assist and three shots against the Florida Panthers on Monday, and was kept from scoring only by a beautiful glove save from Roberto Luongo.

It was an impressive all-around effort, and evidence of the fact he has no desire to be traded.

"I definitely want to play here," Spooner said after the game, according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE. "I want to help out and that's kind of where I'm at now. If I play like I did (against the Panthers), I think I'll be fine. I just want to go out, I want to help out, and that's kind of where I'm at right now."

The trade rumblings began in late October, when Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the Bruins would listen to offers.

The 24-year-old is coming off a breakout season in which he recorded 13 goals and 36 assists, but he's been bounced from the third-line center spot to left wing on both the second and, more recently, the fourth line. As a result, he hasn't quite found his game, but Monday's performance is perhaps a sign of things to come.

"I think there were five or six games there where I felt I wasn't playing a bad game. Then six or seven games there where it was hard to get, I guess, the ice time that I wanted," he said. "At the end of the day, I've been a little bit inconsistent.

"I just have to go out there and use my speed and my skill, and I found that in the game here. I thought that I did that and I just need to play with that, and I should be fine."

Spooner has scored three goals and added six assists in 25 games this season, but may be asked to take on a bigger role once again in light of an injury suffered by Matt Beleskey that will keep him out of the lineup for up to six weeks.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After Mike Hoffman signed his first contract with substantial term last offseason, it's taken him a little time to get his hands back.

Through the first month-and-a-half of the season - and after signing a blockbuster contract - it looked like the Ottawa Senators forward might be falling victim to the first-year curse that's plagued countless players following big paydays. As an example, look no further than Jakub Voracek.

After a career season when he punched in 22 goals and 81 points in 2014-15, Voracek followed it up with just 11 goals and 55 points after signing an eight-year, $66-million extension. Luckily, Voracek appears to have found his footing with 23 points in 27 games this season.

As for Hoffman, his contract isn't nearly as lucrative, but - coming off back-to-back one-year contracts - a four-year, $20.75-million deal likely felt like the world to him. That contract, however, may have added extra weight onto his shoulders.

The 27-year-old struggled out of the gate, managing just three goals and seven points through the first 16 games, surely not what the Senators envisioned.

However, whether it's puck luck or something else, Hoffman is back and firing on all cylinders, going off for six goals and 12 points in the past eight games.

In fact, Hoffman is in the midst of a five-game point streak (with eight points), including his first career hat trick against the Sabres.

Hoffman sits second in team scoring behind Erik Karlsson, but has been the offensive dynamo the club needs. He paces the Senators with five power-play goals and nine power-play points, while also firing far and away the most shots of any player on the team.

The Senators could certainly use some offensive help, but in the meantime they'll take a red-hot Hoffman.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are adding goaltending depth to their system.

Veteran goalie Karri Ramo has signed a professional tryout offer with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, according to multiple reports Tuesday. He had been practicing with the Maple Leafs in his quest to return to the NHL after tearing his ACL as a member of the Calgary Flames last season.

The signing comes a day after the Maple Leafs placed Jhonas Enroth on waivers - which he cleared - leaving a hole at the backup position with the big club that will be filled by Antoine Bibeau for the time being.

In 159 career NHL appearances with the Flames and Tampa Bay Lightning, Ramo has a 60-63-18 record with a .906 save percentage.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.

Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Tuesday, Dec. 6 (all advanced stats courtesy of Corsica.Hockey):

Triple Threat

• LW Milan Lucic (44K), C Connor McDavid (74K), D Andrej Sekera (26K), Oilers (at Sabres): The Oilers are on the road but they're facing a Sabres team which took an overtime loss Monday. C Leon Draisaitl is the third member of the forward trio, so sub in a very cheap Sekera, who can reach his salary with hits, blocked shots and shots on goal. He also plays on the power play.

• LW Michael Raffl (33K), C Claude Giroux (68K), RW Jakub Voracek (73K), Flyers (vs. Panthers): The Flyers play at home against a Panthers team which also fell in overtime Monday. Raffl helps mitigate the costs of his two linemates, and he has provided two goals and an assist in his past two games. There's a strong chance the Panthers start backup G James Reimer.

• LW Filip Forsberg (67K), C Ryan Johansen (59K), D Roman Josi (56K), Predators (vs. Avalanche): It's Josi, not D P.K. Subban, who skates on the point opposite Forsberg on the Predators' top power-play unit. The third forward, Viktor Arvidsson, is also listed at LW. The trio has a Corsi For rating of 60.55. Opt for Forsberg's higher upside.

Goalie Breakdown

• TARGET - Pekka Rinne (89K), Predators (vs. Avalanche): The Avalanche rank last in the league in both Scoring Chances For per 60 minutes of 5v5 and Expected Goals For per 60 at 5v5. Rinne has allowed eight goals over his past two starts, but he closed November with a .949 save percentage for the month.

• BARGAIN - Henrik Lundqvist (79K), Rangers (at Islanders): Lundqvist at this price is too good to pass up. He allowed just two goals in three of his past four starts, and made 40 saves in a 3-2 win over the Flyers.

• FADE - Anders Nilsson (106K), Sabres (vs. Oilers): A clear choice here. Nilsson is the most expensive goalie option on the slate. He's likely to draw Tuesday's start, after Robin Lehner started and took the loss Monday, against the Washington Capitals.

• CONTRARIAN - Mike Smith (95K), Coyotes (at Blackhawks): Never a safe choice, Smith has made at least 40 saves and as many as 58 in three of his past four games. The Blackhawks have an xGF60 of just 2.25 at 5v5 which is much less impressive than the 46 5v5 goals they've actually scored this season. They're likely to remain without C Jonathan Toews.

Bargain Plays

• C David Desharnais (27K), Canadiens (at Blues): Desharnais will replace injured C Alex Galchenyuk on Montreal's top line, centering Ws Max Pacioretty and Alexander Radulov. The Canadiens have a tough road matchup but any offense they generate will likely come from their top two wingers. Get cheap exposure with Desharnais.

• RW Ryan Hartman (26K), Blackhawks (vs. Coyotes): Hartman has been playing on the Blackhawks' second line. He has topped 14 minutes of ice time just one this season, but he has two shots on goal in each of his past three games. He has a quality matchup against the shaky Smith.

• D Michael Del Zotto (25K), Flyers (vs. Panthers): Teammate D Ivan Provorov has been more publicized of late. He plays on the second power-play unit, but he's on the third pairing at 5v5. Del Zotto is on the top pairing at 5v5, playing behind elite forwards Giroux and Voracek.

Top Fades

• D Shea Weber (45K), Canadiens (at Blues): Seven of Weber's eight goals on the year have come via the power play. He has added three assists with the man advantage, accounting for more than 50 percent of his total production. The Blues own the league's second-ranked penalty kill at 91.3 percent, allowing just 12 goals in 92 shorthanded situat.

• C Ryan O'Reilly (68K), Sabres (vs. Oilers): O'Reilly has at least three shots on goal in all but one game dating back to the beginning of November. He totaled three goals and three assists during the stretch. He'll be forced to assume a more defensive role while going head-to-head with McDavid's line, and he played 22:48 in the first half of the double-header.

• RW Jordan Eberle (51K), Oilers (at Sabres): Eberle has been separated from McDavid at both 5v5 and on the power play. He still receives time on the second PP, but he plays only on the point. He has gone point-less in four of his past five games.

Contrarian Options

• LW Max Domi (52K), Coyotes (at Blackhawks): Domi has been held to just a single SOG in two of his past three games, and he went point-less in all three. He is playing on the Coyotes' second line, meaning he'll be able to avoid Chicago's top trio. G Scott Darling continues to draws starts for the home team, providing Domi with an opportunity to find the score sheet.

• D Rasmus Ristolainen (49K), Sabres (vs. Oilers): Ristolainen remains without a single goal, but he does have four assists over his past four games. He has played no less than 26 minutes in each of his past six outings. C Jack Eichel continues to open things up for Ristolainen, drawing in the defensive coverage from the points.

• C Vincent Trocheck (54K), Panthers (at Flyers): Centering the Panthers' second line, Trocheck will avoid the head-to-head matchup with the Giroux line. Defensive-minded C Sean Couturier remains out for Philadelphia, providing an opportunity for opposing second lines. The Flyers' new second unit has a CF% of just 48.72 at 5v5.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The National Hockey League's concussion policy has been a hot-button topic since Connor McDavid was pulled at a crucial point from a game Sunday, only to be cleared to return to the eventual overtime loss for the Edmonton Oilers.

McDavid himself said he was shocked about having to undergo the testing, while teammate Patrick Maroon talked about how hockey is a "man's game."

San Jose Sharks forward Joel Ward went through the same earlier this season - pulled from a game and later cleared - but sees the inherent importance of exercising caution.

"I was upset about it because I knew I was OK," Ward said, per Paul Gackle of The Mercury News. "But we're dealing with people's lives here. It's a lot more serious than just a game."

It's a sentiment echoed by teammate and 22-year-old center Chris Tierney, who was removed from a game on Nov. 30 after being flagged by a concussion spotter.

"Guys understand that you want to have a career in this game," he said. "You don't want to risk something to go back to play in the second or third period of a regular-season game. Guys understand it could have an affect on your life after hockey."

So while the Oilers failed to pick up an extra point in Sunday's loss, the alternative of allowing McDavid to continue playing while potentially concussed could have had major ramifications for the player, team, and league in the long run.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.