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Team Canada names summer development roster: surprises, omissions and likely leaders

Max Domi is in back in the fold, if indeed he was ever out of it, and Team Canada seems intent on finding big bodies to fill a smaller ice surface for the 2014 world junior hockey championship.

The main takeaways from Hockey Canada naming its summer development roster for the Montreal/Toronto world junior (we dare not contemplate the delirium that awaits holding an already overcovered tournament in Canada's two biggest markets) are that it has a lot of potential returnees and an emphasis on size. It is getting more difficult to rule through the latter, but it bears noting that Winnipeg Jets first-rounder Josh Morrissey is the only defender at the camp who is shorter than 6-foot-1.

Nine players off the 2014 team that finished fourth in Sochi, Russia can return. Fourteen players who will be drafted this weekend in Philadelphia are also going camping, along with top 2015 NHL draft prospect Connor McDavid. Domi, the one London Knights forward who had a strong Memorial Cup tournament even as his team had an 0-3 flop on home ice, is also an intriguing candidate for a scoring line after being omitted from the small 25-player preliminary roster named in November.

As always, the roster will be a moving target right up until Christmas Day. Canada will to wait on the availability of nearly NHL-ready talents such as (but not limited to) Jonathan Drouin, Aaron Ekblad, Curtis Lazar, Sam Reinhart and Nick Ritchie. Canada's summer development camp takes place Aug. 3-9 in the Montreal area and includes exhibitions with the Czech Republic and Russia. Here's a quick synopsis of the camp roster.

Leadership candidates

Curtis Lazar, Edmonton Oil Kings — Lazar was a ball of energy for a Canadian squad whose performance was sporadic in Sochi, thriving in a yeoman role. The centre is on the bubble to stay with Ottawa Senators. If he's available, he's probably near the top of the short list to be captain.

This is being written with the assumption that Team Canada two-timer Drouin will be a full-time Tampa Bay Lightning by December.

Aaron Ekblad, Barrie Colts — Ekblad is a more than even money shot to begin the season in the big league. It is well within the realm to think that, like the Minnesota Wild's Mathew Dumba in '14 or Alex Pietrangelo in 2010, he could be loaned to Team Canada. Ekblad is far and away the leading candidate for a shutdown defenceman role if he's available. Those who like to get into the right-shot, left-shot hair-splitting probably already noticed the only other righties on the roster, Kelowna's Madison Bowey and Kingston's Roland McKeown, each profile as two-way types.

Connor McDavid, Erie Otters — How everyone's No. 1 choice fits into the grand scheme is the million-dollar question (many millions, with the windfall Hockey Canada expects to realize from splitting the tournament between the country's two biggest markets). Future No. 1 picks John Tavares and Taylor Hall, as 18-year-olds, were primary attackers in 2009 and '10. McDavid, having had one immersion in the WJC experience, will still by shy of his 18th when the WJC begins, but might be needed to produce at that level. Sidney Crosby, at 17, was more of a tertiary scorer during the 2005 WJC.

Josh Morrissey, Prince Albert Raiders — The only small defenceman on the camp roster enjoyed an extended season by participating in the St. John's IceCaps' run to the Calder Cup final. If Morrissey's around, he could fill a niche as Canada's power-play quarterback.

Darnell Nurse, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds — Nurse's status with the Edmonton Oilers will also come into question, but his size, mobility and judicious stickwork make him a shutdown pairing candidate.

Surprises

Tyler Bertuzzi, Guelph Storm — Surprise is a misnomer. Bertuzzi was the Storm's best player for some stretches of its playoff run. The 19-year-old Detroit Red Wings prospect, however, did not play internationally at either the under-17 or 18 level. 'Little Bert' is worth taking a look at as a pot-stirrer who can also pop in goals and play physically when he's in peak form.

Jérémy Grégoire, Baie-Comeau Drakkar — The Montreal Canadiens' No. 176 overall pick in 2013 matured in his post-draft year by leading Baie-Comeau to within a single win of the QMJHL championship. Grégoire is a two-way forward who can produce over a short stretch and his club coach, Éric Veilleux, is on Canada's staff.

Ben Harpur, Guelph Storm — The 6-foot-6, 216-pound Senators choice falls under the umbrella of emphasizing having hulking defencemen to play on the first North American ice tournament in three years. Harpur was typically Guelph's fifth defenceman during its run to an OHL title, but he has a high ceiling and is very smart defensively.

Nick Paul, North Bay Battalion — Another example of a forward who rates a look-see after having a lead role in a playoff run. Paul was powerful in winning 50/50 puck battles and snapped in several key goals while North Bay won its conference. Like Bertuzzi, Paul is something of a 'second look' hopeful.

Omissions

Jared McCann, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds — The 18-year-old centre is a projected mid-first round NHL pick, but might not slide into either niche as an offensive sparkplug or as a checking-line candidate. McCann is eligible for 2016.

Ryan Graves, Val-d'Or Foreurs — If there's a premium on size and playoff-run pedigree, Graves is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and played for the next-to-last team to be ousted from the Memorial Cup chase. One has to think the New York Rangers prospect could rate a second look.

Mason McDonald, Charlottetown Islanders — With four 19-year-old goalies going to camp, there may simply have not been room for the 6-foot-4 left-hander who had a strong world under-18 tournament in April.

Carter Verhaeghe, Niagara IceDogs 6-foot-3 left wing Brendan Perlini, who finishes off many of Verhaeghe's setups, is on the roster. Verhaeghe is one of two WJC-eligible 80-point scorers from the OHL not on the roster. The other, the Windsor Spitfires' Josh Ho-Sang, is less of a surprise since he was also left off Canada's under-18 team in April.

With so many draft-eligible players going to camp and Toronto slated to pick No. 8 overall on Friday, there is still a chance of a Leafs prospect wearing the red and white at the world junior.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.