Its too early to say exactly how Team USA will fare at the 2015 World Junior Championship, but based on the 30 players invited today by USA Hockey to try out, this much is certain: the Americans will be the favourite team of NHL scouts. Nike Shox Cheap Free Shipping . Team USA is going to be young, and young can often mean trouble at the WJC, but a number of these young Americans have been designated as special talents who have the wherewithal to rise above their inexperience. Six of their 30 invitees have not been through an NHL draft yet and at least four of those six – Boston University centre Jack Eichel, U.S. Under-18 star centre Auston Matthews as well as college freshmen defencemen Noah Hanifin of Boston College and Zach Werenski of the University of Michigan -- are expected to play prominent roles on Team USA. Eichel, Hanifin and Werenski are in this years NHL draft class; Matthews is 2016 eligible, although he only missed the cut-off for this years draft by two days. Were Matthews available this year, its highly likely the Americans would have three (Eichel, Matthews and Hanifin) of the top four prospects in this years draft. Heres a position-by-position look at the 30 players going to the final U.S. evaluation camp: CENTRE: Eichel, who is Connor McDavids No. 1 challenger to be first overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, and Matthews, the Arizona-born product who is touted at No. 1 for 2016, will be Team USAs one-two punch up the middle. Toss in Detroit first-rounder Dylan Larkin of the University of Michigan and his Wolverine teammate J.T. Compher, a Buffalo Sabre prospect, and Team USAs four centres could be set. Larkin and/or Compher could be shifted to the wing if necessary. That could be a possibility if diminutive Chase DeLeo, a Winnipeg Jet prospect who plays for the Portland Winterhawks, challenges for a spot in the middle. RIGHT WING: There are two wild cards on the right side – 1997-born, 2015-draft eligible Jeremy Bracco, who is knocking down U.S. U-18 scoring records of Pat Kane and Phil Kessel, and 19-year-old Noble and Greenough Prep Schools Miles Wood, the New Jersey Devil fourth-round pick (2013) who is the son of former NHLer Randy Wood – challenging five bona fide NHL prospects, four of whom are 19. Minnesota first-rounder Alex Tuch of Boston College and University of Minnesota returnee Hudson Fasching, the Los Angeles King draftee whose NHL rights now belong to Buffalo, appear to be locks. Yale Universitys John Hayden, a Chicago Blackhawk prospect, and Vancouver Canuck prospect Cole Cassels of the Oshawa Generals, are strong contenders for spots. Cassels was recently suspended by the OHL for 10 games, which would make him ineligible to play in Team USAs first two games, but there has been talk of the OHL reducing his suspension to permit him to start the tourney, assuming he makes the team. Michael McCarron, the Montreal Canadien behemoth prospect who plays for the London Knights, is also in the mix on the right side, though he could also contend for a position at centre, depending on what head coach Mark Osiecki decides to do with Larkin and/or Compher. LEFT WING: The top contenders for the four spots on the left side include: returnee Adam Erne, the Tampa prospect who plays for the Quebec Remparts; Sonny Milano, the Columbus prospect who plays for the Plymouth Whalers; Tyler Motte, the Chicago prospect who plays at the University of Michigan; and Chicago prospect Nick Schmaltz, who plays at the University of North Dakota. Miami Universitys Anthony Louis, yet another Blackhawk prospect, will try to break up that group. If you want to draw any conclusions from Team USAs summer camp forward lines, Eichel played between Motte and Tuch; Matthews played between Schmaltz and Hayden; and Larkin played between Milano and Fasching. Erne didnt play at the summer camp because of injury and neither did Cassels, who was sidelined by mononucleosis. DEFENCE: Many question marks on the Team USA blueline; much potential or upside. But the most important question mark is the health of returnee blueliner Steve Santini of Boston College. The 1995-born New Jersey Devil prospect is still rehabbing from wrist surgery on Oct. 28 and hasnt played since then. Theres some question as to whether hell be ready to go by the Dec. 26 opener. If hes healthy enough to play, Santini could be Team USAs captain and the steadying influence on what will almost certainly be a highly-skilled, mobile but young defence. Will Butcher, a University of Denver player drafted by the Colorado Avalanche, and Ian McCoshen, a Florida Panther prospect who plays for Boston College, are returnees on the left side blueline from last years WJC team. But theyre going to get pushed, and pushed hard, by the 2015 draft eligibles Hanifin and Werenski. Both are outstanding skaters with high-end offensive ability. Michael Downing, a University of Michigan player and Florida Panther prospect, is a steady defensive defenceman wholl also contend for a spot on the left side. On the right side, if Santini cant go, it creates an enormous hole. Tampa first-rounder Anthony DeAngelo, the so-called Sarnia Sting bad boy who has world-class skating and offensive ability, is a strong right-side contender so long as he doesnt lapse into taking bad penalties or losing his cool. Jack Dougherty, the University of Wisconsin freshman drafted by Nashville, and Ryan Collins, a University of Minnesota freshman and Columbus Blue Jacket prospect, are both known as reliable, steady defenders. Brandon Carlo, the Tri City American defender who is draft eligible this year, rounds out the right-side competition. Getting Santini into the lineup and finding the right mix of offensive and defensive talents will be key for the Americans. GOAL: Returnee Thatcher Demko of Boston College, a Vancouver Canuck prospect, is expected to be no worse than one of Team USAs two goalies and could be the starter. Hell be challenged by a pair of OHL netminders – Carolina prospect Alex Nedeljkovic of the Plymouth Whalers and New York Ranger prospect Brandon Halverson of the Soo Greyhounds. Team USA is in the same group as Team Canada this year, so that means the two rivals will re-establish their New Years Eve tradition, going head-to-head in a preliminary round game at the Bell Centre in Montreal at 4pm et on Dec. 31. Wholesale Nike Shox Shoes . -- Crystal Webster avoided elimination at the 2013 Capital One Road to the Roar Olympic pre-trial curling tournament with an 8-5 win over Amber Holland on Thursday. Nike Shox Cheap Wholesale . Nikolai Khabibulin was yanked in the second period, and the Ottawa Senators looked ready to put away a big road win. http://www.cheapnikeshoxireland.com/ . In the days leading up to the draft, TSN.ca and TSN Radio basketball analyst Duane Watson looks at some of the names that will be headlining the event. Tonight, Michigans Nik Stauskas of Mississauga, Ontario.BANGKOK, Thailand -- Milos Raonic has seen this scenario play out before. This time, hes hoping for a different result. Raonic reached the semifinals of the Thailand Open on Friday with 6-4, 6-3 win over Spains Feliciano Lopez. That sets up a semifinal match against Frances Richard Gasquet on Saturday. In last months U.S. Open, Raonic beat Lopez in the third round only to find himself facing Gasquet in his next match in New York. Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., will be trying to rewrite his recent history with Gasquet after losing their grand slam encounter in five sets. He also kept his hopes alive of reaching the eight-man year-end finals in London with his 58-minute victory over Lopez. Raonic fired 19 aces against Lopez and will be playing his fourth semi-final of the ATP season. "I felt I played really well, I was able to control most of the points when they got started," said Raonic. "Overall I think I did well. "I will be looking for a win tomorrow having recently lost a close five-setter to Richard." Raonic is playing a full autumn schedule in hopes of making the field for London. "Im playing well and hoping to continue in Asia and back in Europe. I have three events out here and two more afterwards in hopes of qualifying for London. I really want to take this opportunity if I can. "I was working on fitness after the Davis Cup, thats why I arrived in Bangkok at the last moment. "I want to be in the best shape possible to try and make a run for London." Raonic, the first Canadian man achieve an ATP top 10 ranking currently stands provisional 11th in the points race for the season wrap up, two behind Gasquet, the defending Bangkok titleholder. Raonic is aiming to become the firstt Canadian to advance into the year-ender in singles. Nike Shox Outlet Clearance. Raonic began quickly against Lopez with an immediate break of serve and collected the opening set in 30 minutes on his 11th ace. There was more of the same in the quick second set. Raonic has split his two career meeting with Gasquet, who advanced with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 win over Russian Mikhail Youzhny. In the other semifinal, top-seeded Tomas Berdych and Gilles Simon of France will meet for the eighth time. Fresh from helping the Czech Republic beat Argentina in the Davis Cup semifinals, Berdych beat Yen-hsun Lu of Taiwan 7-6 (7), 6-4 to maintain his record of never losing before the semifinals in Thailand. However, he hasnt advanced in his two previous appearances. "Sometimes, I was feeling like he was a PlayStation," Berdych said of Lu. "He was there. He was so fast. He hit so many winners." Simon, 5-2 against Berdych, said, "I just hope that I will beat him one more time." Simon said he was going to receive treatment on his back after he needed court-side help from a trainer after the first game of the third set against Igor Sisjling of the Netherlands. After prevailing 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, the third-seeded Simon said it was a struggle to move on to the semifinals. "I felt like I could have lost the two sets I won and I could have won the one I lost," he said. "It was a good win." Asked about the back injury, he said: "I have red lights everywhere. I felt the pain very quickly in the second game of the match. Then it was worse. I thought it would be hard to finish the match at this point but finally I was getting better. My back is not in great shape now but I hope I will be fine (Saturday)." ' ' '