1 X-factor for each country at World Junior Championship

High-end star power gets much of the attention leading into tournaments like the World Junior Championship, but secondary talent often makes or breaks a team's success.

Ahead of the 2024 world juniors, here is an X-factor for each country who could propel his nation past pre-tournament expectations.

Note: Goalies have been excluded, as goaltending is always a significant X-factor at a short tournament like the world juniors.

🇨🇦 Fraser Minten

Canada knows what it's getting at the top of its roster.

Matt Savoie will be a game-breaker offensively and has built-in chemistry with Conor Geekie. Matt Poitras arrives from the NHL with known two-way prowess. On the back end, Denton Mateychuk is one of the top defenders in the tournament.

But the potential difference-maker for Canada lies on the second line with the duo of top 2024 prospect Macklin Celebrini and all-offense winger Jordan Dumais. If those two can score consistently throughout the tournament at even strength, Canada becomes the typical dominant force we expect at the world juniors.

The key to making the second line work is Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Fraser Minten. With a young gun in Celebrini and a diminutive, offensive winger in Dumais, head coach Alan Letang will lean on Minten to be defensively responsible and a menace on the forecheck when the trio is on the ice.

Minten's had little stability early this season. He started in the NHL on the Maple Leafs' third line for four games and then returned to the Kamloops Blazers for seven contests, only to be traded to the Saskatoon Blades. He played six games with his new team before departing for Canada's camp.

If Letang sticks with the Minten-Celebrini-Dumais unit, Minten's leadership and defensive acumen will be vital to the line's success at the other end of the rink.

🇺🇸 Rutger McGroarty

A scary injury in late November put McGroarty's status in jeopardy for the world juniors.

Back to health and on the American roster, McGroarty is set to feature prominently on the United States' top line alongside Cutter Gauthier and Jimmy Snuggerud.

The duo of Gauthier and Snuggerud go back to their U.S. NTDP days when Logan Cooley centered them. With Cooley in the NHL and the Boston College trio of Gabe Perreault, Will Smith, and Ryan Leonard remaining together, McGroarty jumps up and fills the spot that would've been Cooley's on the first line.

McGroarty will feature on the wing, where he's dominated for Michigan this season. The Winnipeg Jets first-round pick leads the Big Ten in points per game with 18 in 13 contests.

Assuming McGroarty's good to go for Game 1, his fit alongside Gauthier and Snuggerud will be among the most important developments to watch in the early going for the U.S.

🇸🇪 Otto Stenberg

Some players find another level whenever they don their nation's colors. Few prospects in recent years have done so quite like Stenberg.

As captain at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he scored five goals and nine points in five games. He also matched Sweden's record with seven goals and 16 points at the 2023 Under-18s, again as team captain.

And yet, between those remarkable performances, Stenberg has been good but not great in the Swedish men's and junior leagues. That's why he was available for the St. Louis Blues at 25th overall in June's draft.

The tournament hosts have numerous high-end threats up front and on the back end. Sweden doesn't need Stenberg to be a dominant threat as he's been in the past for his country to contend for a gold medal.

But if Stenberg finds that next level as he's done so often with the Tre Kronor on his chest, Sweden will transform into a potential juggernaut with a well-rounded group on defense and a deep forward core.

🇫🇮 Kasper Halttunen

A dominant power play can push a solid team to a legitimate medal contender at the world juniors. If Finland is to make a run at gold this year, it'll likely have to fall into this category.

Halttunen is the key to that potentially tournament-altering special teams unit. The San Jose Sharks second-rounder has showcased his ridiculous shot early and often since joining the London Knights this campaign, racking up an OHL-best 12 power-play goals.

Halttunen has 20 total tallies in 28 games with the Knights. This comes after scoring a goal per contest in the Finnish junior league last season and six goals in five games at the Under-18s in the spring.

Halttunen is one of the premier shooting threats at the tournament, particularly with the added time and space on the man advantage. His one-timer has been nearly automatic in the OHL. Finland can make noise this year if it keeps things close at even strength and draws penalties.

It's not even like Halttunen will have to do it alone. Defender Arttu Karki is second in the OHL with 11 power-play goals and will feature on the opposite flank of Halttunen as another elite special teams threat.

🇨🇿 Tomas Hamara

Czechia nearly won gold in January due to elite goaltending, the tournament's top defense group, and well-rounded scoring up front.

However, only two defenders and no goaltenders return, marking an uphill battle for the nation to match its success from last year.

Hamara - an Ottawa Senators third-rounder - is back for his third and final world juniors but in a much different role. The Brantford Bulldog jumps from the third pairing a year ago to the projected top pairing this December, potentially featuring on both special teams units as well.

Scoring hasn't typically been Hamara's calling card, as he has 28 points in 88 career OHL games and two assists in 14 contests at the world juniors. But he excelled at the 2022 Under-18s, racking up eight assists in six games for Czechia.

Unlocking that offense again would greatly boost Czechia's hopes for back-to-back medals.

🇸🇰 Maxim Strbak

Slovakia is a legitimate upset threat and a contender for a medal at this year's world juniors with an array of scoring talent at forward.

The country would've been among the contenders for gold had the New Jersey Devils made 2022 second overall pick Simon Nemec available. The defender would've easily played north of 30 minutes per game at this year's world juniors.

Instead, the onus is on Strbak to play most of the minutes against the opposition's top lines.

A Buffalo Sabres second-round pick in June, Strbak is the only NHL-drafted blue-liner on Slovakia's roster. For comparison, the nation has nine NHL-affiliated forwards on the team, plus their starting goaltender.

Slovakia has the talent to score with any team in this year's tourney. It also has the goaltending, with the top netminder from the 2023 world juniors returning in Adam Gajan. That leaves defense as the major question mark.

A freshman at Michigan State but already with two world juniors under his belt, a big tournament from Strbak could propel Slovakia to its first medal since 2015.

🇨🇭 Leo Braillard

Braillard has found his stride in the WHL with the Lethbridge Hurricanes after the QMJHL's Shawinigan Cataractes cut him in October.

The 18-year-old makes his world junior debut with seven goals and 20 points in 18 games out west. His spike in production comes after scoring 22 points in 41 contests last season in the QMJHL.

Switzerland has just one NHL-drafted player - defenseman Rodwin Dionicio - and must find scoring from breakout performers to cause an upset at this year's tournament.

Braillard's status for the world juniors is in question after being checked from behind by Canada's Celebrini in pre-tournament action Friday. Should he miss time, Braillard's absence would mark a notable blow to Switzerland's depth up front.

🇩🇪 Norwin Panocha

Germany has become a quarterfinal regular in recent years after bouncing between relegation and promotion for the better part of two decades.

If Germany is to make the quarterfinal for a fourth straight campaign, it'll need quality minutes on the back end from Buffalo Sabres prospect Panocha.

With a handful of talented forwards, Panocha's job is simple: Limit the opposing top lines and get the puck moving in the opposite direction.

Germany has two NHL-drafted forwards, two others playing in the Canadian junior ranks, and multiple others plying their trade in the German men's league. That same depth isn't as evident on defense, with Panocha the only CHL defender and the rest playing minimal roles in the DEL.

Expect Panocha to log big minutes in the tournament, especially in the vital matchup against Latvia on Dec. 30.

🇱🇻 Dans Locmelis

Latvia remains at the world juniors for the third consecutive year for the first time and has the pieces to stay at the elite level for a fourth.

Captain Locmelis will need to bust through as a game-breaker against fellow relegation candidates in this year's tournament if Latvia is to stave off relegation again.

The Boston Bruins fourth-rounder is off to an underwhelming start in the NCAA with UMass, recording four goals and five points in 12 games as a freshman. But he excelled at the Swedish junior level the past two seasons, and Locmelis rekindling his scoring prowess is vital for Latvia's chances.

After a team-leading three goals at last year's world juniors and a bronze medal at the World Championships this spring with the senior Latvian team, Locmelis has the experience to be a veteran presence and lead his nation to an unprecedented fourth-straight world junior.

🇳🇴 Petter Vesterheim

Norway is trying to avoid relegation as it returns to the world juniors for the first time since 2014.

The nation needs scoring from more than just projected first-round pick Michael Brandsegg-Nygard to remain at the world juniors in 2025.

That's where Vesterheim comes into the conversation.

With seven points in five games, Vesterheim led Norway in scoring at the Division 1A event last year en route to gaining promotion to the world juniors. He's taken a full-time role in the Swedish second-tier league this season and ranks in the top 10 in scoring among junior-aged players.

A benefit for Vesterheim and Norway? Chemistry from the top line. Vesterheim's projected linemates - the touted Brandsegg-Nygard and Noah Steen - all play together with the same team in Sweden, Mora IK.

In a short tournament in which just one upset can put Norway into uncharted quarterfinal waters, that could be a difference-maker against Switzerland or in the single-game relegation round.