Unlikely
Ryan McCleary, D, Canada
With a deep pool of talent for Canada, players taken outside of the first three rounds of the NHL draft rarely make the U20 World Junior Championships roster, with the occasional exception for later bloomers. Ryan McCleary, a 2021 seventh round pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins, likely fails to qualify as a notable exception, currently ranking outside of the top 10 among WHL blueliners in points per game.
Better Luck Next Year
Sergei Murashov, G, Russia
Russia remains suspended from IIHF competition, including the 2023 U20 World Junior Championship tournament. With no Russian goaltenders eligible to return from the 2022 team, Pittsburgh Penguins 2022 fourth round draft pick Sergei Murashov likely misses out on the chance to play in the 2023 tournament, but maintains eligibility next year. For the upcoming tournament, Murashov likely needed to beat out at least two of three Russian goaltenders drafted in 2021 in Kirill Gerasimyuk, Semyon Vyazovoy and Yegor Naumov. Murashov currently boasts the best numbers of the bunch in the MHL, the top junior league in Russia. Almost certainly a lock for the 2024 tournament–if the IIHF allows Russia to compete–the starting job appears up for grabs. Drafted a round after Murashov in 2022, Sergei Ivanov started for the Russian U18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last in 2022 while Murashov backed up. Consider Maxim Mayorov, another 2022 draft pick, and Yegor Korzin, the third goaltender for Russia at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, in the mix for the third goaltender spot in 2024, but Murashov and Ivanov to compete for the starting job. Currently Murashov outpaces Ivanov in every major statistical category in the MHL, but Ivanov brings some valuable experience playing against stronger competition after appearing in a handful of KHL games in 2022-23.
Owen Pickering, D, Canada
With three blueliners on the left side eligible to return for Canada from the 2022 team in Carson Lambos, Olen Zellweger and Ethan Del Mastro, the Penguins 2022 first round pick Owen Pickering likely fails to make the cut for the 2023 team, but represents a strong candidate to make the team for the 2024 tournament. Pickering appeared for Canada in the 2022 U18 World Junior Championship, recording two assists in four games.
Zam Plante, F, United States
Zam Plante, a 2022 fifth round pick of the Penguins, played for the United States in the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, finishing third on the team with four points in four games. Expect Plante to push for a spot on the team at the 2024 tournament, especially if the speedy forward gets off to a hot start as a freshman at the University of Minnesota-Duluth next season, but not be in consideration for the 2023 tournament.
Nolan Collins, D, Canada
Though not in consideration for the 2023 tournament, Nolan Collins, a 2022 sixth round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins, played for Canada at the 2022 U18 World Championships, recording a single assist in four games. Though likely on the outside looking in still in 2024, size, defensive play and physicality give Collins a shot at making the roster.
Luke Devlin, F, United States
Not looking like a strong candidate to make the United States roster even for the 2024 tournament–barring a strong freshman season at Cornell University–Luke Devlin, a 2022 sixth round pick by Pittsburgh, wore the red, white and blue at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scoring a goal in four games.