Making the world junior rosters for the top teams is ultra-competitive. First-round picks and future NHL draft eligibles missed the cut for Canada, USA, Sweden and Finland.

There are always a few promising players who don't make it onto their country's world juniors roster, and this year is no different.

Many times, it results in that player having an incredibly hot second half of the year to show their national program they made a mistake.

These aren’t the players that haven’t been loaned by their NHL clubs, such as Connor Bedard or Logan Cooley. We also aren’t talking about the players who have opted out of the tournament to focus on development, such as Finland's Joakim Kemell, who chose to focus on the AHL season after participating in two World Junior Championships prior to this year.

These are the players who attended camp and were cut. These are the players that didn’t even get an invite to camp. Let’s look at a few of the players who may make their national programs regret leaving them at home.

James Hagens, C, USA

He was at the preliminary camp in Plymouth, Mich., and by all accounts, he looked solid. The unfortunate thing for Hagens was that this year’s group of players eligible for the 2024 world juniors is as deep as it’s ever been. Even without all-world U-20 forward Logan Cooley, this team is deep at every position, and the firepower it possesses up front is almost as good as it's ever had.

Hagens is a 2025 NHL draft-eligible player excelling at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program this season. As one of the youngest players on the roster, Hagens is a true catalyst for offense, playing at a high pace and using his blend of intelligence and skill. 

Hagens would have fit in nicely just about anywhere in the American lineup, but the team opted to leave him home as he will be eligible for a few more years after this one.

Andrew Cristall, LW, Canada

Despite being one of the most productive players across the CHL over the last two years, Team Canada left Cristall at home. 

Cristall wasn't at his best when representing Canada at the World Men's Under-18s earlier this year. He isn’t the most mobile or physical player, either, and Hockey Canada has always favored those two factors in selecting its teams. But Cristall’s 147 points over his last 80 games in the WHL are undeniably impressive.

Canada has had a history of choosing high-energy, hard-working players for the world juniors, especially if the players aren’t guaranteed a top-of-the-lineup role. The Canadians haven’t been typically fond of using primarily offensive players in the bottom six as they’ve looked to grind their way to the medal rounds. 

Cristall’s draft stock fell last year after the U-18s, and he was eventually taken in the early second round by Washington, but the production at the junior level has been consistent. Excluding Cristall may be questionable, but let’s hope Canada doesn’t have a problem scoring because he would've been be a major asset in that regard.

Topias Hynninen, RW, Finland

While it’s not entirely shocking the Finns left a draft-eligible player at home, the way Hynninen has played at the Liiga level this year should have earned him a look at the world juniors. 

He has the offensive skill to play higher up in the lineup, but he possesses the work rate and effort level that would have made him an excellent asset in the bottom six. He has been truly an up-and-down-the-lineup kind of player.

The Finns are always one of the most versatile and well-structured teams internationally, no matter what level it is. Hynninen is the perfect example of that style of game, capable of doing whatever is asked of him, including putting up some offensive numbers at the junior level. 

Team Finland is a well-oiled machine, but leaving Hynninen at home may result in a leak.

Bradly Nadeau, C/LW, Canada

A first-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes this past June, Nadeau has had an excellent start to his NCAA career with 21 points in his first 14 games, and he’s continued to look like one of the most entertaining prospects in hockey. 

Hockey Canada not inviting him to its camp seemed like an obvious missed opportunity. It has always had hesitance to include NCAA players, but Nadeau was having an outstanding season, just a few points back of Macklin Celebrini who is slated to play an important role on the Canadian squad.

As mentioned with Cristall, the decision-makers with Hockey Canada may have felt like Nadeau could only play a top-six role and wanted to include players with more versatility, but that decision means they opted for players who don’t bring the same kind of offensive upside. 

Nadeau is a more dynamic dual-threat offensive player than just about anyone slated to be in their bottom six, but Canada is looking for players who can help grind out games rather than win them by scoring that extra goal.

Theo Lindstein, LHD, Sweden

Sweden decided to go into the tournament with just two left-shot defenders on the roster. Omitting Theo Lindstein was a bit of a head-scratcher. Lindstein has played arguably his best hockey with the Tre Kronor on his chest, which made the decision even more questionable.

Lindstein is a bit of a do-it-all defender who has grown so much over the last year and a half. While his offensive game hasn’t caught up at the pro level for Brynas in the Allsvenskan, he has improved his defensive game and shown an aptitude for making the right play at the right time. 

He could have slotted well as a second- or third-pair defender for Sweden. Instead, the St. Louis Blues first-round pick will continue to ply his trade against men in the Swedish second level.