GERMANY
Last Year: Germany finished in 9th place last year, narrowly avoiding relegation with a 5-32win over Latvia in a game that decided who would stay in the top group and who would move down to the second tier.
Returning Players: F Leon Draisaitl, F Frederik Tiffels, F Dominik Kahun, G Marvin Cupper
Key Missing NHL players: none
Ottawa Interests:
Key Players: F – Draisaitl was dominant for his club last year, and the major reason Germany was not relegated, with 6 points in 6 games. D – Tim Bender is the only blueliner playing in North America, with the London Knights. G- Cupper played in 5 of the 6 games last year and will play a bulk of the games again.
Draft Watch: Draisaitl will be a top 10 pick in the 2014 NHL draft, ad as he goes so will the Germans.
Key To Victory: The Germans will fight to avoid relegation for the second year in a row. They do not have the depth to compete with the big boys, but Draisaitl is worth watching whenever he is on the ice, because he is so far above the rest of the level of his team.
Projected Round Robin Finish: The game between Slovakia and Germany will likely determine who will face the Danes in the best of 3 relegation round.
Potential Finish: Draisaitl might just be enough to get the Germans into a quarterfinal berth, but at the very least he will keep the club in the top group for another year.