​Team USA announced 31 players who will compete for a roster spot at the World Championships. While there are some locks on USA’s roster, there will also be competition for openings.Can A Young Defender Steal A Spot?Nobody is pushing Caroline Harvey, Megan Keller, Laila Edwards, or Haley Winn out of a roster spot with USA. Cayla Barnes had a down year, and Lee Stecklein was used less than normal in Milan, but are both good bets as well. Still, USA has at least one roster spot up for grabs, and this team is one that has been known to refresh their lineup regularly. Rory Guilday was the final defender at the Olympics, but averaged less than four minutes per game. She’ll face a real push from the other blueliners in camp, specifically Emma Peschel who was a late cut from USA’s Olympic roster, and defender Laney Potter, who is the top defensive prospect available for the 2027 PWHL Draft. Both bring size, mobility, and two way acumen. One is likely to make the roster, and the games against Canada could decide that spot. Talented Cuts Coming Up FrontMuch like on the blueline, there’s no pushing the core of this roster out just yet whether that’s veterans like Kendall Coyne Schofield, Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter, and Kelly Pannek, young stars such as Taylor Fox, Hannah Bilka, and Britta Curl-Salemme, or PWHL first round picks Abbey Murphy and Tessa Janecke. Young NCAA star and 2027 PWHL Draft top prospect Joy Dunne will be there as well.Beyond this group, no one is a lock. Grace Zumwinkle is a good bet, but the competition will be fierce for USA’s final spots. Hayley Scamurra and Kirsten Simms were USA’s only forwards in Milan who played less than 10 minutes per night, and they’ll be facing a realistic threat from Casey O’Brien, Lacey Eden, Jesse Compher, and Sloane Matthews. Eden and Compher have World Championship experience, while O’Brien was a PWHL All-Rookie team member. Eden being selected ahead of Simms in the draft could be a signal that the tides are shifting, and O’Brien has already proved she can perform at a high level. With 17 forwards in camp, USA is likely to send three home.Sloane Matthews discusses her selection in the PWHL DraftWill Canada Close The Gap?When the puck drops October 28 between Canada and USA, it will mark the first time the two women’s hockey superpowers have faced off this season. Last season, USA swept Canada. But at Canada’s recent camp, they brought a brand new mix of players together including their own cohort of NCAA standouts. Ushering in top NCAA stars early was the route USA took to reach their own dominance. Every member of their 2026 Olympic roster outside of Joy Dunne and third goaltender Ava McNaughton, will be in the PWHL this season, and USA is down to only three players, a group that includes Dunne, McNaughton, and Potter, at their camp out of the NCAA. Canada brought 15 current NCAA players to camp this month. What’s yet to be seen is how Canada’s youth movement will impact their ability to face USA’