IIHF World U20 Championship‬, ‪2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships‬, ‪National Hockey League‬‬

Projecting the NHL stars of tomorrow may be an untidy, inexact science.

But once it involves the IIHF World Junior Championship, an associate annual glimpse into the longer term of hockey, several of today's biggest stars like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel accessorial to their pre-draft buzz with their play within the world's largest under-20 international tournament.

This year's event in Buffalo, N.Y., has the potential to try to a similar.

IIHF World U20 Championship‬, ‪2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships‬, ‪National Hockey League‬‬

Over the course of the next two weeks, there will be a great many storylines to follow. Many eyes are on Rasmus Dahlin, projected as the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft class, to see if he'll follow in the footsteps of the top picks before him and dazzle on the ice for a stacked Sweden team.

Reigning gold medalist Team USA is loaded with first-round NHL draft picks and 2018 hopefuls. Last year's runner-up, Canada, lacks generational talent like McDavid but returns an experienced roster with a bitter taste in its mouth following a home-ice shootout defeat by the Americans in the 2017 finale.

Below, Sporting News will track the performance from some of the hottest prospects playing in the 10-team tournament.

This article will be updated through the Jan. 5 gold medal game to reflect current statistics and storylines as they develop.

WORLD JUNIORS: How to watch, rosters, tournament schedule

United States

Casey Mittelstadt (C)

Drafted: Sabres (eighth overall, 2017)
Age: 19
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Kailer Yamamoto (RW)

Drafted: Oilers (22nd overall, 2017)
Age: 19
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

MORE: Q&A with Kailer Yamamoto on NHL debut, Connor McDavid, more

Quinn Hughes (D)

Drafted: 2018 eligible
Age: 18
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Brady Tkachuk (LW)

Drafted: 2018 eligible
Age: 18
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Jake Oettinger (G)

Drafted: Stars (26th overall, 2017)
Age: 19
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Canada

Carter Hart (G)

Drafted: Flyers (48th overall, 2016)
Age: 19
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Victor Mete (D)

Drafted: Canadiens (100th overall, 2016)
Age: 19
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Sam Steel (C)

Drafted: Ducks (30th overall, 2016)
Age: 19
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Cale Makar (D)

Drafted: Avalanche (fourth overall, 2017)
Age: 19
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Michael McLeod (C)

Drafted: Devils (12th overall, 2016)
Age: 19
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Czech Republic

Filip Chytil (C/LW)

Drafted: Rangers (21st overall, 2017)
Age: 18
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Filip Zadina (LW)

Drafted: 2018 eligible
Age: 18
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Martin Necas (C/RW)

Drafted: Hurricanes (12th overall, 2017)
Age: 18
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Sweden

Rasmus Dahlin (D)

Drafted: 2018 eligible
Age: 17
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Timothy Liljegren (D)

Drafted: Maple Leafs (17th overall, 2017)
Age: 18
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Alexander Nylander (RW)

Drafted: Sabres (eighth overall, 2016)
Age: 19
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Elias Pettersson (C)

Drafted: Canucks (fifth overall, 2017)
Age: 19
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Lias Andersson (C)

Drafted: Rangers, (seventh overall, 2017)
Age: 19
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Finland

Eeli Tolvanen (RW)

Drafted: Predators (30th overall, 2017)
Age: 18
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Miro Heiskanen (D)

Drafted: Stars (third overall, 2017)
Age: 18
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Rasmus Kupari (C)

Drafted: 2018 eligible
Age: 17
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Olli Juolevi (D)

Drafted: Canucks (fifth overall, 2016)
Age: 19
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Kristian Vesalainen (C)

Drafted: Jets (24th overall, 2017)
Age: 18
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Russia

Klim Kostin (C)

Drafted: Blues (31st overall, 2017)
Age: 18
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Alexander Alexeyev (D)

Drafted: 2018 eligible
Age: 18
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Vitali Kravtsov (RW)

Drafted: 2018 eligible
Age: 18
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists

Andrei Svechnikov (RW)

Drafted: 2018 eligible
Age: 17
WJC stats: 0 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists