Team USA loses three top players for upcoming World Championships

With several NHL teams now officially eliminated from playoff contention the watch is on for World Championship invites.

The Vancouver Canucks were eliminated last night thanks to an overtime win from the Minnesota Wild and two of their top players have reportedly already rejected an invitation. Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal reports that defenseman Quinn Hughes and goaltender Thatcher Demko have both turned down invites to play for USA, citing the need to spend time recovering from injuries.

Ditto for defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who will also sit out the Boston Bruins' final 4 regular season games. He'll take the offseason to rest and recover.

The tournament begins a month today, so there's still plenty of time for USA's roster to come together. Stay tuned.