from Scott Burnside of ESPN,

... This isn't to suggest that players are making up injuries to avoid the tournament. League officials said they, along with the NHLPA, vet all of the injury replacements to ensure the injury claims are valid. Some are easy to confirm. So far, Ryan Callahan is the lone member of Team USA to opt out -- offseason hip surgery will keep him out of action until November.

But many of those not taking part in the World Cup of Hockey have been working out and might not miss a beat when regular NHL training camps open, or are expected to play when the regular season opens in early October, making for bad optics.

The World Cup might yet turn into the dynamic set piece that organizers on both sides of the table believe it can be.

One NHL GM with international experience said enthusiasm for the tournament has already been blunted by the flood of injuries. But another NHL GM with significant experience in international competition said the injury issue might be something that people are focusing on now, but it will soon be an afterthought and won't influence the success of the tournament.

more