Dominique Ducharme would not say exactly how many jobs are up for grabs at this week’s selection camp, but with 33 players invited — and only 22 roster spots available — the Team Canada head coach is expecting to see a healthy competition.

“It’s going to be interesting to see the battles, because we feel strongly that 33 guys have a chance at making that team,” said Ducharme. “It’s their job to make us make difficult decisions.”

You can pretty much etch in stone that the seven returning players (forwards Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube and Taylor Raddysh, defencemen Jake Bean, Kale Clague and Dante Fabbro, and goalie Carter Hart) will earn spots on the team, as well as Victor Mete, who is on loan from the Montreal Canadiens.

Cale Makar, who was the No. 4 overall pick of the Colorado Avalanche in this year’s draft, is also considered a lock, along with forwards Sam Steel, Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas, and goalie Michael DiPietro. After that, it’s pretty much anyone’s guess who ends up representing Canada.

“I won’t go and say we have 13 spots open,” said Ducharme, who plans on whittling down the roster after Canada plays a pair of games against U SPORTS — which is pretty much a Canadian university all-star team — on Wednesday and Thursday, before Friday’s game against Denmark.

“We don’t have a clear plan saying after the second game we will be cutting that many guys. I would think after the second game there is going to be some cuts, but the players will be dictating how many and who’s going to be cut.”

What is Canada looking for? Well, the usual things. Speed and skill are obviously coveted assets, but Ducharme also set up various drills during Day 1 of practice where players had to backcheck and work hard to take away time and space from the opposition.

“We want to make things happen,” said Ducharme. “And I think we have the speed and we have the skills and we have the checking ability to retrieve pucks quick and make things happen on the offensive side. We want to be hard to play against. Our speed is one thing for sure that can be hard to handle for the other teams.”

BUMPS AND BRUISES

Nashville Predators prospect Dante Fabbro is at the selection camp, but did not participate in Tuesday’s practices because of a minor injury he is working through. He is expected to be on the ice on Wednesday, but Ducharme said the returning defenceman likely won’t get into a game until Thursday.

Dube, who wore a yellow non-contact jersey, is also battling through a shoulder injury that he suffered a couple of weeks ago. Despite the fact that he was off limits, the returning forward still wasn’t completely safe.

“Everyone was like almost too nervous to hit me and then something happens where I trip on a stick and go into the boards,” said Dube, who left the ice briefly but returned in one piece. “That’s the way it goes. Luckily, nothing came of it.”

SHORT STUFF

A characteristic of Canadian hockey is an ability to finish checks and be aggressive. But don’t expect this year’s edition of the team to crush opponents through the glass and out of the building.

While 6-foot-7 defenceman Logan Stanley is the tallest player at selection camp, this could be one of the smaller teams assembled, with seven players who are shorter than 6-feet and two others who are lighter than 180 pounds.

“I just look at the things that I can control,” said Makar, who is 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds. “I’m not looking at playing out of my element. Whether it’s my speed or jumping into the play and moving the puck, that’s my game.”

GLASS TIGER

As the Vegas Golden Knights’ first-ever draft pick, Cody Glass has been paying close attention to the expansion team’s impressive start.

His reaction? Surprise.

“Everybody’s been surprised by it and it’s surprised even myself,” said Glass, a Winnipeg native. “They were off to a hot start there and their home records’ incredible too. They have a lot of skill on their team.

“One thing I love about the (Golden Knights’) coaching staff is they let you play hockey and have fun. It’s amazing what they’re doing up there. No one really expected it and that’s the awesome thing about it.”

HART AND THE OTHERS

Though Philadelphia Flyers prospect Hart has the inside track as the No. 1 goalie, the plan is for all the goalies at camp — DiPietro (Canucks), Colton Point (Dallas) and undrafted Samuel Harvey are the others — to split time in net during the team’s pair of games against U SPORTS.

mtraikos@postmedia.com