Toggle sidebar

WJC: 2015 — USA Roster Talk

  • Xenforo Cloud has upgraded us to version 2.3.6. Please report any issues you experience.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Eichel with a goal and an assist last night in a win against #9 Colgate

12 GP, 8 G, 13 A, 21P if the BU website is right.
 
Early Look: 2015 World Juniors Team USA Forwards
TopShelfProspects1-300x118.jpg


Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the column looking at Hockey’s Future Stars. Over the next week or so, we will be previewing the 2014 World Junior Championships, a tournament that will be played in Toronto and Montreal from December 26, 2014 to January 5, 2015. As always, you can check out the previous Top Shelf Prospects articles here.

Today we take an early look at Team USA and predict the forwards who will be on the team. It should be noted that Canucks prospect Cole Cassels is an interesting case here. He is eligible for both the US and Canadian Squads. While he played for Team Ontario at the U17 level, and for the OHL in the Canada/Russia Super Series, those are not IIHF sanctioned events, and so while they may indicate that he is leaning towards playing for Canada in the future, they aren’t determinative. On the other hand Cassels accepted an invite to the United States National Junior Team Evaluation Camp last summer, before illness forced him to bow out, so at the very least he is considering playing for the Americans. To top it all off Cassels recently received a ten game suspension from the OHL, and will only be able to serve eight of the ten games prior to the tournament. Since the IIHF respects the CHL suspensions, he would miss the first two games of the tournament. For that reason I am going to assume that Cassels will not be on the American squad when I make my picks.

With 22 players eligible for the roster, I am going to pick four lines and a 13th forward today, and give my goaltenders and defense tomorrow. Note players must be born on January 1st, 1995 or later to be eligible for the tournament. 1994 birthdates are not eligible.
Click to expand...

Fore more:
http://lastwordonsports.com/2014/11/30/early-look-2015-world-juniors-team-usa-forwards/
 
I'm really rooting for Bailey to make it. Would be huge for the kid. Hurley and Florentino are really longshots at this point, right?
 
Man, if the Santini can get healthy, USAH can get over their beef with DeAngelo, and they're willing to take two underage defensemen, this D could be very good.

Santini, Hanifin, Werenski, DeAngelo, Butcher, McCoshen, Belpedio, and Downing would be my eight.
 
TheJuxtaposer said:
Man, if the Santini can get healthy, USAH can get over their beef with DeAngelo, and they're willing to take two underage defensemen, this D could be very good.

Santini, Hanifin, Werenski, DeAngelo, Butcher, McCoshen, Belpedio, and Downing would be my eight.
Click to expand...

I just dont see the stars lining up for that to happen, would be nice though
 
GuillaumeLetsundress said:
I just dont see the stars lining up for that to happen, would be nice though
Click to expand...

Neither do I, sadly. USAH probably still has DeAngelo black-listed and I wonder if Werenski has enough hype to get on their radar. Santini's recovery looks to be on track, so I think he'll be there, and given Hanifin's insane performance at the U18 last spring and his excellent play in the NCAA so far, I think they'd feel comfortable that he can play with the best of older kids.
 
TheJuxtaposer said:
Neither do I, sadly. USAH probably still has DeAngelo black-listed and I wonder if Werenski has enough hype to get on their radar. Santini's recovery looks to be on track, so I think he'll be there, and given Hanifin's insane performance at the U18 last spring and his excellent play in the NCAA so far, I think they'd feel comfortable that he can play with the best of older kids.
Click to expand...

I would have to think that Werenski's performance so far this year gets him an invite at least as an option for a PPQB. He's putting up impressive numbers in the NCAA
 
Old Navy Goat said:
I would have to think that Werenski's performance so far this year gets him an invite at least as an option for a PPQB. He's putting up impressive numbers in the NCAA
Click to expand...

I'd hope. There really isn't a high-end offensive defenseman in this group, with the exception of DeAngelo (and Hanifin but as an underager I don't expect him to dominate offensively).
 
TheJuxtaposer said:
I'd hope. There really isn't a high-end offensive defenseman in this group, with the exception of DeAngelo (and Hanifin but as an underager I don't expect him to dominate offensively).
Click to expand...

Even as underagers its impressive what they're doing in the NCAA. Hanifin has undoubtedly the better overall game but Werenski is an offensive stud. Of course he has a tendency to have too many doh moments in his own end.

I just wish USAH would take the best players and get over their obsession with NDTP players to the exclusion of better players that happen to be in their 'doghouse'.
 
Old Navy Goat said:
Even as underagers its impressive what they're doing in the NCAA. Hanifin has undoubtedly the better overall game but Werenski is an offensive stud. Of course he has a tendency to have too many doh moments in his own end.

I just wish USAH would take the best players and get over their obsession with NDTP players to the exclusion of better players that happen to be in their 'doghouse'.
Click to expand...

Yep. I don't like DeAngelo as a person but as a player there is no reason he shouldn't be at least on the prelim roster. We'll see. I'm hoping USAH has gotten over their hurt feelings re: Werenski and Hanifin.
 
I've only seen Werenski once with Michigan so far this year but in that game he was taking a lot of risks to create offense and getting burned for it defensively. He seemed much more conservative last year with the U17s and I think he'd probably have to show a bit more of that side of his game to avoid being a liability in a short tournament like this.

DeAngelo had some issues that were detrimental to US teams in the past but I'd like to see him get another chance. If there are any red flags at the camp they could always just cut him and go with other options.

The defense is wide open from my perspective so nothing will surprise me.
 
Not sure how this is all going to look when the list gets put out this week, but I will take a stab at the invite list for the December eval camp.

FORWARDS

Jack Eichel
Sonny Milano
Alex Tuch
Kyle (the terminator) Connor
Nick Schmaltz
Austin Matthews
Adam Erne
Hudson Fasching
Justin Bailey
Conor Garland
J.T Compher
Dylan Larkin
Tyler Motte
Chase De Leo
John Hayden
Michael McCarron
Cole Cassels (just assuming here, have no clue who he picks)
if no Cassels I like Christian Dvorak

DEFENSE

Zach Werenski
Noah Hanifin
Steve Santini - assuming he will be ready
Ian McCoshen
Anthony DeAngelo
Michael Downing
Will Butcher
Ryan Collins
Brandon Carlo
Louie Belpedio
Jack Dougherty

GOALIES

Brandon Halverson
Thatcher Demko
Alex Nedeljkovic

there is a ton of talent and fire power here. the goaltending should be more then adequate while that offense has line after line that can play any role.

the defense will be the issue only because I doubt USA Hockey will go with these younger guys (Hanifin, Carlo, and Werenski) as well as their boy DeAngelo. If they realize that we really aren't that deep on the blue line and that these kids and DeAngelo are game breakers then this group should be fine. I will hold any further comments until they release their invites but there is talent there just need to invite them to prove what they can do.

overall this team is easily a medal contender on paper. but like so many other USA teams on paper, the coaching and goaltending needs to be above average for us to reach our potential. so many tough decisions at forward that I really cannot ***** one way or the other with that group. just a lot of skill and depth.
 
Last edited:
I think Cassels is out either way with the suspension.

Also, I'd be surprised if Connor is there as he's on the roster for the WJAC. He was good at the U18s last year but he hasn't really dominated in USHL play this year so I think he'd be a long shot even if invited at this point. Perhaps his chances would be better in another year but it's a deep group.
 
TheJuxtaposer said:
AD, I hope your invite list is what it turns out to be, because I like it a lot.
Click to expand...

same here, but I am not holding my breath for all those youngsters on that blue line. USA Hockey knows they have tons of familiarity here with many of these kids as ex USNDP players so I dont want to see a bunch of grinders and energy guys when you have players that are skilled offensively that can be rolled on all 4 lines.
 
AmericanDream said:
same here, but I am not holding my breath for all those youngsters on that blue line. USA Hockey knows they have tons of familiarity here with many of these kids as ex USNDP players so I dont want to see a bunch of grinders and energy guys when you have players that are skilled offensively that can be rolled on all 4 lines.
Click to expand...

Yep there is so much skill at every position this year, but it's all down to USAH to get over some of their biases and preconceptions. Bring the youngsters, bring 4 scoring lines.

I'm glad they're so in love with Matthews but he's the only one of the underagers besides Eichel that I feel certain will be on the team. Hanifin, Werenski, Connor, Carlo could all potentially be left off.

If they bring grinders over skilled guys for the fourth line, I'll scream. Obviously we can't match up with the elite offensive talent that the Canadian team has, so we have to be extremely efficient in the margins.

Santini (whose recovery seems to be on track and will hopefully get a few games in before the WJC), Butcher (whom I thought was excellent last year), and McCoshen is a very solid vet presence on the blueline. Now fill in the holes with young skill.

I hope out next to no hope that DeAngelo will be invited, which is a damn shame. USAH could turn a position of relative weakness (compared to the forwards and goaltending) into a strength just by letting go of their grudges and stubbornness and honest to goodness taking the best team they can. I have so much hope for this age group, but it's all going to come down to how ballsy USAH is willing to be.
 
I wonder is LaBanc or Dvorak will get invites, both have been solid this year.

I Hope Deangelo at least gets an invite, so he can be compared to the players in camp.
 
America is coming in heavy on the right!

They just keep getting bigger every line.

Mathews-Eichel-Erne 6'2
Milano-Larkin-Tuch 6'3
Connor-Compher-Fasching 6'4
DeLeo-Schmaltz - McCarron 6'5
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom