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WC: 2016 Team USA

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AmericanDream said:
you have been seeing how many players don't want to play in this thing right?

I am not saying they won't get someone, but I am not holding my breath as it likely will not be an NHLer as that is what I meant to say.

don't really care for another AHLer or NCAA player..
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Maybe there's some decent KHL/Liiga/SHL/NLA player they could look at? Would at least make the logistics easier.
 
SanDogBrewin said:
I think US Hockey waits to see who gets eliminated in the 2nd round.
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They'll likely add another player today or tomorrow and have them ready for the game against Canada. My guess is they'll just add a player who has been playing in Europe
 
From the Finland thread: Apparently Koivu and Mikael Granlund aren't playing vs USA tomorrow. We will also miss Lindell, who should be our best defenseman in WHC.

Any news on USA's line combinations in practices?
 
FiLe said:
Maybe there's some decent KHL/Liiga/SHL/NLA player they could look at? Would at least make the logistics easier.
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There is.

Usa just like Canada has many good players in Europe.

A team Canada and team Usa full of best euro players would not get relegated....big chance even for qf.
 
JTD said:
They'll likely add another player today or tomorrow and have them ready for the game against Canada. My guess is they'll just add a player who has been playing in Europe
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A quick look shows Ryan Lasch, Garrett Roe, Matt Anderson, Chad Rau and Ryan Potulny did fairly well scoring in the SHL and SM-liiga this past season.

Potulny played in the 2010 WHC. Lasch had the most points in the SHL during the regular season.
 
Mr Writer said:
Ya, well, it's time for one of those players who was asked and declined to reconsider. I'm looking at Jack. He's had 3 weeks off to rest up. He can manage to play 10 games and then still get in another 2 months off before really having to go hard in preparation for September.
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What the heck

Get him on a plane
 
AmericanDream said:
we go through this every year, but this year seems to be one of the worst rosters compiled.

to be fair, I really never saw as many RFA's like what we had to deal with this year. So many of our top young guys are RFA's and that's what happens when you develop young NHLers. Many of these kids aren't going to risk an injury to play in this thing. Combine the World Cup in the fall and you see why the pool of talent shrunk considerably.

We all expect more than this every year, and until we start keeping score with those that decline us, and start producing elite level talent consistently on par to Canada, it is what it is.

I will be cheering for these young guys, as this will be the Matthews/Connor show.

These two kids will get every opportunity to shine here, and with Larkin and Foligno, we can spread out 2 lines that can score or has the talent to score.

It is a Motley Crue of US hockey players, and always becomes enjoyable to watch if they have the right coach.
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I agree - I can't think of a worse roster. Some other posters are probably right, I am probably overstating the relegation threat but it is as close to relegation as it is a bronze. Seeing Matthews front and center will be exciting though.
 
PanniniClaus said:
I agree - I can't think of a worse roster. Some other posters are probably right, I am probably overstating the relegation threat but it is as close to relegation as it is a bronze. Seeing Matthews front and center will be exciting though.
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This team will make quarters, with luck semis and that's all the US really wants out of this tournament is player development. People forget that these players may seem bad but every single one of these guys would be on the roster of any bottom 8 perhaps even bottom 10 team. I mean imagine if David Warsofsky was Norwegian, would he not play on the top line there? Or what if he were French, he'd probably be the top D-man there. The roster is good enough and young enough to achieve the goals of USA hockey while still maintaining respectability.
 
kabidjan18 said:
This team will make quarters, with luck semis and that's all the US really wants out of this tournament is player development. People forget that these players may seem bad but every single one of these guys would be on the roster of any bottom 8 perhaps even bottom 10 team. I mean imagine if David Warsofsky was Norwegian, would he not play on the top line there? Or what if he were French, he'd probably be the top D-man there. The roster is good enough and young enough to achieve the goals of USA hockey while still maintaining respectability.
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Yeah, it's overblown how bad the roster is. They're missing some more well known names but even with youth, they have some really good young and exciting players. Larkin had a great rookie season, Matthews will more than likely be the #1 pick, Connor had an insane season in the NCAA and played on an insanely dominant line and has that line with him. Trevor Lewis was a pretty underwhelming addition last year to a lot of people and he averaged a little under a PPG. Some so-so NHLers play at a higher level in this tournament than many would expect normally. I don't think they'll win a medal but definitely think they'll make QF and USAH's management will be fine with that as they'll get to showcase players who will be with the men's national team for bigger tournaments in the future
 
SanDogBrewin said:


Looks like Matthews might be centering the 2nd line.
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Not surprising. If they can add a Brock Nelson/Craig Smith after round 2 it would do wonders for the top 6, but they seem like they don't want Larkin and Matthews together so they can have 2 okay top lines instead of just one really good top line and a significant drop off for the 2nd line. I could see someone like Patrick Maroon surprising some people thanks to playing with Matthews. Really interested to see that CCM line. The 4th line of Wood-Hendricks-Fasching might struggle a bit.
 
Definitely intersted in the CCM line. Hendricks played well las year so we'll see. Be interesting how much time the bottom pairing of Santini and Warsofsky get or if they get changed up. It's an exhibition, so good time to see what works.
 
JTD said:
Not surprising. If they can add a Brock Nelson/Craig Smith after round 2 it would do wonders for the top 6, but they seem like they don't want Larkin and Matthews together so they can have 2 okay top lines instead of just one really good top line and a significant drop off for the 2nd line. I could see someone like Patrick Maroon surprising some people thanks to playing with Matthews. Really interested to see that CCM line. The 4th line of Wood-Hendricks-Fasching might struggle a bit.
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Maroon played with McDavid almost his entire time with Edmonton, he looked good too. Now he gets to play with Matthews, this big guy is just getting lucky!

I think Maroon will surprise as well and have a strong showing if the big ice doesn't eat him up.

The CCM line will be fun as hell to watch no doubt. I hope we land some NHLer to drop Schroeder down and Wood out of the lineup. That would help immensely and give us a better second line.
 
Top 2 lines have looked pretty good. Larkin has blown by Finnish defenders with ease and nearly scored on a breakaway. Matthews making some really nice plays and winning battles. Rough start for CCM line. Got stuck in their own end for a long time a couple different times and haven't really created anything offensively.
 
Quite a few times Team USA's speed has won races to the puck and won battles along the boards. Matthews is gonna be a possession monster in the next couple weeks. He consistently wins battles and gets his teammates quality scoring chances. Gonna be really fun watching Matthews
 
How could the US not send a better team then this? An undrafted player is their best player...
 
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