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WJC: 2019 Team USA Roster Talk

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William H Bonney said:
This was my after-tournament guess last year:

I had 10 of the 13 forwards. Keller obviously proved he didn't need another year and I had Lodnia/Robertson on the team instead of Tufte/Harper.

I only had 3 of the 7 d-men. Really shows how quickly things can change at these age levels as Samberg and Perunovich weren't really on most anyone's radar a year ago, Anderson was known but not a strong contender, and Hughes was obviously very good but the IIHF U18 is critical to baselining the U18 guys.

I had 2 of the 3 goalies, but I should have been 3 for 3 because we should have taken a '99 and Primeau would have been the obvious choice : )
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That's pretty darn impressive. Thanks, man!
 
The USA could build a defense that features SEVEN college sophomore who are all playing major roles as FR, many of whom are likely to post PPG lines from the back-end, next year. There will be 13 ('99) college sophomores to choose from next year!

Samburg - Hughes
Anderson - Walsh
Gildon - Kemp
Mirageas

Farrance, Phillips, Ess, Miller, Inamoto and a second UMD Anderson are the other six '99 sophs.

That is an astounding level of experience - as all 13 would have two years of making notable impact against older, faster and stronger competition.

They will certainly be pushed by incoming FR like Wilde, Samuelson, Miller and Rathbone. And assuredly there will be some off the radar candidates. This group will be good no matter how they slice it...

In net the net have a number of potential options - and that's a good thing. Certainly a couple of those options will turn in big years and make a great case for the job.

Primeau has been great at Northeastern this year - Behind essentially the same roster that has struggled badly with goaltending for the last few years.

It shouldn't surprise anyone if St Cyr or Petruzzeli (or both) return to form next year, grab their starting jobs and run with them.

Scheel has a great chance to win the starting job at North Dakota as a freshman. Same for Drew DeRidder at MSU. Jared Moe/Jake Kucharski are in line to start at Minnesota/Providence if Scheirhorn/Hawkey turn professional. Where will Jon Mor play? So many options.

Although an '01, Spencer Knight is supposed to be terrific. Does he come - at least in an effort to be groomed as a two-year future starter, if not more?

Behind the potential this D group has - and with what I think is a better than advertised F group - I don't think goaltending will be a weakness (even if it's not necessarily a strength)...

I'll think Fs later...
 
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well, this next group just doesn't look as strong as this year offensively IMO. There is not that 1 guy to carry the load in years past, and even though Mittelstadt stepped up, we kind of see how things go for us without that Eichel, Matthews, or Keller.

I think Jack Hughes has the chance to be special here,but a lot to ask of the kid this early on, but if there is anyone that can step up and be that star player, he is it.

A lot of depth here just like this year, plenty of names competing for spots, plus some we haven't even really seen much of...this group has talent, but this will have to be a workman like group and MUST have Brady Tkachuk here...if he goes to the NHL, we are screwed. A lot of centers on my team as well which after this year seeing how shallow we were down the middle is a good thing...

I went with Blade Jenkins as my final forward as I have always been a fan, but I obviously know that his chance of making this team is next to zero since he left the USNDP program to head to the CHL..He was in a log jam of a group and wasnt getting the ice time or performing to his talent, so he left...BUT USA Hockey usually has issues with this and even though he is having a great CHL rookie season, hard to go with him if they already have to look at other CHLers like Robertson, Lodnia, Chmelevski, with very little USA Hockey experience outside of the Hlinka..

Defensively is a different story - this group has the chance to be dominating. Unreal size and skill here, most players clocking in over 6'1/6'2 with talent. This group could be the most dominating group in the tournament especially if Wilde and Miller as the young ones who have every chance to make immediate impacts here. I really see both Miller and Wilde here...see very little doubt that they won't be here...both big mobile studs, and both could be very high picks..

Here is my early list without goalies...so far..

Defense

Dylan Samberg - A
Quinn Hughes
Max Gildon
Bode Wilde
Mikey Anderson
K'Andre Miller
Ben Mirageas


Forwards

Evan Barratt
Sasha Chmelevski
Joel Farabee
Jack Hughes
Ivan Lodnia
Josh Norris
Ryan Poehling - A
Brady Tkachuk - C
Jason Robertson
Oliver Wahlstrom
Grant Mismash
Jake Pivonka
Blade Jenkins

Lines

Brady Tkachuk - Ryan Poehling - Ivan Lodnia
Joel Farabee - Jack Hughes - Oliver Wahlstrom
Grant Mismash - Josh Norris - Jason Robertson
Jake Pivonka- Evan Barratt - Sasha Chmelevski
Blade Jenkins

Dylan Samberg - Bode Wilde
Quinn Hughes - Mikey Anderson
Ben Mirageas - Max Gildon
K'Andre Miller

Wildcards for the forward group:

T.J Walsh - do not forget about him - out indefinitely with the shoulder injury, but if he comes back and starts off hot for BC, look out.

Jake Wise- once compared to Eichel at every step, back on the ice and healthy lets see what the kid can do the second half of the year- if this kid steps up, this team really needs that highend firepower

Curtis Hall - just love this kid- he has a ton of skill, has great size - could be a real find and player next year and could earn a spot on this team...

NOTE - I am not sold on Ryan Poehling as our #1 center - and that is the difficulty with this group - Poehling was near invisible this year playing a ton, so he needs to really step up or Jack Hughes or Jake Wise has to be the guys that gets that chance to be stars here..
 
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mymerlincat said:
Is it just me or does this team look like a piece of crap?
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It's just you.

But on an aside, concerning the great post AmericanDream wrote.

Ryan Poehling isn't a 1C.

Don't get me wrong. I love Ryan Poehling. I was cheering him on and saying he was special since years ago, when the scouts doubted him, the commentators doubted him, the writers doubted him. Back when fans were saying he was too slow, or just another big body, and when his draft stock fell I never stopped believing in him. Only recently with his NCAA success have other people began jumping on the bandwagon, but I was a Poehling fan from day 1.

But he's not a 1C.

Only situation where I could see him being a 1C is if he had a winger who was a legitimate Patrick Kane or Clayton Keller by his side, someone who could drive the line and handle the puck on that line. Lodnia isn't that guy. Tkachuk especially isn't that guy, and putting Tkachuk and Poehling on a line in general seems like a bad idea except maybe killing penalties. Poehling by nature is a premier mid-6 center. He can do everything, within reason. He can't do everything he'd be needed for as a 1C. I'd go with Hughes.

Brady Tkachuk - Jack Hughes - Oliver Wahlstrom
Joel Farabee - Ryan Poehling - Ivan Lodnia
Grant Mismash - Joshua Norris - Jason Robertson
Blade Jenkins - Evan Barratt - Curtis Hall
Sasha Chmelevski

Dylan Samberg - Bode Wilde
Quinn Hughes - Max Gildon
Ben Mirageas - Mikey Anderson
K'Andre Miller

You probably know more than I do in this area of expertise, but this is what I'd go with instinctively.
 
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I guess the defense just seems like one of the worst we've had in awhile, any chance Marshall Warren or Case McCarthy make it?
 
mymerlincat said:
I guess the defense just seems like one of the worst we've had in awhile, any chance Marshall Warren or Case McCarthy make it?
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It doesn’t really mean anything, but on paper the defense should be just as good as this year’s squad, if not better. There’s also better depth for potential risers in the next 11 months as well. A lot can change in that timeframe with teenage hockey players, but defense isn’t the concern for this team right now.

No, right now they don’t.
 
Any thoughts on who the next coach could be?

NCAA or out of work former NHL coach? :naughty:

Or one of the assistants from the last couple years moves up?
 
NewHampshire said:
It shouldn't surprise anyone if St Cyr or Petruzzeli (or both) return to form next year, grab their starting jobs and run with them.

Scheel has a great chance to win the starting job at North Dakota as a freshman. Same for Drew DeRidder at MSU. Jared Moe/Jake Kucharski are in line to start at Minnesota/Providence if Scheirhorn/Hawkey turn professional. Where will Jon Mor play? So many options.

Although an '01, Spencer Knight is supposed to be terrific. Does he come - at least in an effort to be groomed as a two-year future starter, if not more?

Behind the potential this D group has - and with what I think is a better than advertised F group - I don't think goaltending will be a weakness (even if it's not necessarily a strength)...

I'll think Fs later...
Click to expand...

Drew DeRidder has really impressed me -- both this season for the NTDP and last year in his one appearance at USA Hockey Arena for the visiting Cedar Rapids USHL team. I think he's a strong future WJC team candidate.

I haven't followed St. Cyr much since he played for the NTDP. He was technically sound here, but he's so small.

Jonathan Mor hasn't been very impressive for the NTDP this season. DeRidder is head and shoulders above him in talent and technique.

Spencer Knight has done well with the U17 NTDP team. I think he needs more experience before being put on a WJC team, though.
 
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Jaykay said:
It's possible, but he'd have to get off to a really hot start with UMD next year.
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just a log jam at forward - I haven't even listed the young rising Jay O'Brien as a kid to put on the radar as well as he heads to Providence. Kid seems to be loved by the USNDP Coach Appett, and from all accounts he is a physical beast that likely tests off the charts at the combine. Late bloomer, or everyone else is late to the party, but plenty of names to consider for this team.
 
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Primeau looks pretty good at the moment. Hope he can keep it up for next year.
 
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