Roster should be coming out this week. The only thing I'd change about my previously projected camp roster would be to add Shane Pinto and remove 1 of Lindmark or Pivonka. Lindmark has more upside, but I think they'll opt to bring along Pivonka instead since he's 19 and it's going to likely be a young forward group already.
I'd rather bring along another RHD and/or a higher upside left-handed d-man like Jayden Struble instead of Krygier or Stastney. I just don't see a place for Stastney on this team as all players he's competing with are just much better versions of him. Krygier is good at what he does (shutdown d-man) and while I don't think that's an obvious need on the team, especially one loaded with LHD, I think he'll probably get a look nonetheless.
I don't have any off-the-board picks though and USAH seems to almost always have at least one of them at camp. Last year it was Michael Callahan, the year before that it was Cole Hults and Hugh McGing, and so on.
Who are some of the off-the-board guys folks think may find their way to camp? Ryan Roth? Hunter Skinner? Matt Kessel? The latter two are RHD and this team could use more RHD's in contention with only Emberson (having a slow start), Regula (having a strong start but it's London and he has no USAH history) and Wilde (litany of red flags: poor WJSS, basically just started his season after injury, USAH not seemingly a fan, etc.) as obvious contenders. I haven't seen much beyond highlights though of Skinner or Kessel though. Has anyone seen them enough this year to say? Realistic options? Skinner seems more likely a target next year and while Kessel was a bit under the radar for UMass (joined right before the season), he's apparently been a revelation for them. Coach Carvel called him their most impressive freshman (high praise considering Zac Jones is also on the team).
We're a decent way into the hockey season and also about ~3 weeks away from the December camp roster being released, so it feels like a good time to attempt a guess at that roster. As always, I try to find a balance between what I'd do versus what I think USAH will do. A lot can change in 3 weeks, so I may alter this a bit in early December, but for now, let's see how wrong I can get it.
Forwards (x16):
John Beecher
Matthew Boldy
Bobby Brink
Cole Caufield
Jack Drury
Parker Ford
Jonathan Gruden
Curtis Hall
Trevor Janicke
Arthur Kaliyev
Owen Lindmark
Jacob Pivonka
Nic Robertson
Alex Turcotte
Oliver Wahlstrom
Trevor Zegras
Defense (x10):
Ty Emberson
Jordan Harris
Ryan Johnson
Zac Jones
Christian Krygier
K'Andre Miller
Alec Regula
Mattias Samuelsson
Spencer Stastney
Cam York
Goalies (x3):
Spencer Knight
Isaiah Saville
Dustin Wolf
Notes:
- # of invitees estimated based on last 2 preliminary camp totals (2019 - 29, 2018 - 28)
- Unavailable: Jack Hughes, Joel Farabee
- Forwards:
- I think Wahlstrom gets released. He's not ready for the NHL and Bridgeport is a nightmare in the AHL, so the couple of weeks away should be good for his development. If the Islanders are wavering, there's always the option that he skips the preliminary camp but plays in the tournament.
- Overall, nothing too out of the ordinary. Lindmark was an early cut at the WJSS, but I think he's done enough to earn a second look as a possible 4th line center. Ford was likely a bubble invite after the WJSS, but he's been excellent thus far at Providence. All the other guys are fairly obvious as likely invitees.
- I wouldn't be surprised to see Robert Mastrosimone or Patrick Moynihan at camp. I'd prefer leaving one of the potential bottom 6 guys (Gruden, Drury, Ford, Hall, Janicke, Pivonka, Lindmark) home to get a look at Mastrosimone instead, but on my camp roster, there's only 7 nineteen year old forwards and Wahlstrom is the only a guaranteed fit for a scoring line (if he's available), so I'm not sold that USAH will leave home a bubble 19 year old to see a bubble 18 year old.
- Is Ryan Roth a possible "off-the-wall" pick? I've only seen highlights, but he's a skilled player having a nice season.
- I don't think Shane Pinto or Blake McLaughlin have done enough - both at the WJSS and in the NCAA this season - to warrant looks.
- Defense:
- For the most part, I think this is an easy group of invitees to pick. Basically all the guys that were on the final WJSS roster sans Bode Wilde, while adding Alec Regula who missed the WJSS with an injury.
- I think choosing which LHD make the team (not which ones play the LHD spot though) is going to be the hardest decision of them all. Miller, Samuelsson, and York are all locks and Jones, Johnson, and Harris all deserve to be there too. That would leave just one spot for a RHD (unless they go 12f and 8d, which they never do) and I think you have to take at least 2 RHD assuming you have 2 deserving choices. Johnson offers the least in the way of points of the Jones/Johnson/Harris trio, but he's also the best defensively and a potential returnee next year. This is the battle I'll be following the most.
- Wilde just returned last night from injury for his first game for Bridgeport. I think he'll need to have a really good 2+ weeks in the AHL to get an invite. I don't think he's a difference maker at the WJC, but it would be nice to have another RHD possibly in the mix if he's playing well.
- Is Hunter Skinner a possible "off-the-wall" pick? The team needs RHD options and he's having a nice season in London. He's more a guy to watch for next year, but USAH has made more shocking selections than he would be.
- Goalies:
- Easiest decisions on the team. These 3 should all be locks and I hope they're honest with Saville that at most he may get to dress as the backup one time when they give Knight break and let him decide if he'd rather stay and play with UNO (he'd miss anywhere from 4-6 games if he went to the WJC) instead since he's not eligible to return next year.
- The only other name I've seen thrown around is DeRidder, but he was awful at the WJSS, he's a backup at Michigan St., he hasn't been good in the game action he's seen with the Spartans this year, and he's not eligible to return. Why bother?
- I'd rather bring along an '02 goalie than Saville, but I'm not sure there's anyone deserving. Maybe Tucker Tynan from Niagara? I haven't seen him play this year, but I've heard he's been pretty good for them and stole their #1 role.
