WJC: 2020 Team USA Roster Talk

[Curufinwe]

Speak for yourself and I’ll speak for myself.

You Flyers fans are very touchy about this. Your team should play him more if you don’t want this topic to come up. Until then, it’s a valid discussion. If you don’t like it, that’s your issue and you are going to have to deal with it.

playing 10-14 minutes per game

He's actually averaging 14:44 per game. How much more does he need to play in order to make this discussion of yours invalid?

NHL.com - Stats

 

[Curufinwe]

Farabee is a contributing forward on a playoff team. For the last goddamn time he's not playing in the WJC. He's even stated he doesn't want to go to the tournament.

Another touchy Flyers fan!

 

[Tripod]

5 point in 6 games, 6 points in 8 games....."send him to WJC because you are not playing him more"

 

[Jaykay]

Can we just all agree to ignore him and drop the Farabee thing?

It's made checking this thread totally useless.

 

[bert]

Suprising to see so many projections having Gruden there over Pinto from a sens fans perspective. Pinto looked like an absolute beast in dev camp, big, strong and fast while playing a hard brand of hockey. Not suprised to not see him in many projected lineups but I could see him being a good energy type player in the bottom 6. Anyone think he has a chance to make the team?

 

[TB87]

Who do you guys expect to be the PP1 defenseman? York? Jones? Someone else?

 

[SpartanProdigy]

Suprising to see so many projections having Gruden there over Pinto from a sens fans perspective. Pinto looked like an absolute beast in dev camp, big, strong and fast while playing a hard brand of hockey. Not suprised to not see him in many projected lineups but I could see him being a good energy type player in the bottom 6. Anyone think he has a chance to make the team?

I would hands down take Pinto over Gruden in a second... the issue being that USAH seems to have an inexplicable love for Gruden and his "style of play" so no one really believes they would leave him off the team at the expense of more talented forwards with higher upside. Even at the NTDP they were sticking him on the 1st line with Wahlstrom and Hughes when clearly there were more talented options (for instance Farabee). Combine that with the fact he is 19 on a young team, wore an A for the U18 national team and has plenty of international tournament experience, I would be shocked if he doesn't make the cut, which means that Pinto, Hall, Ford and Mastrosimone, who all have had good seasons and are probably more talented, are pretty much fighting for one spot.

 

[SpartanProdigy]

Who do you guys expect to be the PP1 defenseman? York? Jones? Someone else?

I hope York or Jones, but would not be surprised if they go with Miller.

 

[Decfm]

Hey guys, I'll be at the US games vs Germany and Russia, but I'm looking for a ticket for the Czech game. Anyone happen to have an extra for sale?

 

[DJB]

When are the cuts going to be made?

 

[stickty111]

Because we actually watch the Flyers and realize how important he is to the team right now instead of just checking box scores like yourself. He absolutely is a lock to this roster, especially with TK out with a concussion now.

Pretty "touchy" response. The flyers do not send contributing roster players to the WJC. I don't think they have ever done it. Farabee will be on the roster for the entire year. There isn't anything to debate.

So Wahlstrom who is in the AHL and hasn't scored a point in the NHL yet. Farabee has outpaced and outplayed Hughes so far this season. Yet the Islanders (probably) and the Devils aren't going to release their players. So why the hell would the Flyers release Farabee?

We will play him more. But only because Konecny is out indefinitely with a concussion. Other than that, if the line-up was healthy, we wouldn't be. He has played very well on a 3rd line (probably better than a handful of other teams 2nd lines) for a winning team.

Literally you are the only person on this board who still thinks Farabee will be playing for Team USA. Every one else has come to terms with the fact that on December 26th, he'll be jumping on a plane to San Jose to play the Sharks and not in the Czech Republic.

I'm a Leafs fan and I'm with you guys on this. He is a solid forward playing on a good team in meaningful minutes. It makes 0 sense that the team would send him, which the team has already said he isn't going.

 

[SabresSharks]

I'm a Leafs fan and I'm with you guys on this. He is a solid forward playing on a good team in meaningful minutes. It makes 0 sense that the team would send him, which the team has already said he isn't going.

There's at least as good an argument for Hughes to be released. Both arguments are academic.

Canada's WJC team has had to deal with this problem for years. American hockey fans should be happy we're producing players sufficiently talented to impose this challenge on our own WJC team.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

When are the cuts going to be made?

U.S. National Junior Team Training Camps Starts Sunday in Plymouth, Michigan

 

[JiggsNY]

I would have loved to see the WJC team scrimmage the NTDP U18s last year. It's a cool idea to have them play.

 

[Vijo Morganstein]

I see your point with who is being put at center, but I wouldn’t like that. You could argue Hall, Pinto, Ford, Drury all shouldn’t be on the team. Trying to force two of them into the top nine could ruin a few of our lines, if they can’t keep up. It’s best to only have one of them as a third line center.

Harris played RD for all of last year I believe, he's more than capable on the right side

 

[1967th Heaven]

I have to admit, I'm pretty excited to watch your team this year. I've still never had the chance to really watch the high 2019 picks like Turcotte, Zegras, Caufield and York as I didn't catch much of the U18s. Also will be interesting to follow guys like Robertson and Kaliyev who I get to see a decent amount and see how they fit in with everything. Secretly hoping Robertson has a big tourney (but a bad game on Boxing Day ).

 

[ASPIFC]

USA Hockey has grown a worrying habit to choke in big games. Now it was our U19 team turn. Obviously anything can happen in one game but USA Hockey has been embarrassing in big games lately. Already worried that it is same story with this team.

 

[TheGreekShot]

Any idea what the PP units will look like?

 

[William H Bonney]

Any idea what the PP units will look like?

Too early to say. They haven't started camp yet.

 

[King'sPawn]

Opening lines for camp:

 

[ASPIFC]

I dislike those lines very much.

 

[Team Cozens]

I dislike those lines very much.

That 2nd line would get caved against Canada.
Excited to watch the 1st line.

 

[TheGreekShot]

I dislike those lines very much.

Agreed. Why is Zegras on the 3rd line? I thought he was at minimum a 2nd line lock with Kaliyev. Having Caufield and Kaliyev on the same line is great in theory (and it could be fun to watch), but they both want to shoot the puck. Turcotte is great, but his puck skills aren't good enough to create opportunities for both guys. Caufield and Kaliyev's shooting talents would be better spread apart. I'd much rather something similar to:

With Wahlstrom:
Robertson-Turcotte-Caufield
Kaliyev-Zegras-Wahlstrom

Without Wahlstrom:
Robertson-Turcotte-Caufield
Zegras-Drury-Kaliyev

My personal preference would be rolling with Zegras-Turcotte-Caufield on the first line. Man, that would be fun. Zegras' puck moving ability, with Turcotte's hockey IQ and Caufield's stellar shot... wow!

 

[William H Bonney]

It's a bit early to be worried about line combinations.

 

[Choralone]

Agreed. Why is Zegras on the 3rd line? I thought he was at minimum a 2nd line lock with Kaliyev. Having Caufield and Kaliyev on the same line is great in theory (and it could be fun to watch), but they both want to shoot the puck. Turcotte is great, but his puck skills aren't good enough to create opportunities for both guys. Caufield and Kaliyev's shooting talents would be better spread apart. I'd much rather something similar to:

With Wahlstrom:
Robertson-Turcotte-Caufield
Kaliyev-Zegras-Wahlstrom

Without Wahlstrom:
Robertson-Turcotte-Caufield
Zegras-Drury-Kaliyev

My personal preference would be rolling with Zegras-Turcotte-Caufield on the first line. Man, that would be fun. Zegras' puck moving ability, with Turcotte's hockey IQ and Caufield's stellar shot... wow!

Kaliyev has developed underrated playmaking abilities; he's not just a one-trick pony. I, for one, would love to see the two Kings prospects together.