WJC: 2020 Team USA Roster Talk

[William H Bonney]

Really blending up the lines today. Coaches giving a variety of guys a chance to impress:

 

[William H Bonney]

I feel like cutting Harris is not the real thing to do.

He showed more than Johnson and Jones in my opinion and had amazing flashes.
Different type of players, but Offensively and Defensively Harris is more well rounded

Harris is very much in the running, based on his freshman campaign at Northeastern and his play here, and I don't think any Team USA fan would complain if he were selected. But it's not necessarily about showing more here than Johnson or Jones (I'd disagree that he's done so) or that he's more well rounded than those two (I'd probably agree).

All three players are deserving and you can make valid arguments for each of them. But it's much more about role, team structure, and fit in the lineup. You probably have 4 locks right now on defense: Miller, Samuelsson, Emberson, and York. 3 of those 4 guys are LHD and playing the left side, and Emberson is the one RHD on the right side, likely paired with Miller. USAH has taken at least 2 RHD in at least the last 10 tournaments, so it's highly likely at least one more RHD is on the team, such as Wilde, Regula, or someone not yet in contention. That leaves two spots left, and Harris, Johnson, and Jones, among others, are likely all auditioning right now either a spot on the right side or the #7 role.

Harris/Johnson/Jones are all great skaters and good puck movers. They're all well rounded, and I'd say Harris is probably the most well rounded right now but it's close between them all, but Johnson's easily the best defensively and Jones the best offensively. It helps Johnson and Harris that each have been playing on the right side here as it gives them more avenues to make the team, but there's also probably only one role open there. Johnson also has the benefit of returning next year, and while that's not the main reason why a guy would make the team, it's also a heavy benefit in his favor if the staff is splitting hairs too.

Cutting Harris is a very possible "real thing to do." Just as it could be for Johnson or Jones. It really depends on things we don't know yet, like which defenseman will secure the second RHD spot or what PP structure they want to run. It's a very, very deep group of LHD and deserving players will be left home.

 

[William H Bonney]

I think the staff will be pretty happy with that performance. Sure, they lost, but they dominated that game with a lot of top players scratched. It was just a tough outing for the USA goalies - neither really made any big saves as every good chance Finland had went in, plus they let in a few stinkers too, and Patrikainen and his posts were excellent for the Finns.

Up front, Caufield and Zegras were dominant forces. Not that their roster spots are in jeopardy but it was nice to see them perform like that despite playing with grinders. Kaliyev was also very good again. His playmaking is underrated and he's going to make the team to provide offense and he keeps providing offense.

Of the borderline forwards, I though Hall showed the best. I still don't really see him on the team, but he's big and can skate, so it wouldn't shock me. Janicke, Pivonka, and to a lesser extent McLaughlin also had nice flashes. I didn't see anything from Pinto, Gruden, or Ford to change my mind on their chances.

On defense, I thought Harris and Jones showed the best, although it was a sloppy effort from the defense as a whole. Miller and Emberson started out really well and then they looked like two guys playing summer hockey, which isn't a compliment. Wilde didn't seize his opportunity. He's so Jekyll-and-Hyde. That pinch on the Ranta goal was such a low hockey IQ move and yet his hold at the line on Hall's goal was great. As he doesn't really seem to be in the staff's PP plans, I think his chance at a roster spot is narrowing. I didn't see anything from Krygier or Stastney that makes me think they belong on the team.

Tough game for Saville, although it can't be easy to not play for awhile either. He gave up one weak one and another one on a really awful rebound. The other 2 weren't on him at all, although you'd like to see your goalie make a big save like the Finnish goalie was doing for his team. Wolf wasn't much different. No chance on the huge slapshot from the slot but the wraparound goal was incredibly weak.

Should be interesting to see how the coaches approach the final game tomorrow. Hopefully we see them choose a lineup in line with what they're thinking for a final team as of now.

 

[AmericanDream]

please run all our horses out there tomorrow, we have seen a lot of everyone, put the band together and let's see how they storm the gates!!

I will say this, Kaliyev and Hall really stood out today..I thought both were excellent in different ways. Hall seems like that perfect 4th line center/winger that can go to the net and create some havoc and still chip in some offense. Kaliyev just keeps doing what he has been billed to do for years, create offense. Kid is 100% offense. I expect both to make the team and both have earned it in my eyes.

 

[EveryDay]

please run all our horses out there tomorrow, we have seen a lot of everyone, put the band together and let's see how they storm the gates!!

I will say this, Kaliyev and Hall really stood out today..I thought both were excellent in different ways. Hall seems like that perfect 4th line center/winger that can go to the net and create some havoc and still chip in some offense. Kaliyev just keeps doing what he has been billed to do for years, create offense. Kid is 100% offense. I expect both to make the team and both have earned it in my eyes.

Yout got what you want, all the top player are there today, this should be the final team.

 

[EveryDay]

No surprise for the final game, Bode Wilde was awful defensively again yesterday and Stastney did nothing to impress either. The only move I disagree is Krygier in instead of Jones and Gruden instead of Beecher.

 

[William H Bonney]

No surprise for the final game, Bode Wilde was awful defensively again yesterday and Stastney did nothing to impress either. The only move I disagree is Krygier in instead of Jones and Gruden instead of Beecher.

Not directed at you, more just a general comment for those popping in: Being scratched for the final game isn't always indicative of a guy not in the staff's plans for the final team.

In the 2018 WJSS, Samberg, Barratt, Keyser, and Knight all sat in the final game and were on the WJC team and only Samberg would have been considered a lock. Poehling was also out too but he wasn't playing at the WJSS due to injury, although he attended. And the following guys played in the final WJSS game and didn't make the WJC team: Cotter, Mismash, Matt Anderson, Keane, Walsh, Petruzelli. Tkachuk also played but was in the NHL come tournament time.

In the 2017 WJSS, Lindgren, Lockwood, and Jones all sat in the final game and were on the WJC team, while Martin, Kemp, Badini, and Dhooghe all played in the final game but didn't make the WJC team.

So while a good chunk of the guys that are dressed for the final game will almost assuredly be on the team, there's probably 3-4 guys that aren't dressed that will be on the WJC team and 3-4 (and possibly more if guys not at camp or sent home early get in contention) that are dressed that won't be on it.

 

[montreal]

You can't say it's the final roster or close to it since it's August, who knows who will step up when the season starts, who will struggle.

 

[William H Bonney]

I'd say this about the final game's roster:

• Scratches:
  • Forwards: John Beecher, Matthew Boldy, Parker Ford, Shane Pinto, Jacob Pivonka
  • Defense: Zac Jones, Spencer Stastney, Bode Wilde
  • Goalie: Isaiah Saville
• I think this final game's roster is too heavy with muckers and grinders, but I imagine the staff is fairly undecided on these guys. They've probably seen stuff they like from most of them, but for the guys dressed, today is a final chance to stand out in what usually is the most intense and physical game against Canada to end the WJSS. If you're auditioning for a grinder role at the WJC, you better be able to bring it against Canada to end the WJSS.
• For the individual scratches:
  • I think of all the big names, Boldy's had the quietest WJSS, but the staff would be insane to leave him off the WJC team.
  • I think the staff feels pretty good about Beecher already and what he can bring to the table.
  • I don't think the scratches bode well for Ford or Pinto because I haven't seen really anyone that thinks they've stood out here, myself included.
  • I've liked Pivonka's game as the possible 4th line center but guys like this will always be bubble guys.
  • Of the defenseman, I think Jones has to feel the best about where he's at, but it's going to be a narrow path to the team for him since he's basically competing for the #7 role. They're dressing all their locks on defense today, and it looks like the staff wants to evaluate the big shutdown guy - Krygier - against Canada, and that makes 4 LHD, so no room for Jones to dress today.
  • Probably not great signs for Stastney or Wilde. Both are playing the right side, both haven't done well here, and it's another chance for Johnson and Harris to separate themselves from those two, which they've continually done throughout camp.
  • Saville isn't going to play at the WJC anyway.

 

[William H Bonney]

 

[William H Bonney]

High intensity game is always a great way to end the WJSS. First period thoughts:

• The snipers on this team are all coming to play. Caufield with another excellent period and snipe, Wahlstrom with a goal, and Kaliyev dangerous again but he's also hustling and playing well defensively.
• Turcotte with a great period too. Nice hesitation to open up space for Caufield.
• Some of the passes Zegras pulls off are insane. If you're his linemate, you have to always be ready for the puck.
• Miller was crap against Finland yesterday and he was even worse in that 1st period. He still looks like a forward playing defense too often. He doesn't move the puck fast enough and he makes some really boneheaded defensive reads. That SH goal was all on Miller with a litany of mistakes by him.
• Harris and York were great on the backend.
• Knight was typical Knight in goal.
• Quiet period from the grinders. Barely noticed them, which isn't good.
• Special teams have generally looked pretty good in the tournament.

 

[Lays]

High intensity game is always a great way to end the WJSS. First period thoughts:

• The snipers on this team are all coming to play. Caufield with another excellent period and snipe, Wahlstrom with a goal, and Kaliyev dangerous again but he's also hustling and playing well defensively.
• Turcotte with a great period too. Nice hesitation to open up space for Caufield.
• Some of the passes Zegras pulls off are insane. If you're his linemate, you have to always be ready for the puck.
• Miller was crap against Finland yesterday and he was even worse in that 1st period. He still looks like a forward playing defense too often. He doesn't move the puck fast enough and he makes some really boneheaded defensive reads. That SH goal was all on Miller with a litany of mistakes by him.
• Harris and York were great on the backend.
• Knight was typical Knight in goal.
• Quiet period from the grinders. Barely noticed them, which isn't good.
• Special teams have generally looked pretty good in the tournament.

Not sure what’s been up with Miller this tournament but he definitely doesn’t play like a 4th forward. He’s usually more defense-oriented than he’s showed so far and he’s typically pretty good defensively.

 

[Montreal Impact FC]

did Caufield just got injured on that hit?

edit : okay he came back.

 

[William H Bonney]

Not sure what’s been up with Miller this tournament but he definitely doesn’t play like a 4th forward. He’s usually more defense-oriented than he’s showed so far and he’s typically pretty good defensively.

I don't mean that Miller plays like a 4th forward, I mean that he plays defense like a guy that was a forward most of his life. He gets by on his size, skating, and athleticism, but he really doesn't know what he's doing yet.

I wouldn't say Miller is typically pretty good defensively though. He's very much a work-in-progress defensively.

 

[jj cale]

did Caufield just got injured on that hit?

He's back on the ice.

 

[Lays]

I don't mean that Miller plays like a 4th forward, I mean that he plays defense like a guy that was a forward most of his life. He gets by on his size, skating, and athleticism, but he really doesn't know what he's doing yet.

I wouldn't say Miller is typically pretty good defensively though. He's very much a work-in-progress defensively.

Well yeah, he’s still new to defense. I think positionally he’s pretty bad but his aggressiveness is evident along with his great stick checking. His skating sometimes covers for his poor positional play but he can make some ugly mistakes at times. When I saw him with Wisconsin (about 10-12 games) he was impossible to beat 1 on 1. He just needs to know where to be and improve his IQ and defensive instincts. Said it in a post above but he really doesn’t look like he’s trying

 

[William H Bonney]

Second period thoughts:

• Knight not to blame for either goal. Foote's goal looked like a flukey bounce after Knight made the initial save and Veleno had an easy redirect from the slot on the PP.
• Janicke and Hall looked pretty good that period. Skating well and involved. If they both play like that, they'll make the team.
• Miller with a much better period. Yeah, he scored, but he wasn't getting caught out of position or turning it over once a shift.
• Harris was good again. Positionally sound and a lot of smart little chips, pinches, and quick passes.

 

[William H Bonney]

After the last 2 games, I'd slightly change my earlier projected roster and choose the following team based on just the players at camp as of now:

Forwards (x13):

Nic Robertson - Alex Turcotte - Cole Caufield
Joel Farabee - Trevor Zegras - Oliver Wahlstrom
Matthew Boldy - Jack Drury - Arthur Kaliyev
John Beecher - Curtis Hall - Trevor Janicke
Jacob Pivonka

Defense (x7):

K'Andre Miller - Ty Emberson
Mattias Samuelsson - Jordan Harris
Cam York - Ryan Johnson
Zac Jones

Goalies (x3):

Spencer Knight
Dustin Wolf
Isaiah Saville
​

Notes:

• If this team isn't playing in the gold medal game, it's a failure of a tournament for USAH.
• Cuts:
  • Forward: Bobby Brink, Parker Ford, Jon Gruden, Blake McLaughlin, Shane Pinto
  • Defense: Bode Wilde, Christian Krygier, Spencer Stastney
• The following changes from my earlier roster:
  • Blake McLaughlin out, Curtis Hall in.
  • Bode Wilde out, Jordan Harris in.
• Harris and Hall were both very good these last 2 games. I thought Hall was so-so earlier in camp but he's big, can skate, and plays a 4th line role well. It's not really a knock on McLaughlin but Hall's more versatile. Harris was good all camp but I thought he had his 2 best games to end it. Wilde seemed to get worse with every viewing unfortunately and I don't think his chances at the team are strong right now as he's not in their PP plans. His only saving grace is that he's one of the limited RHD options, but I think the staff is going to look hard at other RHD options instead.
• I do worry the staff is going to force an '00 center into a prominent role he doesn't deserve. They're clearly toying with the idea of having Zegras play on the wing, which would be a mistake in my opinion unless Zegras is playing wing at BU. There's a ton of winger depth here and while LW is not as deep as RW, it's certainly deeper than the center position. If you have Turcotte and Drury as two of your top three centers, who's the third center if it's not Zegras? It certainly shouldn't be any of the other centers in camp. So barring a guy really coming on to force his way into that role, I'm not a fan of moving an elite skilled center like Zegras to the wing and instead having a guy like Gruden center a scoring line and pushing another skilled winger off a scoring line.
• Generally, I wouldn't be too up-in-arms about most guys at camp making the team. There's good depth here and they're good players. A lot of it is personal preference and I imagine a couple of guys not at camp will end up either on the team or in the last cuts.
  • I'd rather take a guy like Brink as the 13th forward but I'd bet for USAH opting for an '00 born grinder instead if that's how it plays out.
  • Ford and Pinto weren't bad here but didn't do anything to show they're ready for the WJC. They'll need good starts to their NCAA careers to get back in play in my opinion.
  • I don't see Gruden as a guy that can impact this level but USAH has always been a fan. McLaughlin did well at camp, I just think other grinder options were better overall.
  • Krygier is clearly in the running but I'd hate leaving home one of Harris/Johnson/Jones in favor of a pure shutdown guy. That'd be a mistake.
  • Wilde struggled in camp and he's already not a USAH favorite. I think he's probably out for now barring a big start to the season and no other RHD options emerging.
  • Stastney's a fine player, but the problem is guy's like York, Johnson, Harris, and Jones are similar, except they're better.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

I don't mean that Miller plays like a 4th forward, I mean that he plays defense like a guy that was a forward most of his life. He gets by on his size, skating, and athleticism, but he really doesn't know what he's doing yet.

I wouldn't say Miller is typically pretty good defensively though. He's very much a work-in-progress defensively.

The thing I noticed watching Miller last year that seems is still a thing with him is that when he's fighting it even a little bit, he tends to try to force his way out of his struggles, rather than simplifying his game and it generally ends up making him play worse and make more egregious mistakes than he was just a few minutes earlier. That said, the breaks between periods are usually enough (whether it's just the time to calm down or a little chat with a coach) to get his bearings again. The example that stands out in my mind was a game where the first period of the game was one of the worst periods I had ever seen from him and then when the game was over, he ended up with like 5 points

 

[mphmiles]

After the last 2 games, I'd slightly change my earlier projected roster and choose the following team based on just the players at camp as of now:

Forwards (x13):

Nic Robertson - Alex Turcotte - Cole Caufield
Joel Farabee - Trevor Zegras - Oliver Wahlstrom
Matthew Boldy - Jack Drury - Arthur Kaliyev
John Beecher - Curtis Hall - Trevor Janicke
Jacob Pivonka

Defense (x7):

K'Andre Miller - Ty Emberson
Mattias Samuelsson - Jordan Harris
Cam York - Ryan Johnson
Zac Jones

Goalies (x3):

Spencer Knight
Dustin Wolf
Isaiah Saville
​

Notes:

• If this team isn't playing in the gold medal game, it's a failure of a tournament for USAH.
• Cuts:
  • Forward: Bobby Brink, Parker Ford, Jon Gruden, Blake McLaughlin, Shane Pinto
  • Defense: Bode Wilde, Christian Krygier, Spencer Stastney
• The following changes from my earlier roster:
  • Blake McLaughlin out, Curtis Hall in.
  • Bode Wilde out, Jordan Harris in.
• Harris and Hall were both very good these last 2 games. I thought Hall was so-so earlier in camp but he's big, can skate, and plays a 4th line role well. It's not really a knock on McLaughlin but Hall's more versatile. Harris was good all camp but I thought he had his 2 best games to end it. Wilde seemed to get worse with every viewing unfortunately and I don't think his chances at the team are strong right now as he's not in their PP plans. His only saving grace is that he's one of the limited RHD options, but I think the staff is going to look hard at other RHD options instead.
• I do worry the staff is going to force an '00 center into a prominent role he doesn't deserve. They're clearly toying with the idea of having Zegras play on the wing, which would be a mistake in my opinion unless Zegras is playing wing at BU. There's a ton of winger depth here and while LW is not as deep as RW, it's certainly deeper than the center position. If you have Turcotte and Drury as two of your top three centers, who's the third center if it's not Zegras? It certainly shouldn't be any of the other centers in camp. So barring a guy really coming on to force his way into that role, I'm not a fan of moving an elite skilled center like Zegras to the wing and instead having a guy like Gruden center a scoring line and pushing another skilled winger off a scoring line.
• Generally, I wouldn't be too up-in-arms about most guys at camp making the team. There's good depth here and they're good players. A lot of it is personal preference and I imagine a couple of guys not at camp will end up either on the team or in the last cuts.
  • I'd rather take a guy like Brink as the 13th forward but I'd bet for USAH opting for an '00 born grinder instead if that's how it plays out.
  • Ford and Pinto weren't bad here but didn't do anything to show they're ready for the WJC. They'll need good starts to their NCAA careers to get back in play in my opinion.
  • I don't see Gruden as a guy that can impact this level but USAH has always been a fan. McLaughlin did well at camp, I just think other grinder options were better overall.
  • Krygier is clearly in the running but I'd hate leaving home one of Harris/Johnson/Jones in favor of a pure shutdown guy. That'd be a mistake.
  • Wilde struggled in camp and he's already not a USAH favorite. I think he's probably out for now barring a big start to the season and no other RHD options emerging.
  • Stastney's a fine player, but the problem is guy's like York, Johnson, Harris, and Jones are similar, except they're better.

Agreed with Robertson and Kaliyev making it. Of all the borderline F's I think they did the most of anyone to earn a spot.

Robertson actually reminds me a lot of Tyler Madden. Smaller guy, but has the skill/skating to play on a top line and would be one of the first guys I would like to see on the PK. Kaliyev created offense all week. Think he would be the guy I would want lurking between the circles on one of the power plays with his shot and playmaking abilities.

 

[William H Bonney]

The thing I noticed watching Miller last year that seems is still a thing with him is that when he's fighting it even a little bit, he tends to try to force his way out of his struggles, rather than simplifying his game and it generally ends up making him play worse and make more egregious mistakes than he was just a few minutes earlier. That said, the breaks between periods are usually enough (whether it's just the time to calm down or a little chat with a coach) to get his bearings again. The example that stands out in my mind was a game where the first period of the game was one of the worst periods I had ever seen from him and then when the game was over, he ended up with like 5 points

Today's game kind of highlights your exact point. In the first period, he was trying to make all these cute, soft passes in the defensive with no success, and if it wasn't that, it was his breakout passes that kept missing the mark. He capped it off with that attempted cross-ice pass on the PP that was easily picked off because he passed the puck like it was an egg, I don't think it could have been softer if he tried. After it was easily picked off, he panicked to make up for it and charged the Canadian puck carrier on the ensuing 3-on-1 which made the breakaway pass about as easy as it would have been had Miller just gone to the bench.

But after the 1st, he settled down and was very good in the final 2 periods and looked similar to the guy that was largely dominating the early portions of the WJSS.

I think with Miller it's just key for people to remember that while he's a very good prospect, he needs time. If you didn't follow him at the NTDP, it was often cringe-worthy watching him play. He'd make some great plays due to his physical abilities and then you'd be terrified for him to be on the ice because he was such a glaring liability a lot of the time. He improved a lot last season and I expect that trajectory to continue. The athleticism and skating at his size are really intriguing, but he's got a lot of work to do still to improve his defensive reads and speed up his general decision making. With him, I don't think it's indicative of low hockey IQ, as even in the issue areas he improved a lot in the last year. But the learning curve can sometimes be painful or frustrating to watch.

My angle isn't to be overly critical of Miller. He's going to be playing the #1 d-man role at the WJC and he has the ability to do it well. He'll certainly be better than he was last tournament, but I'm more interested in whether he'll be an impact player. 18 year old d-men often struggle at the WJC and then dominate as 19 year olds. McAvoy was no different and while Miller isn't at McAvoy's level at the same age, he'll be given every opportunity to have a similar impact. Can he do it?

 

[William H Bonney]

Most of these guys are locks for the team but nice to see bubble guys like Johnson and Robertson singled out. I thought both were great this week and while they're not locks, they certainly have inside tracks to the WJC team.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Today's game kind of highlights your exact point. In the first period, he was trying to make all these cute, soft passes in the defensive with no success, and if it wasn't that, it was his breakout passes that kept missing the mark. He capped it off with that attempted cross-ice pass on the PP that was easily picked off because he passed the puck like it was an egg, I don't think it could have been softer if he tried. After it was easily picked off, he panicked to make up for it and charged the Canadian puck carrier on the ensuing 3-on-1 which made the breakaway pass about as easy as it would have been had Miller just gone to the bench.

But after the 1st, he settled down and was very good in the final 2 periods and looked similar to the guy that was largely dominating the early portions of the WJSS.

I think with Miller it's just key for people to remember that while he's a very good prospect, he needs time. If you didn't follow him at the NTDP, it was often cringe-worthy watching him play. He'd make some great plays due to his physical abilities and then you'd be terrified for him to be on the ice because he was such a glaring liability a lot of the time. He improved a lot last season and I expect that trajectory to continue. The athleticism and skating at his size are really intriguing, but he's got a lot of work to do still to improve his defensive reads and speed up his general decision making. With him, I don't think it's indicative of low hockey IQ, as even in the issue areas he improved a lot in the last year. But the learning curve can sometimes be painful or frustrating to watch.

My angle isn't to be overly critical of Miller. He's going to be playing the #1 d-man role at the WJC and he has the ability to do it well. He'll certainly be better than he was last tournament, but I'm more interested in whether he'll be an impact player. 18 year old d-men often struggle at the WJC and then dominate as 19 year olds. McAvoy was no different and while Miller isn't at McAvoy's level at the same age, he'll be given every opportunity to have a similar impact. Can he do it?

I'm with you, when the Rangers drafted him I was hoping he'd change his mind and go the junior route because I thought just playing the most amount of games he possibly could was what was going to be the best thing for him, but in deciding to watch as many of Wisconsin's games as I could last season, I saw Granato was just throwing him out there for every situation he possibly could and didn't really bench him or anything like that for his mistakes, so I was really happy with him going the college route pretty quickly. I think he's got a pretty long path before he really rounds out his entire game, but like you said, he's already come a pretty far way since he's been drafted

I'm also really interested to see if he can be an impact player at the WJC. I wasn't really all that surprised with his struggles last year when he was put in more of a shutdown role when I don't really think he was ready for that kind of assignment. And right now I feel like the strongest part of his game is in transition offensively and defensively, but he runs into his troubles when he spends too much time in either end of the rink (way more in the defensive zone), so I feel like that kind of puts him into a weird position for what role he'll play on this year's team, but hopefully he takes another big step forward this year and can polish a bunch of stuff in the first half of the season to make it a little more clear.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Nice to see Hall get a long look for the forward group.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

It sounds/looks like Farabee made the Flyers opening night roster fwiw.