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WJC: 2023 Team USA Roster Talk

I'm going to be very interested in seeing how Lucius performs. It seems like jumping to the AHL and not getting off to a hot start has diminished expectations but I would have always expected him to be an offensive leader for this age group at the WJC.

Seeing them potentially keep the Snuggerud-Cooley-Gauthier line that had so much success with the NTDP last year is an interesting move as well. I feel as though there've been instances where the chemistry doesn't always carry over 100%, and it's a full line of '04s in an '03 tournament, but it seems worth a try.

I'm surprised that Mbereko is off to as strong this year. I'm still skeptical though and would like it if they give Augustine an opportunity as well before the elimination games so we can see who looks more comfortable/confident.
 
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Pavel Buchnevich said:
PK’ers should be Hughes, Chesley, Peart, and Mittelstadt. Other four are too small to be regular PK’ers, given the roles they are likely to play for this team. Hutson-Chesley also never works. Hopefully the coaching staff learns that quickly.



We don’t match up to Canada with the forwards, but they don’t match up to us with the defensemen and the goalies.
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I think you are greatly exaggerating the gap in defensemen, if it exists at all - or in the USA’s favour.

Clarke or Zellweger each could prove to be top defenseman in the tournament over Hughes. Each pair will have an absolute top-flight play driving defenseman (Clarke, Zellweger, Korchinski) matched with a very highly regarded defensive-minded defender (Allan, Matier, Del Mastro). Our seventh defenseman, Hinds, is playing out of his mind this year and seems like another stroke of genius by the Ducks. “Balance” definitively weighs in Canada’s favour and I don’t think a real skill gap is there, at all.
 
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Dominance said:
I think you are greatly exaggerating the gap in defensemen, if it exists at all - or in the USA’s favour.

Clarke or Zellweger each could prove to be top defenseman in the tournament over Hughes. Each pair will have an absolute top-flight play driving defenseman (Clarke, Zellweger, Korchinski) matched with a very highly regarded defensive-minded defender (Allan, Matier, Del Mastro). Our seventh defenseman, Hinds, is playing out of his mind this year and seems like another stroke of genius by the Ducks. “Balance” definitively weighs in Canada’s favour and I don’t think a real skill gap is there, at all.
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Wasn't trying to suggest there's a big gap. Just that I think the US defense is a little better. I think Clarke and Hughes could be a good battle for best defenseman in the tournament, and then Zellweger might be next best. But then after that, I think it's tilted towards the US, except Korchinski.

Canada should've had a better defense, but the bottom of that defensive group looks a little weak to me with a bunch of defensemen picked because they are big.

Of course, the US defense has their own problems with a lot of talented but very small defensemen. That may not work either and it's not balanced, but I think there's a little more of a chance it works.
 
Pavel Buchnevich said:
Wasn't trying to suggest there's a big gap. Just that I think the US defense is a little better. I think Clarke and Hughes could be a good battle for best defenseman in the tournament, and then Zellweger might be next best. But then after that, I think it's tilted towards the US, except Korchinski.

Canada should've had a better defense, but the bottom of that defensive group looks a little weak to me with a bunch of defensemen picked because they are big.

Of course, the US defense has their own problems with a lot of talented but very small defensemen. That may not work either and it's not balanced, but I think there's a little more of a chance it works.
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We’ll have to see how it works out. If you ask me, the Canadian defence is the pinnacle of how every coach would construct their pairings. Matier, Del Mastro, and Allan are all very good defensemen at this level and there’s some rare (for Canada) degrees of pre-existing chemistry between Allan and Korchinski and Del Mastro and Clarke.
 
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"Balanced" D pairs are so overrated. You'd think with what Colorado has done the last two+ seasons, the philosophy around hockey might change but I guess not. Matier, Del Mastro, and Allan were non-factors (if not a detriment) the last time this age group played together. It didn't matter because the forwards were so good and maybe it won't matter this year, but Canada could have fielded a much better blue line if they wanted.
 
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FLYguy3911 said:
"Balanced" D pairs are so overrated. You'd think with what Colorado has done the last two+ seasons, the philosophy around hockey might change but I guess not. Matier, Del Mastro, and Allan were non-factors (if not a detriment) the last time this age group played together. It didn't matter because the forwards were so good and maybe it won't matter this year, but Canada could have fielded a much better blue line if they wanted.
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What would that be, the joke U18s?
 
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FLYguy3911 said:
What was the joke? That was about as best on best as the u18s could get.

And if it was a joke shouldn't they have been more impactful?
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Because those Team Canada squads are a half-baked mix of seventeen year olds thrown together a couple days before.

Like, I get why Americans want to put a lot of stock in that tournament, but if you’re actually drawing conclusions from a tournament where one team trains together for two years for it and the top nation cobbles together a group featuring half of its top players…
 
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Dominance said:
Because those Team Canada squads are a half-baked mix of seventeen year olds thrown together a couple days before.

Like, I get why Americans want to put a lot of stock in that tournament, but if you’re actually drawing conclusions from a tournament where one team trains together for two years for it and the top nation cobbles together a group featuring half of its top players…
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And this tournament is what exactly? And that Canadian u18 team, by in large, is the same one going to this tournament. So no, that year Canada had their big boys. That tournament (this age group) was as close to best on best as you are going to get. As will this one (minus Russia not being invited).

Also, not sure why you are making this an American vs Canada matchup thing. I was talking about the u18 tournament as a whole. If a player struggled to perform at that level, they are going to have a hard time doing it at the u20 level.
 
FLYguy3911 said:
And this tournament is what exactly? And that Canadian u18 team, by in large, is the same one going to this tournament. So no, that year Canada had their big boys. That tournament (this age group) was as close to best on best as you are going to get. As will this one (minus Russia not being invited).

Also, not sure why you are making this an American vs Canada matchup thing. I was talking about the u18 tournament as a whole. If a player struggled to perform at that level, they are going to have a hard time doing it at the u20 level.
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I’m not trying to make this a US vs Canada thing. I’m underlying that the U18s are a horrible, horrible sample to evaluate any Canadian players - namely, Allan, Matier, and Del Mastro as we were discussing - even when the team is atypically successful.
 
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Pavel Buchnevich said:
We have 6 first round picks among our forwards. Then another two with good chances to add to that in 2023. Some non firsts like Blake and Duke are good players, even if they aren’t first round picks. And then some grinders that have a good chance to play NHL games like Savage, Connors, Laba, and Lipkin.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a younger forward group, and there’s not that star 19 year old forward, but the US has iced worse forward groups than this one, and this one is debatably good for a US forward group.
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Yeah i'm not too sure why I keep seeing we are going to rely on our defense. They have the perfect balance of offense and lines that can hound other teams offensive talent. That's what you need to win games. You do not win with four scoring lines.
 
Hockey has changed a lot over the years however there is still great value in big mobile defencemen with a long reach that aren't very nice people on the ice. Intimidation and physical pain are a part of every contact sport and it isn't much fun when some guy is pounding on you all night.
 
It has been a good end of the year for USA Hockey. WHC17 Gold and WJAC19 Gold. Hopefully this trend continues to start the new year.
 
I really like how this team is coming together. Gives me similar vibes to the 2021 team that won gold. We don’t have a Spencer Knight, but I think Hughes is better than York.
 
KaprizovSaveUs said:
I really like how this team is coming together. Gives me similar vibes to the 2021 team that won gold. We don’t have a Spencer Knight, but I think Hughes is better than York.
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I mean, that's kind of ignoring the guys up front, 19 year olds in Zegras, Boldy, Kaliyev, Brink, Turcotte, Caulfield.

Take them out, remove Knight, sure, it's similar.
 
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BondraTime said:
I mean, that's kind of ignoring the guys up front, 19 year olds in Zegras, Boldy, Kaliyev, Brink, Turcotte, Caulfield.

Take them out, remove Knight, sure, it's similar.
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I don’t think Cooley / Gauthier / Snuggerud / Lucius / McGroarty is a way worse group than that group. Maybe it’s more of a next year thing, though
 
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KaprizovSaveUs said:
I don’t think Cooley / Gauthier / Snuggerud / Lucius / McGroarty is a way worse group than that group. Maybe it’s more of a next year thing, though
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Zegras, Kaliyev, Brink, Caulfield, Turcotte were all there in 2020 as 18 year olds

It would be similar to the 2020 team if anything, led by 18 year olds.
 
I think a lot of thought has gone into how this team is constructed. It's a small, but very mobile and offensively gifted blueline that will either skate or move the puck quickly to get on the attack. It's a big forward group so once the puck is in the zone there should be some good success with the cycle game. There are *some* names at forward as well. This isn't a bunch of no skill plodders. My questions:

* Will the goaltending hold up?
* Can we get enough scoring?
* Can the defense avoid betting bogged down in it's own zone?
 
Bonin21 said:
Pretty good questions for any hockey team in any tournament
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Sure, but I think they arespecially relevant to this U.S. team. I'm most curious how the defense fares. I think they will be able to control play which should make it hard to pin them down in their own zone.
 
I really hope USA does well , I’m a rabid team Canada fan but hope you guys shut the mouths of some Canadian fans who think they know it all. Good luck
 
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