I watched every game (minus SWE-FIN on Saturday) of the WJC showcase exhibitions so thought I'd share my thoughts on the B's prospects who participated.
Charlie McAvoy:
-- He was hands down USA's #1 defenseman -- both in the responsibility given to him (PP and PK) and in his play.
-- The one element of his game that stood out the most to me was his play in the defensive zone -- particularly on the PK. He was very good at using his stick to knock the puck off of players' sticks. I wasn't expecting him to be so good at it considering he was mostly labeled as an offensive d-man.
-- I thought he did a very good job of picking his spots for when to jump into the offense -- including one time that led to a partial breakaway (he made a move to the backhand but it was hard to tell if he flubbed the shot wide or the goalie made the save). Oftentimes offensive defensemen get caught pinching at the blue line or getting too far up the ice but that wasn't the case with Charlie during this tournament (with the exception of maybe one play all tournament in the neutral zone that led to an odd man rush).
-- The physicality was also nice to see. We don't need him running around trying to lay guys out constantly but knowing that he can drop the hammer when the opportunity presents itself is a plus.
-- In terms of things he needs to work on...the big thing that bugged me was his tendency to step up on guys in the defensive zone. There were numerous times where an oncoming forward would chip the puck past him and rather than turn, box out the forward, and go after the puck, he would step forward and just try to slow down the forward. It tended to work out as usually his defense partner was able to get to the puck before the forward but I can see times where NHL forwards just blow right by him and get the puck while he is left standing still because he stepped up.
-- Additionally, he occasionally would chase guys around the d-zone a bit too much (though maybe that is how the USA coaches want the D to play, I don't know). Again, I don't recall it burning him in this tournament but it seemed like he should be handing guys off for his forwards to defend rather than leaving the front of the net open.
-- While his puck skills are good, he can also be a little sloppy with the puck...whether it be overhandling it or there were a number of times (two on the same shift vs. Canada) when he had the chance to clear the zone on the PK and didn't get it out.
-- Lastly, I would like to see him work on his skating a bit. He's not bad by any means but there were a few times where he was wheeling from behind his net with the puck and he did a good job of using his size to keep the forechecker at bay but he didn't always show a top gear to then pull away from them cleanly and ended up having the puck knocked away from him from behind. In the NHL where guys are bigger and faster, if he can add a bit more speed then this shouldn't be a concern.
-- Since he was on the team last year, he is a lock to make the team again and it'll be really interesting to see how he handles the responsibility of #1 D going up against the best U-20 players in the world.
Ryan Lindgren:
-- I really liked what I saw from Ryan. His biggest strength was separating guys from the puck in the defensive zone. He wouldn't necessarily throw big hits but rather used his strength and positioning to win puck battles consistently.
-- I was also pleasantly surprised at his skating and puck carrying skills. I would argue that he is a faster skater than McAvoy and made nice cuts at high speed to get around forwards in the neutral zone. He also had a good sense for when and where to move the puck.
-- Another skill I liked was his penchant for shooting low and hard with the purpose of generating a rebound. In fact, it was his low hard shot that led to Frederic's goal.
-- Ryan was one of a number of American defensemen who played well in the tournament so it's hard to pencil him onto the roster yet but I like his chances (especially since he had been the captain of the U-18 team last year).
Trent Frederic:
-- He came as advertised...not a ton of skill but solid on faceoffs and in the defensive zone. He didn't throw any real big hits but he wasn't afraid to give guys a solid bump into the boards. In the offensive zone, he did show some decent cycle and puck possession ability.
-- For all the crap he gets about his offense, he did have 1 goal & 1 assist in 3 games with pretty limited ice time -- obviously a small sample size though. The goal was a product of doing dirty work around the net (he should have had a second one that same game but the goalie robbed him) and his assist was a nice little touch pass on a rush in the o-zone (though I'm not sure how intentional the pass was, to be honest).
-- Frederic is not going to make the team as a top 6 forward but USA usually rolls a checking line so I'd say he still has a shot. He was one of their top guys on the PK so that may help his chances. I'd put him at 50/50 to make the team currently with his play at Wisconsin likely to be the big deciding factor.
Zach Senyshyn:
-- It's really tough to assess Zach's play since a) he only played one game, b) Canada's play as a whole was really bad (especially in the first game), & c) no one knows how his play may have been impacted by his recovery from mono.
-- With that said, I would describe his one game as "meh". He looked pretty rusty (as did most of Canada) so he didn't have much of a chance to use his strengths (speed & shot). The two notable chances he got, one rolled off his stick in the slot and the other was a pass that went through his legs right at the top of the crease. He won some board battles, he lost some board battles -- so like I said, pretty "meh" outing.
-- In terms of his chances of making Team Canada, it's hard to say. If anything helped his chances during this tournament it's the fact that Canada scored 3 goals total in 3 games. If they are worried about offense (especially if Marner and/or Strome are in the NHL), then you would think they would want a pure goal scorer like Zach on the team...but who knows.
Jeremy Lauzon
-- Like Zach, he only played in one of Canada's three games. I thought he played decently though. I don't recall any major errors and you saw some of the speed, puck retrieval, and physical play that he is known for.
-- Since Lauzon was invited to last year's WJC December camp (after Walman got hurt) and none of Canada's defensemen really shined in this tourney, I would think he has an inside track on a roster spot.
Oskar Steen:
-- He was pretty invisible in my opinion. He got some PP time and seemed to do a decent job of finding space in the slot and getting shots off but he never drove the play or generated any real dangerous scoring chances -- which isn't all that surprising for a 6th rounder.
-- The lone highlight was him and Max Jones going at it after a whistle. Not surprisingly Jones crossed the line and got a 4 minute penalty (Steen got 2) but give Oskar credit for standing his ground against a much bigger, meaner character.
PS: Sorry this post went on so long.
