WJC: 2025 Team USA Roster Talk

[WarriorofTime]

Has a USHL proper (non active USNDTP) skater ever made the team?

 

[TLEH]

Has a USHL proper (non active USNDTP) skater ever made the team?

No. Not that I am aware of.

 

[mflo77]

anybody know where to buy those incredible USA jerseys?

 

[William H Bonney]

If I were to guess at a way, way too early potential team, it'd look something like this. A lot will change as the rest of the season is so important to dictating where players stand headed into summer camp.

Forwards (x14):​

Gabe Perreault* - Will Smith* - Ryan Leonard*
Cole Eiserman - James Hagens - Oliver Moore*
Trevor Connelly - Danny Nelson* - Quentin Musty
William Whitelaw - Carey Terrance* - Tanner Adams
Kamil Bednarik
Extra: Christian Humphreys​

Defense (x8):​

Drew Fortescue* - Zeev Buium*

Cole Hutson - Logan Hensler​

Will Skahan - Aram Minnetian*​

Paul Fischer​

Extra: EJ Emery​

^ Updated my defensive group projections on Jan 6​

Goalies (x3):​

Trey Augustine*
Nick Kempf
Hampton Slukynsky

* denotes 2024 returnee​

Thoughts​

• Should be one of the favorites for gold and have gold medal expectations. Canada is Canada but always need to wait and see how many guys they lose to the NHL to know how strong their team might be. Sweden and Czechia should also have gold medal ambitions.​

• As always, prepare yourself for certain players making it over some guys drafted higher than them. This doesn't mean they're bad selections.​

• If we don't lose any forwards we should have the ability to ice another very deep and talented group that's capable of leading the team to the highest-scoring efficiency in the tournament.​

• Like the 2024 WJC team, there are some good building blocks to work with and then a lot of uncertainty on who's going to step up and grab the other roles. Unlike 2024, LHD is deeper and RHD is shallower.​

• The net is Augustine's and he should play every game but maybe 1. Kempf is an '06 and he's been very good this year, so if deserving, I'd have him as the backup to prep for the 2026 team. Hillebrandt could return of course but he was largely on the 2024 team because Oke declined, so I'd like to see him get more games in the OHL to see if he should return.​

​

 

[William H Bonney]

Has a USHL proper (non active USNDTP) skater ever made the team?

Danny Kristo on the 2009 team is the last one I remember off the top of my head.

 

[TLEH]

Danny Kristo on the 2009 team is the last one I remember off the top of my head.

That’s a deep pull I didn’t even remember that

 

[sigx15]

True, not like either is going to win the Hobey Baker or anything. No offense to any BC fans, but would be nice if they could get upset pre-Frozen Four so they decide they have "unfinished business".

You can also burn a year of ELC by waiting and signing after your college year when you're 19, so it's not a huge deal to just wait. You just become the sort of RFA that can't be given an offer sheet (which rarely happens regardless).

I mean absolutely no offense but these are fighting words

 

[95snipes]

Smith would really benefit from another year at BC IMO. I think it would be a mistake for him to turn pro.

I don't think any of the NTDP '06s other Hagens and Eiserman make it at forward. Connelly likely makes it due to his success with USA this year. Plus the fact he's incredibly talented.

Forward Locks

Smith
Leonard
Perreault
Hagens
Eiserman
Moore
Nelson

Likely to make it

Terrance
Musty
Connelly
Whitelaw

On my radar for remaining spots (in order)

Tanner Adams
Kaden Shahan
Christopher Pelosi
Jake Fisher
Zach Nehring
David Klee
Kamil Bednarik
Brandon Svoboda

Defense locks

Buium
Hensler
Fortescue

Likely to make it

Minnetian

On my radar

EJ Emery
Brady Cleveland
Will Skahan
Cole Hutson
Tory Pitner
Philippe Blais-Savoie
Andrew Strathmann
Paul Fischer
Gavin McCarthy


My team at this point would look like this:

Perreault-Smith-Leonard
Connelly-Hagens-Eiserman
Musty-Moore-Whitelaw
Terrance-Nelson-Adams

Buium-Hensler
Fortescue-Emery
Cleveland/Skahan-Minnetian
Hutson-Pitner

Team looks strong and capable of winning back to back. Still a long way to go though.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

True, not like either is going to win the Hobey Baker or anything. No offense to any BC fans, but would be nice if they could get upset pre-Frozen Four so they decide they have "unfinished business".

You can also burn a year of ELC by waiting and signing after your college year when you're 19, so it's not a huge deal to just wait. You just become the sort of RFA that can't be given an offer sheet (which rarely happens regardless).

LoL yah that's offensive to this Eagles fan. BC has a team that can all the way this spring. My only real concern is Fowler at this point.

But if there were an upset yah I could see them coming back.

 

[puck swami]

2025 WJC will be played on an NHL rink in Ottawa instead of the big ice in Sweden, so team construction may reflect that reality. Winning that 2025 tourney will almost certainly go through having to beat Canada - so Team USA may need a bit more size and strength than the 2024 edition had, depending on the coach selected, preferred playing style and talent available.

 

[Joe Zanussi]

I love this tourney as much as anybody…. But I always root for guys to miss out cuz they’re in the nhl.

 

[usahockey22flyers]

Gonna be honest, this years WJ's made me realize how much I still do love international hockey.

I know we've had a couple of tough years with Covid, the owners/Bettman not budging on an actual best on best...but this year made me remember how much I really do love USA Hockey.

I hope we can continue with another big year next year

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I don't think Will Smith is playing NHL hockey next year. I don't think Leonard is either.

Smith shouldn't for sure.

Lenoard probably should and probably will. He could walk onto the Caps right now and be one of their better players.

 

[TLEH]

Smith shouldn't for sure.

Lenoard probably should and probably will. He could walk onto the Caps right now and be one of their better players.

Team is in transition and Leonard still has room to learn. I don’t disagree but has more to do with their roster.

 

[William H Bonney]

We’re in the same group as Canada next year right? Should finally get another New Year’s Eve game. It has to have been close to 10 years since the last one

Yeah, should be US, Finland, Canada, Latvia, Germany in one group and Sweden, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Kazakhstan in the other.

 

[jj cale]

Excellent showing team U.S.A,


pressure?.................it was handled with aplomb.

 

[Hossa]

My team at this point would look like this:

Perreault-Smith-Leonard
Connelly-Hagens-Eiserman
Musty-Moore-Whitelaw
Terrance-Nelson-Adams

Buium-Hensler
Fortescue-Emery
Cleveland/Skahan-Minnetian
Hutson-Pitner

Team looks strong and capable of winning back to back. Still a long way to go though.

A lot can happen in a year, but I think at this stage Nelson would be ahead of Moore as #3C, as he was on the depth chart in this tournament. He's progressed better this year at the position overall, and this tournament showed that Moore's pure skating ability makes him a useful complementary winger as well, whereas Nelson's never really thrived on the wing.

Of course, if Smith isn't there, they probably both end up down the middle, with different styles of players around them.

 

[mphmiles]

If Smith and Leonard are back, I really think the top 9 forwards could be right about as good next year as this year.

The big question mark is going to be on the back end. Losing a lot of offensive firepower on the blue line and no one really jumping out to replace guys like Casey and Hutson.

 

[95snipes]

A lot can happen in a year, but I think at this stage Nelson would be ahead of Moore as #3C, as he was on the depth chart in this tournament. He's progressed better this year at the position overall, and this tournament showed that Moore's pure skating ability makes him a useful complementary winger as well, whereas Nelson's never really thrived on the wing.

Of course, if Smith isn't there, they probably both end up down the middle, with different styles of players around them.

Maybe. Moore centered Nelson with the U18s. Moore was also the one that was moved up when Snuggerud was out.

I'm not a big supporter of either, but Moore is the better bet to center a more offensively oriented line which it would be if Musty and Whitelaw are the wings.

 

[SK94]

There would still be decent forward group but losing Smith and Leonard would be massive compared to losing Cooley this year.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Leonard takes some massive hits against him, he needs to become more aware to avoid those hits before making the NHL or he will be injured all the time.

The entire BC line should be at BC again next year.

 

[Hossa]

Maybe. Moore centered Nelson with the U18s. Moore was also the one that was moved up when Snuggerud was out.

I'm not a big supporter of either, but Moore is the better bet to center a more offensively oriented line which it would be if Musty and Whitelaw are the wings.

All fair, but Nelson also played better at the U18 level when centering his own line (granted in lower leverage minutes). I do think Nelson's been better at the college level this year, centring Notre Dame's top line against top competition, and I think is just generally trending up more than Moore, at least as a centre. But I'm also just not sure Moore is a centre long-term anyhow, so that all may be confirmation bias on my side. Let's see.

 

[TLEH]

I think Moore is a winger.

 

[Celebrini71]

Cullen Potter will be one to watch.... Shades of Logan Cooley D-1 year.....

 

[WarriorofTime]

Does anyone recall the 2023 U18 championship line combos?