WJC: 2019 Team USA Roster Talk

[sa cyred]

They get the team wrong every year. No wonder we win so infrequently.

USA Hockey needs their 20 year old grinders who've played a couple of years in College Hockey or in the USHL. They'll always give preference to those guys over players playing elsewhere or younger players. In fact, if you are undrafted or drafted really low and find your way onto the radar, it almost seems like you'll get preference over a more accomplished player. Why do they pick 2-3 players every year who've sucked their whole careers, make their way onto the back end of one of these camp rosters, have a couple good days in a training setting, and then they decide their whole career should be discounted for these geniuses on the spot assessment?

This is why we win so infrequently. Morons running the ship.

Honest question, the team looks pretty stacked this year. What cut/player who didn't make it are you really talking about here? And what players for sure shouldn't have made it?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Honest question, the team looks pretty stacked this year. What cut/player who didn't make it are you really talking about here? And what players for sure shouldn't have made it?

Its stacked every year.

There is no particular cut this year that is so much worse than the rest. I think there are just a lot of bad decisions here. Among players who aren't there who should be, Wilde, Wise, Hutsko, Gildon and then younger guys like Turcotte, Kaliyev, Zegras, Caufield, Boldy, York. Thats not to even mention that there are a number of better players than some of those who are still left.

They do this every year. A couple players sneak onto the back end of the roster, the geniuses decide that their evaluations in a training camp for 2-3 days are better than years worth of evaluations, and then we get bad roster decisions that result in worse results than we should be getting. Among players who shouldn't be here are Keyser, Anderson, Kemp, Cates, Cockerill, Dhooghe, Cotter. You can almost be sure 2-3 of these players will make the final roster.

 

[sa cyred]

Its stacked every year.

There is no particular cut this year that is so much worse than the rest. I think there are just a lot of bad decisions here. Among players who aren't there who should be, Wilde, Wise, Hutsko, Gildon and then younger guys like Turcotte, Kaliyev, Zegras, Caufield, Boldy, York. Thats not to even mention that there are a number of better players than some of those who are still left.

They do this every year. A couple players sneak onto the back end of the roster, the geniuses decide that their evaluations in a training camp for 2-3 days are better than years worth of evaluations, and then we get bad roster decisions that result in worse results than we should be getting. Among players who shouldn't be here are Keyser, Anderson, Kemp, Cates, Cockerill, Dhooghe, Cotter. You can almost be sure 2-3 of these players will make the final roster.

Fair enough. But isn't that more of a "in my opinion these players are better" vs. in their opinion? As someone who watched Cates though, even though he isn't a top round pick, had an extremely good USHL season and is going to the National Champs in the NCAA next season. And from most accounts looked good so far in camp.

 

[TopC0rner]

Among players who shouldn't be here are Keyser, Anderson, Kemp, Cates, Cockerill, Dhooghe, Cotter. You can almost be sure 2-3 of these players will make the final roster.

In your list, imo, Paul Cotter is right now a better player than Jay O'Brien (being a year older). I think he's underrated... good skater, competitive, plays well all over the ice, underrated hands and scoring abilities. He can play center/wing. He's a perfect fit for a 3rd/4th line as a versatile forward that won't cost you goals but can chip in. Btw, I mention these two guys because I have seen them enough to comment (and I like both + long term O'brien has the higher upside).

I don't think going into the WJC is simply stacking the best individual players together. You still need to bring a good mix of players that can give you different things on the ice. Also, being a short tourney, you probably want players that have limited flaws cause it's harder to get around with such a short schedule (why I wouldn't bring Wilde either imo).

In the end, it's a matter of personal opinion. From my point of view, team USA has been the most solid in the past 10 WJC.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

In your list, imo, Paul Cotter is right now a better player than Jay O'Brien (being a year older). I think he's underrated... good skater, competitive, plays well all over the ice, underrated hands and scoring abilities. He can play center/wing. He's a perfect fit for a 3rd/4th line as a versatile forward that won't cost you goals but can chip in. Btw, I mention these two guys because I have seen them enough to comment (and I like both + long term O'brien has the higher upside).

I don't think going into the WJC is simply stacking the best individual players together. You still need to bring a good mix of players that can give you different things on the ice. Also, being a short tourney, you probably want players that have limited flaws cause it's harder to get around with such a short schedule (why I wouldn't bring Wilde either imo).

In the end, it's a matter of personal opinion. From my point of view, team USA has been the most solid in the past 10 WJC.

Finland gets very good results taking their best players. They are less talented than the other countries, but don't have the same dumb decisions as other countries. Every other country tries to outsmart each other.

 

[jvr32]

Finland gets very good results taking their best players. They are less talented than the other countries, but don't have the same dumb decisions as other countries. Every other country tries to outsmart each other.

Last WJC was a total flop for Finland and they went with that 2 offensive forward lines and 2 defensive forward lines lineup. That was directly said by the head coach Jussi Ahokas when he announced the team, I can find you direct quotes if you want. He left out of the team forwards like Kotkaniemi, Somppi (who was one of the best players in QMJHL last year), and Luostarinen. Instead he took his favorites like undrafted PKers like Innala and Jaaska, and even in the supposed scoring lines there was Ikonen and Kupari. I totally expect now that Ahokas will once again coaching the team that he will take his favorites over the more skilled players. Finland's not really taking the "best players".

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Last WJC was a total flop for Finland and they went with that 2 offensive forward lines and 2 defensive forward lines lineup. That was directly said by the head coach Jussi Ahokas when he announced the team, I can find you direct quotes if you want. He left out of the team forwards like Kotkaniemi, Somppi (who was one of the best players in QMJHL last year), and Luostarinen. Instead he took his favorites like undrafted PKers like Innala and Jaaska, and even in the supposed scoring lines there was Ikonen and Kupari. I totally expect now that Ahokas will once again coaching the team that he will take his favorites over the more skilled players. Finland's not really taking the "best players".

Find whatever quotes you want. You are cherry picking, like the last guy. Finland almost always takes their best players, and they have been very successful with lesser talent.

 

[jvr32]

Find whatever quotes you want. You are cherry picking, like the last guy. Finland almost always takes their best players, and they have been very successful with lesser talent.

Cherry picking lol. You have no point. Expect the same for Finland this year.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Not a bad camp, but the goaltending was atrocious, and I think some players played themselves off the radar. Here's my roster.

Robertson-Poehling-Tkachuk
Farabee-Hughes-Wahlstrom
Turcotte-Norris-O'Brien
Mismash-Wise-Drury
Hutsko/Cotter/Chmelevski

Samberg-Hughes
Samuelsson-Keane
Mi. Anderson-Walsh
Wilde

Knight
Primeau
Petruzzelli

Saw too much of Matt Anderson and Kemp. O'Brien and Cotter had good camps. I'd have O'Brien firmly on the team. Cotter should compete for 13F with Hustko/Chmelevski. Goaltending was problematic at this week. Petruzzelli sucked. He probably shouldn't make this team, but there isn't anyone better. At least limit him to no better than spot 3. Primeau had a bad first game. I'm not convinced yet that he's better than Knight. Let them compete for the #1 spot, but I'd probably go with Knight.

 

[Tripod]

Not a bad camp, but the goaltending was atrocious, and I think some players played themselves off the radar. Here's my roster.

Robertson-Poehling-Tkachuk
Farabee-Hughes-Wahlstrom
Turcotte-Norris-O'Brien
Mismash-Wise-Drury
Hutsko/Cotter/Chmelevski

Samberg-Hughes
Samuelsson-Keane
Mi. Anderson-Walsh
Wilde

Knight
Primeau
Petruzzelli

Saw too much of Matt Anderson and Kemp. O'Brien and Cotter had good camps. I'd have O'Brien firmly on the team. Cotter should compete for 13F with Hustko/Chmelevski. Goaltending was problematic at this week. Petruzzelli sucked. He probably shouldn't make this team, but there isn't anyone better. At least limit him to no better than spot 3. Primeau had a bad first game. I'm not convinced yet that he's better than Knight. Let them compete for the #1 spot, but I'd probably go with Knight.

The way the coach played Cates, you have to think he is making the team unless he has a bad start to the year and camp.

Played up and down the lineup and was a go to guy on the PK. Even was the 1st choice killing 5 vs 3.

And he rose to the extra extra ice time by adding offence.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Reilly Walsh had two good games to finish, not sure he was good at all to start it. It was probably more bad then good.

 

[Thebesthockey]

Not a bad camp, but the goaltending was atrocious, and I think some players played themselves off the radar. Here's my roster.

Robertson-Poehling-Tkachuk
Farabee-Hughes-Wahlstrom
Turcotte-Norris-O'Brien
Mismash-Wise-Drury
Hutsko/Cotter/Chmelevski

Samberg-Hughes
Samuelsson-Keane
Mi. Anderson-Walsh
Wilde

Knight
Primeau
Petruzzelli

Saw too much of Matt Anderson and Kemp. O'Brien and Cotter had good camps. I'd have O'Brien firmly on the team. Cotter should compete for 13F with Hustko/Chmelevski. Goaltending was problematic at this week. Petruzzelli sucked. He probably shouldn't make this team, but there isn't anyone better. At least limit him to no better than spot 3. Primeau had a bad first game. I'm not convinced yet that he's better than Knight. Let them compete for the #1 spot, but I'd probably go with Knight.

too many first yr elig. players
if that sticks usa will need 5-6 goals per game to compete

 

[My3Sons]

Reilly Walsh had two good games to finish, not sure he was good at all to start it. It was probably more bad then good.

I think they played him in a haphazard manner. I don’t think he had a set pairing and he seems to only be played sparingly in an offensive spot here and there.

 

[Thrasymachus]

Wahlstrom hopefully gets his head out of his butt - he looked bland all tourny. Just a handful of summer games, but still...

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Mixed bag performance wise but the event did its job and will give the U.S. brass plenty to think about leading up to the final team.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

The way the coach played Cates, you have to think he is making the team unless he has a bad start to the year and camp.

Played up and down the lineup and was a go to guy on the PK. Even was the 1st choice killing 5 vs 3.

And he rose to the extra extra ice time by adding offence.

I don't care what the coach does. I don't shill for him. That would be the team I select.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

too many first yr elig. players
if that sticks usa will need 5-6 goals per game to compete

I think taking a team filled with worse players is an easier recipe to giving up a lot of goals.

 

[Thebesthockey]

I think taking a team filled with worse players is an easier recipe to giving up a lot of goals.

they are not that much worse (very subjective term) at all

 

[Thebesthockey]

I see making it 2000/01

j hughes
farabee
samuelson


late 99
obrien
hughes
tkachuk

 

[William H Bonney]

My team if I had to choose using only from players at the camp (including Poehling, as he was there just didn't play):

Forwards (x13):

Brady Tkachuk - Ryan Poehling - Jay O'Brien
Joel Farabee - Jack Hughes - Oliver Wahlstrom
Jason Robertson - Josh Norris - Sasha Chmelevski
Grant Mismash - Jack Drury - Paul Cotter
Noah Cates

Defense (x7):

Dylan Samberg - Reilly Walsh
Quinn Hughes - Mikey Anderson
Ben Mirageas - Joey Keane
Mattias Samuelsson

Goalie (x3):

Cayden Primeau
Spencer Knight
Kyle Keyser
​

Notes:

• Overall
  • In single elimination tournaments anything can happen, but it'll be a disappointment if this team isn't in the gold medal game and it would be an embarrassment if they don't medal at all.
• Biggest Camp Surprise
  • Joey Keane. I thought he played pretty well and put himself into a strong position to make the team, especially with the shortage of RHD. A bit careless with the puck at times, but I liked his game quite a bit.
• Biggest Camp Disappointment
  • Easily Oliver Wahlstrom. He was invisible. With his goal scoring ability, he has to be on the team, but he needs to play a lot better than that to be a positive contributor come tournament time. Too often he reminds me of a shoot-first version of Bobby Ryan - tantalizing skill, but largely disengaged for the majority of the play. I wouldn't be surprised to see him have a similar tournament to Kieffer Bellows two years ago, where he was a major disappointment all tournament long until the gold medal game. Hopefully Oliver can replicate that at least.
• Forwards
  • I just can't see any justification for putting guys like Evan Barratt, Logan Cockerill, or Sean Dhooghe on this team. Barratt was extremely quiet and widely outplayed by nearly all the guys he'd be competing against for a bottom 6 role. Cockerill is basically the Mendoza kid from the Mighty Ducks. And other than a nice pass to Norris, Dhooghe barely played all tournament. Folks love rooting for him, but he's not a top team player at the U20 level.
  • It's a deep forward group, and while I thought they all had some really nice spurts of skill, I'm not sold on including all of Drury, Cates, Cotter, etc. on the roster. That's not to say they were bad here (they weren't) or I'm against some of them making it, but I'm hopeful some more talented guys, such as some of the top '01s (Turcotte, Caufield, Boldy, Zegras, etc.), push their way into the conversation. I'm not opposed to some well-rounded, bottom six guys like some of the other posters (when they get the right ones, they're incredibly valuable in these tournaments), they just don't need 4-5 of them like has often been the norm.
• Defense
  • Defensively, I thought most of the guys acquitted themselves pretty well. Realistically, I'd only be surprised if Matt Anderson made it, but not because he was bad, he just isn't better than the other guys in contention.
  • I get the sense the staff will learn towards bringing along Kemp too, but Samuelsson is a better option for the defensive defenseman role and they don't need two that ilk for the tournament. He's bigger and more well rounded, plus he could return next year.
  • I'm still interested in which '00 d-men might get into contention. Obviously there's K'Andre Miller, who missed camp with an injury, and I still think Emberson might earn himself a look in December.
• Goalie
  • No one stood up and took control of the net. Petruzelli really struggled though, especially against Canada where he let in some real stinkers. Still looks like a Primeau/Knight battle to me.
  • Unless they have awful starts to the season, it's pretty clear Primeau/Knight are the top two goalies. If that holds, I wouldn't bother using the third goalie spot on a '99 goalie. Instead, if '01 Dustin Wolf plays as well at the Hlinka as he did last season in the WHL, I'd bring him along. He looked really composed tonight in shutting out the Czechs in Team USA's opener.

 

[teemussalami1]

I still think Bode Wilde gets a consideration. Hopefully not getting invited to camp lights a fire in him.

 

[William H Bonney]

I still think Bode Wilde gets a consideration. Hopefully not getting invited to camp lights a fire in him.

He certainly has the talent. I hope he has a great start to the season, although I'm not terribly hopeful given the uncertainty about where he's playing at this point.

 

[teemussalami1]

He certainly has the talent. I hope he has a great start to the season, although I'm not terribly hopeful given the uncertainty about where he's playing at this point.

I can't recall the last time I saw a player bomb so hard leading up to the draft. Had a great first half, okay second half, horrible U18 WC, then decommits from college right before the draft. Just very strange.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I can't recall the last time I saw a player bomb so hard leading up to the draft. Had a great first half, okay second half, horrible U18 WC, then decommits from college right before the draft. Just very strange.

Eeli Tolvanen.

He only had one bad tournament, and some players are allowed a bad tournament without dropping. That didn't apply to Wilde. Dropped a lot because he de-committed from Michigan.

 

[Whileee]

My team if I had to choose using only from players at the camp (including Poehling, as he was there just didn't play):

Forwards (x13):

Brady Tkachuk - Ryan Poehling - Jay O'Brien
Joel Farabee - Jack Hughes - Oliver Wahlstrom
Jason Robertson - Josh Norris - Sasha Chmelevski
Grant Mismash - Jack Drury - Paul Cotter
Noah Cates

Defense (x7):

Dylan Samberg - Reilly Walsh
Quinn Hughes - Mikey Anderson
Ben Mirageas - Joey Keane
Mattias Samuelsson

Goalie (x3):

Cayden Primeau
Spencer Knight
Kyle Keyser
​

Notes:

• Overall
  • In single elimination tournaments anything can happen, but it'll be a disappointment if this team isn't in the gold medal game and it would be an embarrassment if they don't medal at all.
• Biggest Camp Surprise
  • Joey Keane. I thought he played pretty well and put himself into a strong position to make the team, especially with the shortage of RHD. A bit careless with the puck at times, but I liked his game quite a bit.
• Biggest Camp Disappointment
  • Easily Oliver Wahlstrom. He was invisible. With his goal scoring ability, he has to be on the team, but he needs to play a lot better than that to be a positive contributor come tournament time. Too often he reminds me of a shoot-first version of Bobby Ryan - tantalizing skill, but largely disengaged for the majority of the play. I wouldn't be surprised to see him have a similar tournament to Kieffer Bellows two years ago, where he was a major disappointment all tournament long until the gold medal game. Hopefully Oliver can replicate that at least.
• Forwards
  • I just can't see any justification for putting guys like Evan Barratt, Logan Cockerill, or Sean Dhooghe on this team. Barratt was extremely quiet and widely outplayed by nearly all the guys he'd be competing against for a bottom 6 role. Cockerill is basically the Mendoza kid from the Mighty Ducks. And other than a nice pass to Norris, Dhooghe barely played all tournament. Folks love rooting for him, but he's not a top team player at the U20 level.
  • It's a deep forward group, and while I thought they all had some really nice spurts of skill, I'm not sold on including all of Drury, Cates, Cotter, etc. on the roster. That's not to say they were bad here (they weren't) or I'm against some of them making it, but I'm hopeful some more talented guys, such as some of the top '01s (Turcotte, Caufield, Boldy, Zegras, etc.), push their way into the conversation. I'm not opposed to some well-rounded, bottom six guys like some of the other posters (when they get the right ones, they're incredibly valuable in these tournaments), they just don't need 4-5 of them like has often been the norm.
• Defense
  • Defensively, I thought most of the guys acquitted themselves pretty well. Realistically, I'd only be surprised if Matt Anderson made it, but not because he was bad, he just isn't better than the other guys in contention.
  • I get the sense the staff will learn towards bringing along Kemp too, but Samuelsson is a better option for the defensive defenseman role and they don't need two that ilk for the tournament. He's bigger and more well rounded, plus he could return next year.
  • I'm still interested in which '00 d-men might get into contention. Obviously there's K'Andre Miller, who missed camp with an injury, and I still think Emberson might earn himself a look in December.
• Goalie
  • No one stood up and took control of the net. Petruzelli really struggled though, especially against Canada where he let in some real stinkers. Still looks like a Primeau/Knight battle to me.
  • Unless they have awful starts to the season, it's pretty clear Primeau/Knight are the top two goalies. If that holds, I wouldn't bother using the third goalie spot on a '99 goalie. Instead, if '01 Dustin Wolf plays as well at the Hlinka as he did last season in the WHL, I'd bring him along. He looked really composed tonight in shutting out the Czechs in Team USA's opener.

Nice summary. I thought the USA D struggled against Canada without Samberg, who's a really important big mobile shutdown D.

 

[William H Bonney]

Nice summary. I thought the USA D struggled against Canada without Samberg, who's a really important big mobile shutdown D.

Agree somewhat. They definitely missed Samberg, but Canada is going to make any team's defense struggle at times. Petruzelli made it seem worse in my opinion.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

I would like to see what Chmelevski could do up the lineup. Wahlstrom has to find a way to contribute if he is not getting shooting opportunities.