WJC: 2021 Team USA Roster Talk

[SK94]

It is impossible to predict anything because some of these guys hasn't even played this season but Bordeleau and Brisson might be a big duo for this team.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

USA Hockey makes these decisions all the time, and we have these arguments all the time. The coaches change but it's always the same philosophy. I don't know what it will take to change its so frustrating. Our current strategy yields a good result once every several years and thats good enough for USAH to not make changes, but we have the talent that we should be getting good results far more often.

Even if for the sake of argument, underagers are of similar current skill value as the bottom 6 grinder types we bring, there is more value in bringing the underagers for the experience and leadership they gain for the following year. Give me the high skill but possibly raw underagers every time over the "grit" guys. And for the love of good do not bring these grit players and play them in the top 6.

Every nation except us does it. The stereotypical USA grinder philosophy worked for a time when we couldnt compete pound for pound in the skill department, But now we can and they still insist on using an inferior strategy. That does not work in best on best, take your skill.

Who that is not in the mix would be key difference maker on this team?

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

I honestly had to look up McDonald. I had no idea who he even was prior to this announcement lol.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Who that is not in the mix would be key difference maker on this team?

That’s missing the point. This hurts our roster at the bottom end of it, and then hurts it for future seasons. And if injuries happen, suspensions, or the coach decides this year like last that skill players are the grinders and the grinders are the skill players, you have guys who cannot play a skill game in big roles.

 

[OldScool]

USA Hockey makes these decisions all the time, and we have these arguments all the time. The coaches change but it's always the same philosophy. I don't know what it will take to change its so frustrating. Our current strategy yields a good result once every several years and thats good enough for USAH to not make changes, but we have the talent that we should be getting good results far more often.

Even if for the sake of argument, underagers are of similar current skill value as the bottom 6 grinder types we bring, there is more value in bringing the underagers for the experience and leadership they gain for the following year. Give me the high skill but possibly raw underagers every time over the "grit" guys. And for the love of good do not bring these grit players and play them in the top 6.

Every nation except us does it. The stereotypical USA grinder philosophy worked for a time when we couldnt compete pound for pound in the skill department, But now we can and they still insist on using an inferior strategy. That does not work in best on best, take your skill.

there are no grinders listed on the USA invite list.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

there are no grinders listed on the USA invite list.

Switched it up.

I count Beecher, Moynihan, Farinacci, Slaggert, and Berard as grinders. Mastrosimone is the equivalent of one, but without the grinding element. Colangelo is neither a grinder nor skill player, which is an issue. McDonald and Vlasic are the equivalent of grinder level defensemen, although not grinder style games. I don’t know if I’ve seen a worse defensive player at 6’6 than Vlasic.

 

[57special]

Canada will be icing guys like Mercer, Holloway, and Rees as grinders, in all probability. Nothing wrong with grinders as long they have speed and/or strength, and can put a puck into an open net if they get the chance.

York and Sanderson are going to have to play a lot of minutes. Of the Gopher trio, Lacombe is clearly the most talented, but can be a trainwreck at times. He needs to be paired with a steady hand. Johnson has been decent, but nothing that jumps out to me. Faber has some tools, but he is very young. I'm surprised that he would get the nod over some older players...don't ask me who, but there has to be some older, better Dmen out there.

 

[SK94]

Grinders worked out pretty well in 2017. It is all about team and how it is coached. Modern day hockey still needs role players too. Our team did not fail last year because of Parker Ford or Curtis Hall. They failed because it was badly coached.

Robertson-Turcotte-Kaliyev
Boldy-Zegras-Caufield
Brisson-Bordeleau-Brink
Beniers-Beecher-

These guys are locks. Farinacci, Moynihan, Slaggert, Mastrosimone, Colangelo and Berard are fighting for last spots.

York-Helleson
Sanderson-Thrun
Johnson-Lacombe
Vlasic

Question is that can Thrun even play? Lets hope he can because defense is our biggest weakness this year. Personally i think that Warren should be there.

Knight
Wolf
Commesso

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

Kinda weird the bottom six might be all B names

Silver medal confirmed

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

Marshall Warren has always been better than Alex Vlasic. You can certainly make the case that neither are top 6 blueliners for the States this year, but it's wild to me that USAH still sees Vlasic ahead of Warren.

 

[Statsy]

Silver medal confirmed

Wait... shouldn’t a team full of players starting with “B” actually be predestined for a Bronze?

 

[novisor]

Is Jack Hughes still making his decision? I read that the Devil's were going to let him decide. You've got to think that seeing fellow top-3 pick and NHLer Dach on Team Canada is going to motivate him to play a bit. Add Laf or especially Kakko I think Jack decides to play.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Of the nine defenseman, only Harvard's Henry Thrun is not playing college hockey this year and is skating in the USHL (because the Ivy League cancelled the season).

But was just curious as to where (if?) Green Bay's Mason Lohrei would fit in this group?

Ohio State recruit and was taken by Boston in the second round as an overage in the recent draft.

 

[57special]

Shouldn't Warren be at least given a shot at making the team?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Our team did not fail last year because of Parker Ford or Curtis Hall. They failed because it was badly coached.

I think it's both. I think most agree that its badly coached when you ask Drury and Pinto to be your top 6 centers, Beecher is playing all throughout the lineup, Caufield, Turcotte and Zegras are bottom six guys for all or a lot of the tournament, and someone like Boldy doesn't even make the team. All of these are issues. But when you already have bad coaching that causes your best players to not produce as they should, it puts a much bigger emphasis on the bottom end guys. You can say that Parker Ford or Curtis Hall weren't the problem, but I think we all would've preferred their spots to go to Matt Boldy. Matt Boldy is more likely to give us a goal or create an assist that we weren't getting from our best players that the coach didn't put in a position to succeed.

This is why depth is always important. You sometimes need the bottom of your roster to step up when the top of your roster doesn't produce. The poor coaching created the need for the bottom of our lineup to step up, and it's a lot easier to ask someone like Boldy to step up than Ford. Coaches sometimes overthink these rosters. Sometimes your most talented players are your best 3rd and 4th liners, as well, which is why we should not pick the bottom of the roster based on speed, physicality, and penalty killing. Pick your best players, and then figure out roles afterwards. If you pick your best players, you are probably going to have the best chance for your depth players to eventually step up.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Of the nine defenseman, only Harvard's Henry Thrun is not playing college hockey this year and is skating in the USHL (because the Ivy League cancelled the season).

But was just curious as to where (if?) Green Bay's Mason Lohrei would fit in this group?

Ohio State recruit and was taken by Boston in the second round as an overage in the recent draft.

I don't think he was in contention to make the team.

 

[2Pair]

That’s a good point, but how much does Faber deserve to play? He’s really only in most of our projected teams because he’s not Vlasic or McDonald. I think this is one of these years where the 7D, hopefully Faber, doesn’t see the ice, unless there’s an injury, suspension or long penalty for a defensemen.

It's only been 4 games, but Faber has been the best defenseman for the Gophers. Quite a bit better than LaCombe

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

It's only been 4 games, but Faber has been the best defenseman for the Gophers. Quite a bit better than LaCombe

If so, I have no complaints with that, but if you look at this same page of the thread, a Minnesota fan had a slightly different assessment of the three Minnesota defensemen in contention to make the team. I don't know which is right, as I have not yet seen Minnesota play this season. The answer may be somewhere in the middle.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Did some quick stats on this roster. The current 29 man roster has:

- 10 first round picks (8 from 2019 draft)
- 11 second round picks (7 from 2019 draft)
- 10 returning players (including both top goaltenders, the team's leading point scorer and the team's leading goal scorer)

Pretty loaded roster. Just wish we had a stronger defense.

 

[flyerslducks]

Did some quick stats on this roster. The current 29 man roster has:

- 10 first round picks (8 from 2019 draft)
- 11 second round picks (7 from 2019 draft)
- 10 returning players (including both top goaltenders, the team's leading point scorer and the team's leading goal scorer)

Pretty loaded roster. Just wish we had a stronger defense.

the defense is really mobile and has some big bodies. I think it can be fine. York should be great on the pp, Sanderson should be the work horse, and the other guys are all really good too.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Good interview with Leaman: The World Junior Coaches Q&A Series: Team USA’s Nate Leaman

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

From that interview, he says that York, Thrun and Sanderson are locks. Vlasic is close to a lock. Vlasic and Sanderson apparently did really well in the October camp. Not sure he should be putting so much stock into his own opinions from that camp as opposed to the full body of work, but hopefully he's right about the defense.

Nothing new about the forwards. He said that Knight is the favorite to start in goal, but not a lock. They'll give Wolf a chance to earn the starting spot.

 

[William H Bonney]

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I would have no problem with Hughes not being released if he'd miss even one day of training camp, but why not release him if the NHL season starts in late January or later?

Unless you are worried about Hughes getting injured, I don't see what would be bad about him playing in this tournament without the league being up and running. And if Hughes was to be tournament MVP, it could be good for his confidence going into the NHL season after he struggled in his first NHL season.

 

[JiggsNY]

Apparently it was Jack’s decision before we all get mad the the devils like I just was before reading this. Disappointing but good for jack prioritizing the NHL. Just hope Robertson will be available.