WJC: 2021 Team USA Roster Talk

[Rabid Ranger]

No idea who he is. Some good players on this roster, but yea in a short tournament coaching is massive.

He's the head coach at Providence College. A very good NCAA program. He has a lot of history with USA Hockey. That said, you're right-coaching is a a big deal in this tournament and I would argue the U.S. has been let down more than any other country in this regard at all levels of international competition.

 

[William H Bonney]

Team Canada is going to have a massive advantage for the WJC with their month long camp leading into the tournament unless USAH does something similar. I'd much rather do the same as Hockey Canada, even as a player, than maybe get in a couple NCAA games instead.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

He's the head coach at Providence College. A very good NCAA program. He has a lot of history with USA Hockey. That said, you're right-coaching is a a big deal in this tournament and I would argue the U.S. has been let down more than any other country in this regard at all levels of international competition.

We’ve had our share of bad coaches.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Team Canada is going to have a massive advantage for the WJC with their month long camp leading into the tournament unless USAH does something similar. I'd much rather do the same as Hockey Canada, even as a player, than maybe get in a couple NCAA games instead.

Yea and some of the Q players have been active since August.

Sadly none of our goalies are active right now, very young group needs to be playing.

even without NHL players though we always had an advantage. Home ice lololol

 

[SK94]

Are they going to play WJC without bodychecking too?

 

[ORRFForever]

Are they going to play WJC without bodychecking too?

If bubbled, contact shouldn't be an issue.

 

[themelkman]

Are they going to play WJC without bodychecking too?

Nah its in Alberta. Ontarian government is the only one thats done that ridiculous thing and refused to go back on it.

 

[William H Bonney]

Not that I expect USAH to have the wherewithal to do it, but they really need to steal Hockey Canada's playbook for the tournament, even if they can't get a month-long camp like Team Canada since it's getting late, although I'm sure USAH was aware of Hockey Canada's plan awhile ago. Teams go into the bubble on December 13th, and may only get ~4 games of NCAA hockey and no OHL/WHL games before that. It would be far more useful - for the team, for the players, for their players' development, etc. - to have a high-intensity split-squad camp. Otherwise, they'll have to choose a team and enter the bubble on December 13th, and hope they chose correctly while spending their 12 preparation days trying to catch up to everyone else that started preparing in November.

 

[William H Bonney]

If USAH were able to pull off a pre-bubble camp, here's my camp roster, enough for two teams:

Forwards (x24):

John Beecher
Matt Beniers
Brett Berard
Matthew Boldy
Thomas Bordeleau
Bobby Brink
Brendan Brisson
Cole Caufield
Judd Caulfield
Sam Colangelo
John Farinacci
Sean Farrell
Cross Hanas
Arthur Kaliyev
Matthew Knies
Owen Lindmark
Robert Mastrosimone
Patrick Moynihan
Josh Nodler
Nick Robertson
Landon Slaggert
Luke Tuch
Alex Turcotte
Trevor Zegras

Defense (14):

Brock Faber
Domenick Fensore
Drew Helleson
Ryan Johnson
Tyler Kleven
Jackson LaCombe
Ben Meehan
Case McCarthy
Jake Sanderson
Hunter Skinner
Jayden Struble
Henry Thrun
Marshall Warren
Cam York

Goalies (x4):

Drew Commesso
Spencer Knight
Logan Stein
Dustin Wolf
​

Notes:

• You could build two strong, competitive teams from this roster to really prep the eventual team for the tournament.
• Would be even better to enter the early bubble with Hockey Canada and play each other, too.
• No Jack Hughes, but if for some reason the NHL season were to be delayed a bit, I could see Hughes playing, assuming he's used the long offseason to bulk up. He could essentially use the WJC as an extended training camp for the upcoming season, which would be useful in a jam-packed 2020-21 NHL schedule.
• Players originally named to the NJEC / WJSS rosters by USAH that I left off:
  • Forwards:
    • Michael Gildon - He's good at what he does, but you don't need to evaluate a lot of these types. I'm fine if Gildon is here, but we don't need to evaluate Gildon, Caulfield, Peterson, et al.
    • Dylan Peterson - I'm just not a fan. He's big and he can skate, but the hype he got as a 14/15-year-old in Canada was misplaced. When I watch him play, he's not a guy I think - "man, there's a lot of untapped potential there," but instead I'm left wondering how he even had the point totals he had with the NTDP.
    • Sam Stange - I just haven't seen enough of him, so if he's here, I trust those that have seen him more for that decision. Instead, I went with Josh Nodler who I've seen a bunch of.
    • Lukas Svejkovsky - Same as Sam Stange.
  • Defense:
    • Mitchell Miller - Speaks for itself.
    • Alex Vlasic - My least favorite player in contention. He's big but that's about it. He's not a good skater. He's soft. He's not good defensively or offensively. The NTDP loves its big defenseman projects, but if Vlasic didn't play with the 01's, he wouldn't have had any numbers. If he's on the team and playing, we're in trouble.
• I think "surprise" selections this year will obviously be less likely given no one will have a chance to play their way into a selection.
• RHD is the biggest unknown, just like last year, but there are not many good options to choose from besides the guys that will already be in contention.
• They're not RHD, but I'd love to get a look at Ben Meehan or Wyatt Kaiser. In a normal year, these are the types of guys that could earn their way into the December NJEC, so if this camp were to happen, I'd go with Meehan since he's older and played at a higher level.

 

[William H Bonney]

Because there's no indication USAH is going to pursue a Team Canada style camp at the last minute, and because there's not much, if any, hockey to be played to help inform the future roster choice, here's the team I'd choose right now:

Forwards (x14):

Matthew Boldy - Alex Turcotte - Cole Caufield
Nick Robertson - Trevor Zegras - Arthur Kaliyev
Robert Mastrosimone - John Beecher - Bobby Brink
Matt Beniers - Owen Lindmark - Thomas Bordeleau
Brendan Brisson
Extra: Patrick Moynihan

Defense (x8):

Cam York - Henry Thrun
Ryan Johnson - Jackson LaCombe
Jake Sanderson - Drew Helleson
Domenick Fensore
Extra: Jayden Struble

Goalie (x3):

Spencer Knight
Dustin Wolf
Drew Commesso
​

Notes:

• On paper, it should be a team that competes for gold. Anything less than gold is a failure (yes, other teams can also feel this way).
• A reminder that you can add 2 extra skaters this year.
• Forward:
  • The following 8 players should be locks: Boldy, Turcotte, Caufield, Robertson, Zegras, Caufield, Beecher, Brink
  • That leaves 6 spots open to choose from. I'm sure I went with more skill than USAH / Nate Leaman will go with, but with top players who are also workhorses all over the ice like Roberston, Turcotte, and Beecher, you don't need to commit much to defensive forward specialists.
  • This is a really hard group of forwards to choose from. A lot of really strong options and depth.
  • I really wanted to find a spot for Brett Berard as another two-way pest, but it may be a year early for him, especially on this deep of a forward group.
• Defense:
  • The following 5 players should be locks: York, Thrun, Johnson, LaCombe, Sanderson
  • That leaves 3 spots and it's hard to imagine at least one of those doesn't go to an RHD, and I think Helleson has the inside track there. I think Fensore also has a leg up for his puck-moving / PP ability, and I take Struble as he can do a bit of everything.
  • RHD is a clear weakness again as I only have one on the team. The one saving grace is three of our LHD (Thrun, Johnson, LaCombe) regularly play the offside, so we'll have plenty of options for guys to line up on their familiar side. Plus, York and Thrun have a lot of history as a pair, so that's a natural reunion to pursue.
  • On paper, this is a much better defensive group than last year, although still our biggest question mark. One big benefit is this should be a much better puck-moving group compared to last year's defensive group, which was a big factor in the sputtering offense.
  • Guys like Johnson, LaCombe, Thrun, and Sanderson can contribute similarly to Jones and Emberson last year and York is capable of playing huge minutes. York is an excellent current player unlike Miller last year, so he should be relied on heavily. Whether he goes from not playing the prior year to huge performance the next a la McAvoy is to be seen, but the potential is there at least and it's not misplaced.
• Goalies:
  • Knight clearly starts as the guy, but it's nice to know that if Knight were to falter, Wolf is capable of being the starter on the way to gold.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Nah its in Alberta. Ontarian government is the only one thats done that ridiculous thing and refused to go back on it.

Yea but that’s a personal agenda at play by the health minister. She’s been punishing for no hitting and fighting for years at the GTHL level.


Also is Bordeleau locked into UsA now ? So weird seeing him there.

 

[themelkman]

Yea but that’s a personal agenda at play by the health minister. She’s been punishing for no hitting and fighting for years at the GTHL level.


Also is Bordeleau locked into UsA now ? So weird seeing him there.

Yeah he will be. Its kind of weird but if I was him I would do the same because doubt he even gets a shot at team canada camp

 

[William H Bonney]

Yea but that’s a personal agenda at play by the health minister. She’s been punishing for no hitting and fighting for years at the GTHL level.


Also is Bordeleau locked into UsA now ? So weird seeing him there.

He's not locked in as he's yet to play in an IIHF tournament since there was no U18's this year. Although there's no indication he's looking to play for Canada.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Is Perreault eligible to play for the U.S.? He doesn't seem to be a favorite of Hockey Canada

 

[William H Bonney]

Is Perreault eligible to play for the U.S.? He doesn't seem to be a favorite of Hockey Canada

He is as he played his youth hockey in Chicago. I would have to imagine USAH reached out to him for the NJEC (especially with Zegras, Turcotte, Kaliyev, Robertson, etc. sitting out) and he said no, probably hoping for the Canada camp invite. If USA didn't at least try they're negligent, which is certainly possible. Maybe he'll reconsider his options given the Team Canada snub, although making this Team USA up front is no easy task either.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

He is as he played his youth hockey in Chicago. I would have to imagine USAH reached out to him for the NJEC (especially with Zegras, Turcotte, Kaliyev, Robertson, etc. sitting out) and he said no, probably hoping for the Canada camp invite. If USA didn't at least try they're negligent, which is certainly possible. Maybe he'll reconsider his options given the Team Canada snub, although making this Team USA up front is no easy task either.

That's what I thought-thanks. At this stage we don't have to chase duals which is welcome. He would have been an intriguing player to have in the mix though. Maybe he'll be like Pominville and surface at a random IIHF even down the road....

 

[William H Bonney]

That's what I thought-thanks. At this stage we don't have to chase duals which is welcome. He would have been an intriguing player to have in the mix though. Maybe he'll be like Pominville and surface at a random IIHF even down the road....

If Perrault is looking to play mercenary at the first chance he gets, the 2022 WJC edition of Team USA is prime for it. As you know, the forward roles, especially the top six, will be almost wide open with the '02 birth year being marginal.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

He's not locked in as he's yet to play in an IIHF tournament since there was no U18's this year. Although there's no indication he's looking to play for Canada.

Yea it’s a weird situation but good on hockey USA doing their due diligence to get him. He was never paying Major Junior but I don’t think the NTDP was always in the cards.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Because there's no indication USAH is going to pursue a Team Canada style camp at the last minute, and because there's not much, if any, hockey to be played to help inform the future roster choice, here's the team I'd choose right now:

Forwards (x14):

Matthew Boldy - Alex Turcotte - Cole Caufield
Nick Robertson - Trevor Zegras - Arthur Kaliyev
Robert Mastrosimone - John Beecher - Bobby Brink
Matt Beniers - Owen Lindmark - Thomas Bordeleau
Brendan Brisson
Extra: Patrick Moynihan

Defense (x8):

Cam York - Henry Thrun
Ryan Johnson - Jackson LaCombe
Jake Sanderson - Drew Helleson
Domenick Fensore
Extra: Jayden Struble

Goalie (x3):

Spencer Knight
Dustin Wolf
Drew Commesso
​

Notes:

• On paper, it should be a team that competes for gold. Anything less than gold is a failure (yes, other teams can also feel this way).
• A reminder that you can add 2 extra skaters this year.
• Forward:
  • The following 8 players should be locks: Boldy, Turcotte, Caufield, Robertson, Zegras, Caufield, Beecher, Brink
  • That leaves 6 spots open to choose from. I'm sure I went with more skill than USAH / Nate Leaman will go with, but with top players who are also workhorses all over the ice like Roberston, Turcotte, and Beecher, you don't need to commit much to defensive forward specialists.
  • This is a really hard group of forwards to choose from. A lot of really strong options and depth.
  • I really wanted to find a spot for Brett Berard as another two-way pest, but it may be a year early for him, especially on this deep of a forward group.
• Defense:
  • The following 5 players should be locks: York, Thrun, Johnson, LaCombe, Sanderson
  • That leaves 3 spots and it's hard to imagine at least one of those doesn't go to an RHD, and I think Helleson has the inside track there. I think Fensore also has a leg up for his puck-moving / PP ability, and I take Struble as he can do a bit of everything.
  • RHD is a clear weakness again as I only have one on the team. The one saving grace is three of our LHD (Thrun, Johnson, LaCombe) regularly play the offside, so we'll have plenty of options for guys to line up on their familiar side. Plus, York and Thrun have a lot of history as a pair, so that's a natural reunion to pursue.
  • On paper, this is a much better defensive group than last year, although still our biggest question mark. One big benefit is this should be a much better puck-moving group compared to last year's defensive group, which was a big factor in the sputtering offense.
  • Guys like Johnson, LaCombe, Thrun, and Sanderson can contribute similarly to Jones and Emberson last year and York is capable of playing huge minutes. York is an excellent current player unlike Miller last year, so he should be relied on heavily. Whether he goes from not playing the prior year to huge performance the next a la McAvoy is to be seen, but the potential is there at least and it's not misplaced.
• Goalies:
  • Knight clearly starts as the guy, but it's nice to know that if Knight were to falter, Wolf is capable of being the starter on the way to gold.

I agree with most of this. The two main disagreements I have is that I think we need someone with more offense than Beecher as the 3C. I know he’s a returner, but he should play on the fourth line. Between Boldy, Bordeleau, Beniers, and Brisson, we need someone with more offense in that spot. And if Hughes plays, it obviously becomes easier to slot Beecher down.

I also think we need a second RHD. I agree the options aren’t good, but I’m not convinced someone like Lacombe is so much better than the RHD options to only take one RHD.

 

[SK94]

If Perrault is looking to play mercenary at the first chance he gets, the 2022 WJC edition of Team USA is prime for it. As you know, the forward roles, especially the top six, will be almost wide open with the '02 birth year being marginal.

Thats why it would be important to get him. I really hope USA Hockey least pushed for it.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Because there's no indication USAH is going to pursue a Team Canada style camp at the last minute, and because there's not much, if any, hockey to be played to help inform the future roster choice, here's the team I'd choose right now:

Forwards (x14):

Matthew Boldy - Alex Turcotte - Cole Caufield
Nick Robertson - Trevor Zegras - Arthur Kaliyev
Robert Mastrosimone - John Beecher - Bobby Brink
Matt Beniers - Owen Lindmark - Thomas Bordeleau
Brendan Brisson
Extra: Patrick Moynihan

Defense (x8):

Cam York - Henry Thrun
Ryan Johnson - Jackson LaCombe
Jake Sanderson - Drew Helleson
Domenick Fensore
Extra: Jayden Struble

Goalie (x3):

Spencer Knight
Dustin Wolf
Drew Commesso
​

Notes:

• On paper, it should be a team that competes for gold. Anything less than gold is a failure (yes, other teams can also feel this way).
• A reminder that you can add 2 extra skaters this year.
• Forward:
  • The following 8 players should be locks: Boldy, Turcotte, Caufield, Robertson, Zegras, Caufield, Beecher, Brink
  • That leaves 6 spots open to choose from. I'm sure I went with more skill than USAH / Nate Leaman will go with, but with top players who are also workhorses all over the ice like Roberston, Turcotte, and Beecher, you don't need to commit much to defensive forward specialists.
  • This is a really hard group of forwards to choose from. A lot of really strong options and depth.
  • I really wanted to find a spot for Brett Berard as another two-way pest, but it may be a year early for him, especially on this deep of a forward group.
• Defense:
  • The following 5 players should be locks: York, Thrun, Johnson, LaCombe, Sanderson
  • That leaves 3 spots and it's hard to imagine at least one of those doesn't go to an RHD, and I think Helleson has the inside track there. I think Fensore also has a leg up for his puck-moving / PP ability, and I take Struble as he can do a bit of everything.
  • RHD is a clear weakness again as I only have one on the team. The one saving grace is three of our LHD (Thrun, Johnson, LaCombe) regularly play the offside, so we'll have plenty of options for guys to line up on their familiar side. Plus, York and Thrun have a lot of history as a pair, so that's a natural reunion to pursue.
  • On paper, this is a much better defensive group than last year, although still our biggest question mark. One big benefit is this should be a much better puck-moving group compared to last year's defensive group, which was a big factor in the sputtering offense.
  • Guys like Johnson, LaCombe, Thrun, and Sanderson can contribute similarly to Jones and Emberson last year and York is capable of playing huge minutes. York is an excellent current player unlike Miller last year, so he should be relied on heavily. Whether he goes from not playing the prior year to huge performance the next a la McAvoy is to be seen, but the potential is there at least and it's not misplaced.
• Goalies:
  • Knight clearly starts as the guy, but it's nice to know that if Knight were to falter, Wolf is capable of being the starter on the way to gold.

I like the line up ... but not enough grinders attached to zegras

 

[William H Bonney]

I agree with most of this. The two main disagreements I have is that I think we need someone with more offense than Beecher as the 3C. I know he’s a returner, but he should play on the fourth line. Between Boldy, Bordeleau, Beniers, and Brisson, we need someone with more offense in that spot. And if Hughes plays, it obviously becomes easier to slot Beecher down.

I also think we need a second RHD. I agree the options aren’t good, but I’m not convinced someone like Lacombe is so much better than the RHD options to only take one RHD.

I'm fine with Beecher possibly on the 4th line but not for Boldy or Beniers. They're not centers.

Which RHD is better than LaCombe? Having 1 of Helleson / McCarthy is probably pushing it, let alone both unless the latter improved quite a bit over the offseason (certainly possible at this age and hard to say with no camp games or video). I haven't seen enough of Skinner to project him on my team, but I certainly hope he steps up and takes a role. I'd prefer more than 1 RHD too, but we don't have many options beyond those 3 guys right now.

I like the line up ... but not enough grinders attached to zegras

Too soon, too soon.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Which RHD is better than LaCombe? Having 1 of Helleson / McCarthy is probably pushing it, let alone both unless the latter improved quite a bit over the offseason (certainly possible at this age and hard to say with no camp games or video). I haven't seen enough of Skinner to project him on my team, but I certainly hope he steps up and takes a role. I'd prefer more than 1 RHD too, but we don't have many options beyond those 3 guys right now.

I again agree. Skinner had a good first half of the season and then struggled after the incident with Tynan. That might’ve been more mentally than anything. I agree that I’m not sure we have two good RHD’s. I’m not a fan of McCarthy, at all, but if Skinner and Helleson are close to Lacombe, I think being right handed will give them the edge.

 

[Gopher13]

I'm fine with Beecher possibly on the 4th line but not for Boldy or Beniers. They're not centers.

Which RHD is better than LaCombe? Having 1 of Helleson / McCarthy is probably pushing it, let alone both unless the latter improved quite a bit over the offseason (certainly possible at this age and hard to say with no camp games or video). I haven't seen enough of Skinner to project him on my team, but I certainly hope he steps up and takes a role. I'd prefer more than 1 RHD too, but we don't have many options beyond those 3 guys right now.



Too soon, too soon.

Beniers is absolutely a center. He will play center are Michigan and in the pros.

 

[William H Bonney]

Beniers is absolutely a center. He will play center are Michigan and in the pros.

Maybe, maybe not. The truth is he hasn't played center much at all in the last 2 years. If he earns the role, great, but just penciling him in at center over an older returnee who's always played center is optimistic.