U18: 2024 WJC18 Switzerland roster talk

[Hinterland]

So with Switzerland out of the WJC20, let's look forward to the WJC18 tournament.
Unlike the WJC20 tournament, expectations for the WJC18 tournament are pretty big. The 06 group might be the strongest in years if not forever.

What's the roster gonna look like? Here's my first stab at the camp roster with LB after the year of birth indicating late birthday:


Phileas Lachat (06)
Elijah Neuenschwander (06/LB)
Christian Kirsch (06)

Leon Muggli "C" (06), Joel Kurt "A" (06)
Daniil Ustinkov (06), Gian Meier (06)
Joan Kyburz (06), Stefan Rozic (06)
Basile Sansonnens (06), Jaron Wyler (06)
Ludvig Johnson (06), Dorian Moret (07)

Yannik Ponzetto (06), Robin Antenen "A" (06), David Bosson (06)
Lenny Giger (06/LB), Jamiro Reber (06), Jordan Forget (06)
Kimi Körbler (06/LB), Paul Mottard (06/LB), Leonardo Domenichelli (06)
Loris Wey (06), Joel Grossniklaus (06), Nolan Cattin (06)
Nils Wehrli (06), Noé Tarchini (06), Kevin Haas (06)


Three excellent goalie prospects, insane depth at LD with Joan Kyburz only being 3LD and Basile Sansonnens, already playing pro hockey, 4LD. Might use one or two lefties on the right side but I'm hoping it's not gonna be an all lefty squad like we've just seen at the WJC20
Some real difference makers on defense as well with Ustinkov and Muggli.

Upfront the duo of Reber and Forget should be clicking and high scoring again. I don't like them much with Antenen or Ponzetto because I feel like another skilled speedster might be a better option and Antenen is needed at Center anyway. Lenny Giger is undersized but does play big so I'd like to see him on the scoring line with Reber with Antenen centering the shutdown line. Alternatively, Kimi Körbler should be interchangeable with Giger. Liking Center depth as well with 5 excellent Centermen available.

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[Speyer]

So with Switzerland out of the WJC20, let's look forward to the WJC18 tournament.
Unlike the WJC20 tournament, expectations for the WJC18 tournament are pretty big. The 06 group might be the strongest in years if not forever.

What's the roster gonna look like? Here's my first stab at the camp roster with LB after the year of birth indicating late birthday:


Phileas Lachat (06)
Elijah Neuenschwander (06/LB)
Christian Kirsch (06)

Leon Muggli "C" (06), Joel Kurt "A" (06)
Daniil Ustinkov (06), Gian Meier (06)
Joan Kyburz (06), Stefan Rozic (06)
Basile Sansonnens (06), Jaron Wyler (06)
Ludvig Johnson (06), Dorian Moret (07)

Yannik Ponzetto (06), Robin Antenen "A" (06), David Bosson (06)
Lenny Giger (06/LB), Jamiro Reber (06), Jordan Forget (06)
Kimi Körbler (06/LB), Paul Mottard (06/LB), Leonardo Domenichelli (06)
Loris Wey (06), Joel Grossniklaus (06), Nolan Cattin (06)
Nils Wehrli (06), Noé Tarchini (06), Kevin Haas (06)


Three excellent goalie prospects, insane depth at LD with Joan Kyburz only being 3LD and Basile Sansonnens, already playing pro hockey, 4LD. Might use one or two lefties on the right side but I'm hoping it's not gonna be an all lefty squad like we've just seen at the WJC20
Some real difference makers on defense as well with Ustinkov and Muggli.

Upfront the duo of Reber and Forget should be clicking and high scoring again. I don't like them much with Antenen or Ponzetto because I feel like another skilled speedster might be a better option and Antenen is needed at Center anyway. Lenny Giger is undersized but does play big so I'd like to see him on the scoring line with Reber with Antenen centering the shutdown line. Alternatively, Kimi Körbler should be interchangeable with Giger. Liking Center depth as well with 5 excellent Centermen available.

Its along the lines that can be expected for tournament this spring. I don't see any 07's to making the team. You might be able to make a case for taking one of Schenk, Mundy, Aebli or Steiner but moreso in order to give them experience for next years tournament.

On D I don't see guys like Kyburz, Rozic and Wyler having much of a chance to make the roster. They all haven't been on the radar of the NT at all or at least not for some time. Based on the last U18 games in December guys like Blessing, Geisser, Richard and Guignard have much higher chances to be selected.

On F, i think Janis Weber is better than a few of the wingers listed. Sören Aebi should make the team as well, in my oppinon. I'd rather shuffle one of the center prospects to the wing than leave him at home. Not Antenen though, like at the last Ivan Hlinka.

 

[Hinterland]

Its along the lines that can be expected for tournament this spring. I don't see any 07's to making the team. You might be able to make a case for taking one of Schenk, Mundy, Aebli or Steiner but moreso in order to give them experience for next years tournament.

On D I don't see guys like Kyburz, Rozic and Wyler having much of a chance to make the roster. They all haven't been on the radar of the NT at all or at least not for some time. Based on the last U18 games in December guys like Blessing, Geisser, Richard and Guignard have much higher chances to be selected.

On F, i think Janis Weber is better than a few of the wingers listed. Sören Aebi should make the team as well, in my oppinon. I'd rather shuffle one of the center prospects to the wing than leave him at home. Not Antenen though, like at the last Ivan Hlinka.

Yeah, I know Rozic and Wyler likely aren't gonna make the roster. Even at club level they're depth players. I just like them personally and I'm not a fan of all lefty squads. I also agree there are no 07 kids that are better than the eligible 06 kids. I just put one there for good measure and because he already got some U20 elite games in despite Zug having the by far strongest defense corps of the league. Kyburz has to make the roster though. He's a promising prospect and a regular in the top swedish junior league. I don't think Switzerland can afford to ignore such a player.

Janis Weber hasn't played much internationally either and when he did I thought he was poor. Also, unlike Giger and Kyburz, he's playing 2nd tier league in Sweden. I don't watch this league but it's most certainly closee to U20 Top than U20 Elite and I think the level of competition matters. I'd have no problem selecting Sören Aebi. He's the 1C of Kloten's U20 Elite team and scoring at a decent rate. The thing is that he hasn't played much at international level either and I already listed 5 excellent Centers. I'm also not sure if I'm a fan of moving them to the wing because I don't think any of them have played on the wing much. I feel like the 06 group is deep enough for Switzerland not having to use players out of position. I think that Reber, Antenen and Mottard are locks and with everybody healthy, at least one of the other three will miss out. Tough but depth is a good thing and there will be more opportunities.

 

[Speyer]

. Kyburz has to make the roster though. He's a promising prospect and a regular in the top swedish junior league. I don't think Switzerland can afford to ignore such a player.

Haven't seen him play, so I can't comment on that. Its just that he wasn't even on the expanded roster for the last U18 five nations tournament, so my guess is he hasn't much credit with Schöb. Unless he was hurt. Playing in the J20 Nationell alone should't automatically make him a lock for the team. If he plays really well, then yes; if he just coasts along, then no. And on that I cant comment, as stated above.

Janis Weber hasn't played much internationally either and when he did I thought he was poor. Also, unlike Giger and Kyburz, he's playing 2nd tier league in Sweden. I don't watch this league but it's most certainly closee to U20 Top than U20 Elite and I think the level of competition matters.

Giger and Weber played in the same U18 league for the majority of the season where Weber had the slightly better stats. Yes Giger played a small amount of J20 Nationell games as well but its not like he has exactly set that league on fire during this tenure. I think their stats are comparable overall. I'd rather have him on the roster than the one dimensional Bosson who doesn't bring much to the table besides his one timer or the likes of Domenchelli or Haas. He is also a player who is on an upwards trajectory overall while other forwards seem to be stagnating.

I'd have no problem selecting Sören Aebi. He's the 1C of Kloten's U20 Elite team and scoring at a decent rate. The thing is that he hasn't played much at international level either and I already listed 5 excellent Centers. I'm also not sure if I'm a fan of moving them to the wing because I don't think any of them have played on the wing much. I feel like the 06 group is deep enough for Switzerland not having to use players out of position. I think that Reber, Antenen and Mottard are locks and with everybody healthy, at least one of the other three will miss out. Tough but depth is a good thing and there will be more opportunities.

Antennen has played more on the wing than as a center lately. Both for the U18 NT and for Zugs U20 team and I think in the NL as well. While I don't agree with that regarding his skill set, thats probably going to be the plan for the immediate future. If he is playing wing anyway I'd rather have Aebi as 3C and Grossniklaus as 4C than Tarchini in either position. Since some players are statistically bound to be injured this will be probably a non issue anyway.

 

[Hinterland]

Haven't seen him play, so I can't comment on that. Its just that he wasn't even on the expanded roster for the last U18 five nations tournament, so my guess is he hasn't much credit with Schöb. Unless he was hurt. Playing in the J20 Nationell alone should't automatically make him a lock for the team. If he plays really well, then yes; if he just coasts along, then no. And on that I cant comment, as stated above.



Giger and Weber played in the same U18 league for the majority of the season where Weber had the slightly better stats. Yes Giger played a small amount of J20 Nationell games as well but its not like he has exactly set that league on fire during this tenure. I think their stats are comparable overall. I'd rather have him on the roster than the one dimensional Bosson who doesn't bring much to the table besides his one timer or the likes of Domenchelli or Haas. He is also a player who is on an upwards trajectory overall while other forwards seem to be stagnating.



Antennen has played more on the wing than as a center lately. Both for the U18 NT and for Zugs U20 team and I think in the NL as well. While I don't agree with that regarding his skill set, thats probably going to be the plan for the immediate future. If he is playing wing anyway I'd rather have Aebi as 3C and Grossniklaus as 4C than Tarchini in either position. Since some players are statistically bound to be injured this will be probably a non issue anyway.

Nobody in Sweden is waiting for Swiss double underager kids.
Kyburz wasn't a regular initially, he earned his spot and I think from what I saw he played pretty much every game in November and December. He's the lone 06 born defenseman on his team and one of just two 06 born regulars.

I like Kyburz a lot and would have put him on the WJC20 team as well. Couldn't have been worse than Füllemann or Meile.

Giger, in my humble view, is much better than Weber. He's undersized but highly skilled, high energy and gritty. I've seen none of that from Weber. Giger has always been spectacular in international games, even when only getting limited TOI. We shouldn't forget that he's a very late birthday as well.

Much like you, I prefer Antenen at Center. You want your best players down the middle. I have no problem cutting one of the other Centers to keep Antenen at Center. I think we have enough decent wingers as well. Nils Wehrli is a fantastic prospect but I have him listed on the 5th line.

 

[Speyer]

Nobody in Sweden is waiting for Swiss double underager kids.
Kyburz wasn't a regular initially, he earned his spot and I think from what I saw he played pretty much every game in November and December. He's the lone 06 born defenseman on his team and one of just two 06 born regulars.

I like Kyburz a lot and would have put him on the WJC20 team as well. Couldn't have been worse than Füllemann or Meile.

Just to much left in the dark for me personally to either agree or disagree with this. I don't even know on which paring he plays or how his ice time looks with that team. Do you? All I can gather from stat watching is that he is not exactly chipping in much offense. Now that doesn't mean anything if he is great defensively but that I just don't know. Based on that I just can't make a case for him being on the team. I wonder if the SIHF is even monitoring his progress over there since he has never been on any junior NT (at least according to EP).

Giger, in my humble view, is much better than Weber. He's undersized but highly skilled, high energy and gritty. I've seen none of that from Weber. Giger has always been spectacular in international games, even when only getting limited TOI. We shouldn't forget that he's a very late birthday as well.

I never compared the two players directly just their stats. I haven't actually seen enough of Weber to have an educated opinion on him. So maybe my statement was a bit premature. He did have some good and some bad games for the U18 NT this fall and winter. So its a mixed bag for me so far. But again I like his trajectory and he can't be worse than Bosson or Haas.

That being said I am not that high on Giger. He has some nice tools in his skating and hands but not much of a toolbox, so to speak. I don't really like his offensive instincts. He hasn't contributed much offensively in the last two years on a team that scored an abundance of goals. I don't think he even recorded a point since moving up to the U18 level. And you can always find good defensive forwards with more size. Undersized players will have more and more problems to impose their 200 foot game as they move up the age levels anyway. Reber is the best example for this. He was always a tenacious and smart high energy player that modeled his defensive game after Hischier. But he has not been much of a factor defensively at the U18 and U20 WJCs anymore.

Much like you, I prefer Antenen at Center. You want your best players down the middle. I have no problem cutting one of the other Centers to keep Antenen at Center. I think we have enough decent wingers as well. Nils Wehrli is a fantastic prospect but I have him listed on the 5th line.

I still think the wings are the weakest link in the deep 06 birth year. Our wingers have also stagnated much more than the centers and dmen in the last two years. Bosson is the best example for this. Wehrli, who you mentioned, is another one. At the U16 level he was arguably the second or third best forward on the team and now he has fallen back quite significantly within the depth chart. On top of that all of Ponzetto, Forget and Körbler had disappointing CHL campaigns this year as well, that can't be explained simply by team context. So it makes sense to me to explore other options.

 

[Hinterland]

Just to much left in the dark for me personally to either agree or disagree with this. I don't even know on which paring he plays or how his ice time looks with that team. Do you? All I can gather from stat watching is that he is not exactly chipping in much offense. Now that doesn't mean anything if he is great defensively but that I just don't know. Based on that I just can't make a case for him being on the team. I wonder if the SIHF is even monitoring his progress over there since he has never been on any junior NT (at least according to EP).



I never compared the two players directly just their stats. I haven't actually seen enough of Weber to have an educated opinion on him. So maybe my statement was a bit premature. He did have some good and some bad games for the U18 NT this fall and winter. So its a mixed bag for me so far. But again I like his trajectory and he can't be worse than Bosson or Haas.

That being said I am not that high on Giger. He has some nice tools in his skating and hands but not much of a toolbox, so to speak. I don't really like his offensive instincts. He hasn't contributed much offensively in the last two years on a team that scored an abundance of goals. I don't think he even recorded a point since moving up to the U18 level. And you can always find good defensive forwards with more size. Undersized players will have more and more problems to impose their 200 foot game as they move up the age levels anyway. Reber is the best example for this. He was always a tenacious and smart high energy player that modeled his defensive game after Hischier. But he has not been much of a factor defensively at the U18 and U20 WJCs anymore.



I still think the wings are the weakest link in the deep 06 birth year. Our wingers have also stagnated much more than the centers and dmen in the last two years. Bosson is the best example for this. Wehrli, who you mentioned, is another one. At the U16 level he was arguably the second or third best forward on the team and now he has fallen back quite significantly within the depth chart. On top of that all of Ponzetto, Forget and Körbler had disappointing CHL campaigns this year as well, that can't be explained simply by team context. So it makes sense to me to explore other options.

Kyburz is playing 3rd pairing and he's been extremely solid despite his team chasing the puck all the time in most games.

Giger is way more engaged than Reber against the puck. Way more physical, better positioning as well. He played mostly in a bottom six role internationally and always did exceptionally well. I'd like to see what he can do in a top6 role. Reber's problem at the WJC20 was that he played on the wing. I think he's better suited to play C. Wehrli has been somewhat stagnating but he's easily good enough for a depth role at the WJC18. Also, I wouldn't be worried about the players playing on a higher level just yet. Takes time to adjust to the life abroad, to the higher level, the smaller ice etc. At least Forget has always done very well internationally. Also, those guys have all done very well in Swiss junior leagues last season. There's no reason to assume they'd be worse now than a player playing a position he never did all season long. Reber is no good on the wing and I think Antenen is considerably worse than at C at least. For the other guys it would probably be an experiment and a WJC isn't really a place for that.

 

[Hinterland]

Can't make this shit up. Now the Shawinigan idiot franchise traded for Ponzetto. Lol. This shit show is comparable to the SIHF and this is saying something. And Switzerland now has two of the more promising 06 forwards playing there. Incredible. However, at the rate they're burning imports, Ponzetto probably isn't gonna last long either. Surprisingly, Klima is still there though.

 

[Speyer]

Yeah I don't like this franchise either. The track record for our players there isn't great. Nussbaumer was held back there for example. And Canonica didn't live up to his "hype" there either, even though he did ok and wasn't that great of a prospect to begin with. The Q is the wild west of the CHL anyway. Some teams like the Mooseheads are well run but a lot of them aren't.

But didn't there use to be a year long trade moratorium for import players? Or does that just apply to the CHL rights if a player hasn't reported? Im kinda out of the loop there.

 

[Hinterland]

Yeah I don't like this franchise either. The track record for our players there isn't great. Nussbaumer was held back there for example. And Canonica didn't live up to his "hype" there either, even though he did ok and wasn't that great of a prospect to begin with. The Q is the wild west of the CHL anyway. Some teams like the Mooseheads are well run but a lot of them aren't.

But didn't there use to be a year long trade moratorium for import players? Or does that just apply to the CHL rights if a player hasn't reported? Im kinda out of the loop there.

That's a very good question I can't answer. Will look it up once I find some time.

I do watch a lot of CHL but definitely more OHL/WHL than Q. I'm also not very familiar with the rules...of which each of the CHL leagues has their own.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Can't make this shit up. Now the Shawinigan idiot franchise traded for Ponzetto. Lol. This shit show is comparable to the SIHF and this is saying something. And Switzerland now has two of the more promising 06 forwards playing there. Incredible. However, at the rate they're burning imports, Ponzetto probably isn't gonna last long either. Surprisingly, Klima is still there though.

I went to some Moose games in December, some of those games , big boys were missing so there was more opportunity for Ponzetto.

I honestly didn't see much of anything in his game. Some size but not heavy for his height. Rarely touched the puck so I couldn't even tell if he had any puck skills. You all have seen him more but if he's in a top 6 at the U18's.... that's not going to bode well in my opinion.

 

[Speyer]

I went to some Moose games in December, some of those games , big boys were missing so there was more opportunity for Ponzetto.

I honestly didn't see much of anything in his game. Some size but not heavy for his height. Rarely touched the puck so I couldn't even tell if he had any puck skills. You all have seen him more but if he's in a top 6 at the U18's.... that's not going to bode well in my opinion.

I think he is fairly skilled but there are some questions about his hockey IQ. Thats what I heard from Halifax fans as well. That he can't anticipate that well how plays might develop and therefore can't get himself in the right position in time. Another issue might the change to the smaller ice surface. The game is much different in NA because of that and not every player can acclimate himself to that change right away. Especially if the are not one of the "smartest" players to begin with. The jump from the Swiss U17 league to Major Junior (U20) is also huge. That might also explain a bit why he was overwhelmed in Halifax. But he needs to put it together now. Unfortunately Shawinigan is not exactly the best potential enviroment for that.

 

[Hinterland]

I went to some Moose games in December, some of those games , big boys were missing so there was more opportunity for Ponzetto.

I honestly didn't see much of anything in his game. Some size but not heavy for his height. Rarely touched the puck so I couldn't even tell if he had any puck skills. You all have seen him more but if he's in a top 6 at the U18's.... that's not going to bode well in my opinion.

I'm not too high on him as a prospect either. I don't think he's got elite skills. He's also pretty lanky but despite that he's pretty strong already and physically imposing vs players of the same age. Good skater for his size and he's gonna be a good two way powerforward once he fills out. Also, he's always been good in international games for Switzerland, be it youth olympics, Hlinka Gretzky or other tournaments. He never disappointed. He's great at winning battles and his position against the puck is good as well. High energy player, just not very creative or confident with the puck on his stick. I think that's why people are doubting his hockey IQ but I actually think it's more of a style and confidence thing. In international games he proved he can keep up with better and more skilled players. Definitely a good player to have at a WJC18. The trade to the Shawinigan mess is a potential problem though for a player already low on confidence.

 

[Speyer]

I'm not too high on him as a prospect either. I don't think he's got elite skills. He's also pretty lanky but despite that he's pretty strong already and physically imposing vs players of the same age. Good skater for his size and he's gonna be a good two way powerforward once he fills out. Also, he's always been good in international games for Switzerland, be it youth olympics, Hlinka Gretzky or other tournaments. He never disappointed. He's great at winning battles and his position against the puck is good as well. High energy player, just not very creative or confident with the puck on his stick. I think that's why people are doubting his hockey IQ but I actually think it's more of a style and confidence thing. In international games he proved he can keep up with better and more skilled players. Definitely a good player to have at a WJC18. The trade to the Shawinigan mess is a potential problem though for a player already low on confidence.

Ponzetto has now been traded to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Shawinigan therefore only traded for him to immediately use him as an asset. Not that the Titan are a much better run franchise than the Catarectes. At least not from what I have seen when Delémont played there.

 

[Hinterland]

Ponzetto has now been traded to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Shawinigan therefore only traded for him to immediately use him as an asset. Not that the Titan are a much better run franchise than the Catarectes. At least not from what I have seen when Delémont played there.

Not quite. You don't usually get lots of assets for imports because each team has two slots only. So Dionicio was more of an exception than a rule.

Ponzetto was waived and then claimed off waivers. Which is a good sign as well because I don't think imports often get claimed. This means his new team saw something in him. Remember Braillard dropped out of the league when he was waived. Hasn't really hurt him but unlike him, Ponzetto now gets to stay in the league. Personally, I'm just glad he gets to stay in Canada without having to play for the Shawinigan mess.

Btw: He had a good start, scored a goal on his first shot in game 1 for his new team.

 

[Speyer]

Not quite. You don't usually get lots of assets for imports because each team has two slots only. So Dionicio was more of an exception than a rule.

Ponzetto was waived and then claimed off waivers. Which is a good sign as well because I don't think imports often get claimed. This means his new team saw something in him. Remember Braillard dropped out of the league when he was waived. Hasn't really hurt him but unlike him, Ponzetto now gets to stay in the league. Personally, I'm just glad he gets to stay in Canada without having to play for the Shawinigan mess.

Btw: He had a good start, scored a goal on his first shot in game 1 for his new team.

Ah ok, the news article that i read got it wrong then. Lets hope he can find some more succes with the Titan than he had with Halifax. I remain somewhat sceptical though.

 

[Hinterland]

Ah ok, the news article that i read got it wrong then. Lets hope he can find some more succes with the Titan than he had with Halifax. I remain somewhat sceptical though.

We'll see about his upside beyond that but NA hockey should suit him well and I can see him become a very good CHL player as he matures and fills out. Just has to find a home somewhere and a coach who trusts him.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Acadie Bathurst is a much, much better landing spot than Shawinigan.

 

[Hinterland]

So as I said I don't usually watch much or the Q and I'm not sure if I'm necessarily gonna watch much more in the future but I did catch the Titan's game last night when they beat Halifax which is one of the best teams in the league. Narrow 2-1 OT win. From what I understand it was mostly the goalies letting them down this season but Fleming was spectacular last night. Stopped everything he could have stopped...including a penalty shot that was pretty made up in my humble view.

Ponzetto was pretty good. Had a couple of shots on goal and was very efficient on the forecheck, knocking opponents off pucks a number of times. His line was buzzing all night long...sadly they were mostly shooting (too) high and the only goal they scored came when Ponzetto's Centerman randomly deflected a puck past his own goalie.

Ponzetto seems to have locked down a top6 spot. Which is might be important. I don't think the CHL is tracking TOI but the Titan's topline seemed to play pretty much every other shift. They were on the ice before and right after power breaks and the majority of the remaining shifts were handed to Ponzetto's 2nd line. Unless I'm completely wrong the bottom six barely played. I think some of these guys had like one or two shifts per period. Especially in the 3rd the Titans were pretty much icing two lines only. Just onr game I watched but if the Titans always shorten the bench like that in tight games then Ponzetto better keep his spot.

 

[Speyer]

So as I said I don't usually watch much or the Q and I'm not sure if I'm necessarily gonna watch much more in the future but I did catch the Titan's game last night when they beat Halifax which is one of the best teams in the league. Narrow 2-1 OT win. From what I understand it was mostly the goalies letting them down this season but Fleming was spectacular last night. Stopped everything he could have stopped...including a penalty shot that was pretty made up in my humble view.

Ponzetto was pretty good. Had a couple of shots on goal and was very efficient on the forecheck, knocking opponents off pucks a number of times. His line was buzzing all night long...sadly they were mostly shooting (too) high and the only goal they scored came when Ponzetto's Centerman randomly deflected a puck past his own goalie.

Ponzetto seems to have locked down a top6 spot. Which is might be important. I don't think the CHL is tracking TOI but the Titan's topline seemed to play pretty much every other shift. They were on the ice before and right after power breaks and the majority of the remaining shifts were handed to Ponzetto's 2nd line. Unless I'm completely wrong the bottom six barely played. I think some of these guys had like one or two shifts per period. Especially in the 3rd the Titans were pretty much icing two lines only. Just onr game I watched but if the Titans always shorten the bench like that in tight games then Ponzetto better keep his spot.

Yeah I don't watch much Q either and the time at my disposal to watch hockey has eroded lately in general. I have seen him in a couple games with Halifax this season though. And he looked pretty out of place there. Just kinda out of sync with his linemates. So its good to hear that he is looking better with his new team so far. Lets hope he can keep it this way.

 

[Hinterland]

Yeah I don't watch much Q either and the time at my disposal to watch hockey has eroded lately in general. I have seen him in a couple games with Halifax this season though. And he looked pretty out of place there. Just kinda out of sync with his linemates. So its good to hear that he is looking better with his new team so far. Lets hope he can keep it this way.

Yeah, just one game but he looked good in a top6 role against his former team. We'll see how it shakes out. He needs a strong finish to stay in the league.

Having said that...I looked it up and that was actually the 7th meeting of those two teams this season. Ponzetto couldn't possibly have been as bad as some people say when he got claimed by a team he played against six times already this season. Titans knew all about him without even having to send scouts. They're also not a bad team. Almost 0,5 point pace now. They simply wouldn't have claimed if they didn't think that he was tough to play against.

 

[Hinterland]

So with WJC18 camp to start in two weeks I think it's a good time for a last overview:


- Biggest call is gonna be the goalies. Too many good options. My gut feeling says Neuenschwander and Lachat are a bit more mature than the other two but nothing wrong going with Kirsch and Solèr either. I'd hate to make that call as it could backfire no matter which way you decide to go.

- Obviously, Muggli and Ustinkov are expected to dominate the tournament and lead the team from the back end.

- Sadly, Ponzetto has cooled down after a hot start in Bathurst. That is somewhat disappointing. I hope he still gets to stay on the team or finds another home in the league. Could be difficult though.

- Körbler and Forget with a very difficult first CHL season as well but displaying a much better learning curve than Ponzetto. Both clearly trending upwards which should keep them in the league and hopefully help them get off to a red hot start in the WJC18.

- Reber with very good form as well and the same goes for most of the kids playing at home. Many still involved in U20 elite playoffs and doing well, namely Antenen, Mottard, Tarchini, Cattin, Aebi, Kurt and Sansonnens. I'm sure I forgot a couple of others but those come to mind first.

- Couple of 07 kids making headlines as well. Probably not gonna make the team because the 06 class is so deep but I think they wouldn't look out of place at the WJC18. Dorian Moret I already mentioned earlier in this thread. His strong play continued into the playoffs. Also, Davos' Lars Steiner scored almost two points per game on the U17 team and he was almost ppg in the U20 elite league. In the playoffs he in fact was ppg, scoring 3 goals in 4 games. I guess those two would make the WJC18 team in most other years. Most certainly Florian Schenk as well. Like I said, probably not this year though.

 

[Speyer]

So with WJC18 camp to start in two weeks I think it's a good time for a last overview:

Not much to add from me. I am burried with work anyway right now and probably out of the loop on some players.

- Biggest call is gonna be the goalies. Too many good options. My gut feeling says Neuenschwander and Lachat are a bit more mature than the other two but nothing wrong going with Kirsch and Solèr either. I'd hate to make that call as it could backfire no matter which way you decide to go.

I agree with this. Personally I would like to see Neuenschwander as the starter. Kirsch has the advantage of being the most experienced at the U18 level though. Though decision.

- Obviously, Muggli and Ustinkov are expected to dominate the tournament and lead the team from the back end.

Agreed. Muggli was already very solid defensively in most games of last years tournament. Since he has improved his shot since then I am hoping for more offense as well this time around from him. From Ustinkov who interestingly seems to have rounded out his defensive game since last year I hope he can improve his offensive decisionmaking a bit. I remember him holding on to the puck to long at times and causing a lot of turnovers with his passes. It will be an important tournament for both regarding their draft position too. With a strong tournament they could solidify a spot earlier in the second round. If they fail to impress I could see them slip a bit on the other hand.

- Sadly, Ponzetto has cooled down after a hot start in Bathurst. That is somewhat disappointing. I hope he still gets to stay on the team or finds another home in the league. Could be difficult though.

- Körbler and Forget with a very difficult first CHL season as well but displaying a much better learning curve than Ponzetto. Both clearly trending upwards which should keep them in the league and hopefully help them get off to a red hot start in the WJC18.

All of the CHL mercenaries of the 06 class had very disappointing seasons unfortunately. No way to sugarcoat it. I think at least one of them, maybe even all three will be back in Switzerland again soon. I am starting to think Sweden might be the better developmental path for Swiss non blue chip prospects. Sure there are also players who struggled initially and became competent players in their respective league eventually as Braillard for example. But a lot of times it just seems like a lost year, or at least one that could have been spent better for the prospect in question. All three of them should still be seriously considered for the U18's though.

- Couple of 07 kids making headlines as well. Probably not gonna make the team because the 06 class is so deep but I think they wouldn't look out of place at the WJC18.

Based on my limited viewings of him playing for the U17 national team and his stats I'd say Steiner is on the same level as some of the 06 depth forwards. Schenk is definitely a bit more raw but could bring some more size to the team. Then there is also Daniele Wagner who was injured for the first half of the season but has been holding his own in the Swedish U18 league since then. I would probably take at least one maybe two of those guys to the tournament, because they could need the experience for next year. I also like the Netminder Birchler who might have gotten a shot if the 06s G-group wans't as strong as it is. From a competitive point of view you loose noting by selecting just 06 born players though, as you said.

 

[Hinterland]

Not much to add from me. I am burried with work anyway right now and probably out of the loop on some players.


I agree with this. Personally I would like to see Neuenschwander as the starter. Kirsch has the advantage of being the most experienced at the U18 level though. Though decision.


Agreed. Muggli was already very solid defensively in most games of last years tournament. Since he has improved his shot since then I am hoping for more offense as well this time around from him. From Ustinkov who interestingly seems to have rounded out his defensive game since last year I hope he can improve his offensive decisionmaking a bit. I remember him holding on to the puck to long at times and causing a lot of turnovers with his passes. It will be an important tournament for both regarding their draft position too. With a strong tournament they could solidify a spot earlier in the second round. If they fail to impress I could see them slip a bit on the other hand.


All of the CHL mercenaries of the 06 class had very disappointing seasons unfortunately. No way to sugarcoat it. I think at least one of them, maybe even all three will be back in Switzerland again soon. I am starting to think Sweden might be the better developmental path for Swiss non blue chip prospects. Sure there are also players who struggled initially and became competent players in their respective league eventually as Braillard for example. But a lot of times it just seems like a lost year, or at least one that could have been spent better for the prospect in question. All three of them should still be seriously considered for the U18's though.



Based on my limited viewings of him playing for the U17 national team and his stats I'd say Steiner is on the same level as some of the 06 depth forwards. Schenk is definitely a bit more raw but could bring some more size to the team. Then there is also Daniele Wagner who was injured for the first half of the season but has been holding his own in the Swedish U18 league since then. I would probably take at least one maybe two of those guys to the tournament, because they could need the experience for next year. I also like the Netminder Birchler who might have gotten a shot if the 06s G-group wans't as strong as it is. From a competitive point of view you loose noting by selecting just 06 born players though, as you said.

No, it's like I said. Their season overall may have been disappointing but both Forget and Körbler have improved significantly this year and they have been productive as well. Both of them have played on their team's top line lately. Sometimes all those kids need is a bit of time to adjust to a new environment, a new league, smaller rinks etc. Definitely does not look like Körbler and Forget are gonna return anytime soon. You don't usually give up on a player that made your topline in his rookie season. For Ponzetto however, I agree it doesn't look good. The trade and the fact that he got waived did spark him for a few games but he eventually cooled off again.

Forget definitely not going anywhere because he doesn't count as an import. Körbler has been way too good lately for Ottawa to give up on him. And even if they do he'd easily get claimed. The only problem with Körbler is that he's injured and I don't know if he's gonna be back in time for the WJC18. Certainly bad timing for an injury with him being on a hot streak, playoffs about to start and the WJC18 around the corner. Let's hope it's not as bad as it looks and Ottawa is just making sure he's good to go for the playoffs by holding him out of the final regular season games.

 

[Speyer]

No, it's like I said. Their season overall may have been disappointing but both Forget and Körbler have improved significantly this year and they have been productive as well.

Forget has barely cracked double digits in points this season. For a forward with ambitions to be drafted in the late rounds this statline is horrible, no matter the context. We will have to wait and see if the fact that he has collected a couple of points lately is really the sign of an longer lasting trend or not. I remain very sceptical though at this point. Its an extremely small sample size in any case to make this argument. I did forget (no pun intended) however that he was not drafted via the import draft, which might be his saving grace in order to be able to stay with the team.

Körblers improvement seems a bit more steady and stable in comparison. I might agree that he didn't have a terrible season overall. Especially if you factor in that he is younger than the others and a better two way player. But Ottawa is a presigious franchise that attracted more impressive imports than Körbler in the last few years. I dont think its that far fetched to think that they would roll the dice with someone else in the future given their recent track record. But he is definitely the most likely of the three to be picked of waivers if that were to become the case.

So you may be right that their prospects to stick in their respective leagues are better than I argued. But I still remain by my view that Forget and Ponzzetto had terrible seasons overall. Its not like I expected that much from them. But I did think they could be at least around Braillards level from last year. And that both players failed to achieve by a fairly wide margin.