U18: USA: WJC18

[Pavel Buchnevich]

This is the team I'd like to see.

Tuch-Bordeleau-Lucius
Berard-Beniers-Duke
Janicke-Smilanic-Peterson
Strand-Slaggert-McKown
Karpa

Sanderson-Powell
Kleven-Faber
Hughes-Truscott
Gallatin

Commesso
Grannan

I like our goaltending and defense this year. The forwards are a little weak. There's not much top-end talent, and the last few forwards on the roster aren't any good. We are playing at home, so this team could have a chance to win, but they won't be the favorites.

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[Dodospice]

I think I’d send this, assuming these guys are all available but I highly doubt they’d actually take 5 guys that aren’t on the U-17 or U-18 teams so it’s a moot point.

Stranges- Bordeleau- Lucius
Berard- Beniers- Hayes
Tuch- Smilanic- Peterson
Duke- Slaggert- Schoen
Pastujov

Sanderson- Powell
Kleven- Faber
Hughes- Ratzlaff
Truscott

Commesso
Tynan
Grannan

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I think I’d send this, assuming these guys are all available but I highly doubt they’d actually take 5 guys that aren’t on the U-17 or U-18 teams so it’s a moot point.

Stranges- Bordeleau- Lucius
Berard- Beniers- Hayes
Tuch- Smilanic- Peterson
Duke- Slaggert- Schoen
Pastujov

Sanderson- Powell
Kleven- Faber
Hughes- Ratzlaff
Truscott

Commesso
Tynan
Grannan

We don’t mix and match players from different leagues. It’s not like the World Juniors. They will occasionally call in a player from outside the NTDP, but it’s not every year and it won’t be multiple players.

Also, you can count Stranges out. He’s on very bad terms with USAH after accepting an invitation to the NTDP and then signing with the London Knights. He might not even be invited to the WJC camp in the summer because of it. And a lot of those players are not better than the lesser NTDP players. We see every year when some of the lesser players leave the NTDP that they are still among the leading scorers in the USHL.

 

[Dodospice]

We don’t mix and match players from different leagues. It’s not like the World Juniors. They will occasionally call in a player from outside the NTDP, but it’s not every year and it won’t be multiple players.

Also, you can count Stranges out. He’s on very bad terms with USAH after accepting an invitation to the NTDP and then signing with the London Knights. He might not even be invited to the WJC camp in the summer because of it. And a lot of those players are not better than the lesser NTDP players. We see every year when some of the lesser players leave the NTDP that they are still among the leading scorers in the USHL.

I don’t expect it to happen, it’s just the team I’d send if I was given the reigns to make the team.

 

[SpartanProdigy]

Big tournament for US this year being that it's hosted at the NTDP home rink in Plymouth. Given that this year's U18 team is solid but obviously does not have the elite offensive pedigree that the '01 team had, anyone think that they may promote some of the better U17 forwards as an injection of offensive skill?

I'm thinking Sasha Pastujov may be a prime candidate. Perhaps Chaz Lucius or Dylan Duke?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Big tournament for US this year being that it's hosted at the NTDP home rink in Plymouth. Given that this year's U18 team is solid but obviously does not have the elite offensive pedigree that the '01 team had, anyone think that they may promote some of the better U17 forwards as an injection of offensive skill?

I'm thinking Sasha Pastujov may be a prime candidate. Perhaps Chaz Lucius or Dylan Duke?

I’d promote Janicke, Lucius and Duke. Pastujov is too slow. He’ll be good next year, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to throw a player who already struggles most with the pace of the game into a higher pace game.

And I’d also promote Hughes on defense.

 

[canuck2010]

Big tournament for US this year being that it's hosted at the NTDP home rink in Plymouth. Given that this year's U18 team is solid but obviously does not have the elite offensive pedigree that the '01 team had, anyone think that they may promote some of the better U17 forwards as an injection of offensive skill?

I'm thinking Sasha Pastujov may be a prime candidate. Perhaps Chaz Lucius or Dylan Duke?

Didn't realize that that the U18 was in Plymouth this year. Might help Canada out a bit being closer to home. Always nice to have a more competitive tournament.

 

[William H Bonney]

Looks like the U18 demotions and U17 promotion auditions are starting.

U18 forwards Hunter McKown, Daniyal Dzhaniyev and defenseman Daniel Laatsch are with the U17s tonight.

U17 forwards Cruz Lucius, Justin Janicke, Dylan Duke and defenseman Sean Behrens look to be up with the U18s for now.

The U18 team has actually improved quite a bit while at the program, especially given how bad they were the first half of their U17 season, but it's still an offensively starved team. They've developed into a fairly structured team and they're in most games they play but they don't have the skill to overcome a hot opposition goalie or an off night offensively and these changes should improve them in that regard.

At forward, Lucius and Duke are leading the U17s in scoring, and Janicke is up there as well while probably being the most well-rounded U17 forward. Offensively they're easy upgrades over Dzhaniyev and McKown and would be over a couple of other U18 forwards as well.

The U18s are in dire need of offensive playmaking defensemen and Behrens has assumed that primary role with the U17s and done very well. If he was bigger, he'd be talked about a lot more as a possible top prospect.

It's not a given that these 4 U17s will stick the rest of the season with the U18s and into the IIHF U18, but it's basically a kiss of death for the demoted U18s.

But I wonder if there are other U18s possibly on the chopping block? Quality-wise, there should be a few more as there are others who really aren't up to far for this level. A U17 like Luke Hughes is a significant upgrade over guys like Gallatin and Kelley and a number of U17 forwards would be an upgrade over guys like Karpa or Latsch. But realistically they're not going to demote as many U18s as they should and there's a limit to how many underage players you should/would bring along. While the '02 birth year isn't great for us, there could be some non-NTDP players available that would be upgrades over the remaining low-level U18 players:

• Forward:
  • He hasn't really impressed outside Minnesota high school hockey but Blake Biondi should be available as the HS hockey season will be over and his USHL team (Sioux City) likely doesn't make the playoffs.
  • Ryan Kirwan (Madison) is a lock to be available as his USHL team isn't making the playoffs and Alex Gaffney (Muskegon) is on a bubble team as well. Both are capable of contributing here.
  • It depends on how the CHL playoffs turn out but a guy like Tanner Dickinson (SSM) is probably available and definitely an upgrade over some of the U18 guys. Other CHL players (i.e. Cross Hanas) are likely to be unavailable barring upsets or unlikely to be chosen for a variety of reasons, available or not (i.e. Antonio Stranges).
  • There are other USHL guys (i.e. Matthew Knies) that would be targeted if they were available but are almost assuredly going to be in the playoffs. Unlike the CHL playoffs where players eliminated in the first round are potential options, the USHL playoffs start after the IIHF U18s.
• Defense:
  • Noah Ellis (Des Moines) is on a USHL playoff bubble team and I like his game. He can contribute in this tournament Des Moines misses the playoffs.

I don't think you should see more than 5 or so U17s at most, and that's probably more than you'd prefer, make the IIHF U18 team (I'd promote Hughes right now as well) but there are a couple of good non-NTDP players that should be available and would improve the team. USAH doesn't make the best team possible even when they can - remember it was just last year they chose not to add Nick Robertson and Arthur Kaliyev - but at least there will be options that aren't entirely underage players.

 

[William H Bonney]

Bummer to not have the tournament but it's the right thing to do:



It'll be interesting to see what the NTDP does with the USHL playoffs if those aren't soon cancelled. Do they use the U18s instead?

 

[William H Bonney]

Bummer to not have the tournament but it's the right thing to do:



It'll be interesting to see what the NTDP does with the USHL playoffs if those aren't soon cancelled. Do they use the U18s instead?

USHL update:

 

[OldScool]

Appears that seasons are a wrap for 2020 draft eligibles. Stinks that the U18s got canceled.

 

[Whalers Fan]

Appears that seasons are a wrap for 2020 draft eligibles. Stinks that the U18s got canceled.

I was really looking forward to this tournament, as it was being held here in Plymouth for the first time. I had tickets for some of the games. I guess I will just apply the refund (along with the refund for our remaining NTDP games) to our NTDP season ticket renewal for next season. Hopefully the IIHF will award the U18 tournament to Plymouth again soon.

 

[Whalers Fan]

Appears that seasons are a wrap for 2020 draft eligibles. Stinks that the U18s got canceled.

I ran into one of the billets at the store yesterday. The players are extremely disappointed, as you would expect.

 

[canuck2010]

I ran into one of the billets at the store yesterday. The players are extremely disappointed, as you would expect.

Especially losing the chance to play at home.