A Look At S70 Team USA's Roster

[McLovin 468]

 

(Team USA lined up for national anthems at S70 WJC Preliminary games)

 

With S70's World Junior Cup right around the corner, let's talk about the roster Team USA is bringing to the table. I briefly mentioned the projection and expectations in another article, but here we can go into specifics about each player and why they fit the scheme of Team USA's quest for Gold. Plus I only have a day to write this so let's get this done quickly.

 

The Forwards:

The forwards are a definite improvement over last seasons squad, with some familiar faces returning for another go at Gold. Highlighting the forward core would be players like Jaxon Walker @hewasajazzman, Nate Wright @73MPL4R and Bud Knight @Dilly Dilly. All these players were S69 Team USA members as well, who all won Bronze at the tournament, returning now with a hunger for more coming into S70's World Juniors. Jaxon & Nate are both in their rookie seasons in the VHL while Bud Knight has returned to Philadelphia in the VHLM for a fourth season to continue his tear up of the league. Thomas Landry II @Doomsday is a new addition to the team, and despite only playing 52 games in the VHLM over two seasons, his career point total of 66 before he's even been drafted is quite impressive, and will earn him a high selection in the upcoming VHL entry draft. Helsinki prospects Gary Tarantino @Garrett, Jack Russell @quanack are also returning players, both of which are having strong seasons in the VHLM with their respective teams. Rounding out the rest of the players, we got Ike Bennett @Caboose30 Alex Bridges @Alex Bridge, and Adam Syreck @Spade18. Ike Bennett, another prospect of Helsinki is having a great sophomore season in the VHLM, and like his Titans teammates Gary Tarantino & Jack Russell, GM McLovin might be using these players in higher roles to see the type of production they can have considering he is also the Assistant GM of the Helsinki Titans in the VHL. Hopefully the chemistry can carry over success in the Juniors. Alex Bridges, another elite VHLM talent is rounding out the centers, with Adam Syreck most likely as his wingman. Expect points from both of these players if they get matched up. All-in-all, a lot of scoring talent, something that was sorely missing from S69's roster has become one of the forefronts of the team and looks to help out the blue line with keeping the score in the USA's favor. Speaking of blue line, let's move on to the defensemen.

 

The Defense:

Only four defensemen were selected, as per the rules of the WJC, so this sections should be a little bit more condensed with more being able to be said about the individual. To start, the USA is looking to heavily rely on the elite two way player known as Gert B Frobe @NumberJ5. His heavy hitting defensive defenseman style of play is quite amazing, with the game sense to be able to put up points if he were to get a little faster too. Despite not being known for putting up many points, he will definitely catch you with your head down and lay you out if you're not paying attention, and use the turnover to create an offensive opportunity. Another returning player is Shawn Glade Jr @ShawnGlade. Currently in his rookie season with Davos, he was a former 12th overall pick, putting up an astonishing 129 points as a defenseman. His offensive mindset paired with Frobes defensive means you got a very scary top pair to play against. Yet another Philadelphia Reaper, we got Richard Fitzwell @Tomato Soup. A solid two-way player, he's currently over a point per game in the minors, and even further solidifies the blue line with his skill set. The last d-man on our list, Finnegan MacBurn @DizzyWithLogic is nothing but a passing machine. 238 assists in 239 VHLM games. This is the type of player you can quarterback a powerplay off of, and expect him to make some dazzling plays with his fine skating and elite sight for finding open teammates. If that wasn't scary enough, you haven't seen the goalies yet.

 

The Goalies:

Ever since Samuel Ross @Brrbisbrr came onto the scene, he's been blowing the minds of everybody that had the chance to watch him. In his rookie year in the VHLM, he put up a simply incredible 20-2-2 record. His incredible year proved fruitful as Ottawa won the Founders Cup that year. Moving on from the VHLM, he kept the momentum up once his career transferred over to the VHL. Becoming Davos' starter this year after two years as a backup, he's finally gotten the chance to show his worth by putting up a .912 sv% as well as a 2.72 GAA. Like Virgil Ligriv the year before, the starting goalie of the USA looks to contend for MVP with the accolades he's carrying into the tournament. Stone Wolski @DollarAndADream is the backup, and honestly makes a case to be the starter himself. A draft eligible player this year, he's proven to the world why he deserves a top draft selection this year. Over two years in the VHLM, Wolski has put up some very, very good numbers. His rookie season only had him losing one game, and this year, with a record of 23-7-2, no matter who the USA starts in these World Juniors, they can rest assured they have some elite goalies protecting the net for them.

 

Conclusion:

Now I may be a little biased, but this team looks incredible. And simply saying, anything short of an appearance in the Gold Medal game would be a failure in the eyes of management and players alike. Everybody on this team is hungry, and despite having some serious competition in the other national and continental teams, they won't let anything stop them on the quest to Gold. I have a lot of faith in this crew, and I can't wait to see what this group of guys can put together when the puck drops in a couple days.

 

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1,017 words, claiming weeks ending 2/9/20, 2/16/20

[DollarAndADream 3,357]

[Doomsday 4,139]

[NumberJ5 45]