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Mattias Samuelsson

Buffalo Sabres Extend Mattias Samuelsson

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The Buffalo Sabres are having a busy morning. After announcing an extension for head coach Don Granto, the team has also released details of a seven-year extension for one of his prized pupils. Mattias Samuelsson has signed a $30MM extension that will kick in for the 2023-24 season, avoiding restricted free agency and giving him a $4.29MM cap hit.

CapFriendly has the full breakdown:

  • 2023-24: $2,286,716 salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
  • 2024-25: $4,285,716 salary
  • 2026-27: $4,285,716 salary
  • 2027-28: $4,285,716 salary
  • 2028-29: $4,285,716 salary
  • 2029-30: $4,285,716 salary
  • 2030-31: $4,285,716 salary

This is a full bet on potential, as the 22-year-old Samuelsson has just 54 games of NHL experience under his belt to this point. It was the end of last year, when he paired so perfectly with Rasmus Dahlin, that really made a deal like this possible. Over his final 22 games, Samuelsson averaged more than 21 minutes a night, recording eight points and a positive +/-.

If he continues his natural progression into a top-pairing, shutdown option, a cap hit like this will quickly look like a bargain, especially if the salary cap takes a sharp rise in the coming seasons.

The risk here is that he plateaus as a middle-pairing guy who doesn’t provide much offense, and the Sabres have effectively limited any surplus value they could have gotten out of his RFA years. With just 12 points in 54 games (zero goals), it isn’t like Samuelsson was setting himself up for a big arbitration case, and he’s still several years away from unrestricted free agency.

Of course, there is also the fact that the Sabres already have a good amount of cap space and this is more about locking in a player that they like than worrying about dollars and cents. The team currently projects to have more than $32MM in space for next season even after factoring in extensions for Samuelsson and Tage Thompson. That number only increases from there, meaning it’s hard to see a situation where they are truly regretting this deal.

Unless Samuelsson falls off a cliff – which certainly doesn’t appear likely after another outstanding training camp – this is more about rewarding a player they believe in than squeezing out every ounce of surplus value. Now it’s up to him to reward them for that faith with a strong full season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Kadri, Housley, Rochester

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There was concern earlier today out of Colorado Avalanche camp, as forward Nazem Kadri was notably missing from practice with an undisclosed illness. Those concerns were calmed a bit with the confirmation that the illness was not in fact COVID-19, says Peter Baugh of The Athletic (link). According to Kyle Fredrickson of the Denver Post, who spoke to Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar, Kadri is still expected to be ready for Game 1 on Tuesday night (link).

Keeping Kadri in the lineup is key for the Avalanche as they head into the playoffs with eyes set on the Stanley Cup. As strong as their lineup is, Kadri plays a pivotal role as their second-line center, playing a 200-foot game and contributing plenty offensively. The forward just finished his best season to date, in which he compiled 28 goals and 59 assists in 71 games. Colorado is set to take on the Nashville Predators at home Tuesday night in Game 1 of the first round.

  • Staying out west, the Arizona Coyotes announced that they have mutually parted ways with Assistant Coach Phil Housley (link). Housley just finished the third year of a three-year contract he signed with Arizona in June of 2019. It’s unclear what the next step is for the Hall of Fame defenseman, who previously spent two seasons as the Head Coach of the Buffalo Sabres, but the 58-year-old should be able to find opportunities if he wants them, considering his lengthy resume on and off the ice. As for Arizona, it does not appear that any additional changes are coming to the coaching staff, outside of possibly replacing Housley, but first-year Head Coach Andre Tourigny has drawn very favorable reviews despite Arizona’s struggles.
  • The Buffalo Sabres announced that they have reassigned forward Peyton Krebs and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson to the Rochester Americans of the AHL ahead of Rochester’s playoff series against the Belleville Senators. Both players, who were sent to Rochester on paper on March 21st, are eligible to compete for the team in the Calder Cup playoffs. The two have each spent time in Rochester and Buffalo this season and are viewed as key pieces of Buffalo’s future. For now, they will get valuable experience competing in professional playoff games.

Sabres Notes: Eichel, Eakin, Samuelsson

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Jack Eichel’s camp plans to make one final push to Sabres management about getting his desired disk replacement surgery and has been collecting medical opinions to support their desire, reports ESPN’s Emily Kaplan.  The center’s case is well-known at this point and Kaplan suggests that the next step could be a grievance which, to this point, has been the last resort option.  A handful of teams are believed to be in the mix for Eichel in a trade with Buffalo now being amenable to at least part of the return being conditional depending on how he recovers from the surgery.  Of course, for things to get to that part, he has to have the surgery first and will be out for a significant amount of time regardless of which procedure he winds up having.

More from Buffalo:

  • Center Cody Eakin has been ruled out for the next two games (including tonight’s contest against Boston) and will be listed as day-to-day after that, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. Head coach Don Granato appears to be targeting next Thursday’s game in Anaheim as a possible return date for the 30-year-old.  Eakin’s off to a nice start this season with a goal and an assist in three games but will be sitting out the next few now.
  • Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson returned to practice for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury in a prospect game a little over a month ago, relays Jourdan LaBarber of the Sabres’ team site. The 21-year-old won’t travel with the team for Saturday’s contest against New Jersey but could be ready to play soon after.  Samuelsson played in the last 12 games for Buffalo last season, picking up two assists while averaging a little over 18 minutes a game.

Training Camp Cuts: 01/12/21

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It’s the last day before NHL hockey returns, so teams will have to finalize their rosters and get ready for action. Though most of the heavy lifting was done yesterday, there will still be some cuts made today. We’ll keep track of them right here. This page will be updated throughout the day as more releases come in.

Buffalo Sabres (via team release):

F Andrew Oglevie (to Rochester, AHL)
F Arttu Ruotsalainen (to Rochester, AHL)
D Jacob Bryson (to Rochester, AHL)
D Mattias Samuelsson (to Rochester, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (via team release):

F Jeremy Bracco (to Chicago, AHL)
F David Cotton (to Chicago, AHL)
F Jason Cotton (to Chicago, AHL)
F Seth Jarvis (to Chicago, AHL)
F Stelio Mattheos (to Chicago, AHL)
F Jamieson Rees (to Chicago, AHL)
F Sheldon Rempal (to Chicago, AHL)
F Drew Shore (to Chicago, AHL)
F Spencer Smallman (to Chicago, AHL)
F Ryan Suzuki (to Chicago, AHL)
D Joey Keane (to Chicago, AHL)
D Maxime Lajoie (to Chicago, AHL)
G Antoine Bibeau (to Chicago, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (via team release):

F John Quenneville (to Rockford, AHL)
D Anton Lindholm (to Rockford, AHL)
D Nick Seeler (to Rockford, AHL)
G Matt Tomkins (to Rockford, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (via team release):

F Riley Barber (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Kyle Criscuolo (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Turner Elson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Taro Hirose (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Chase Pearson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Evgeny Svechnikov (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Dominic Turgeon (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Joe Hicketts (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Brian Lashoff (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Kaden Fulcher (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Pat Nagle (released)

Montreal Canadiens (via team release):

F Brandon Baddock (to Laval, AHL)
F Alex Belzile (to Laval, AHL)
F Joseph Blandisi (to Laval, AHL)
F Laurent Dauphin (to Laval, AHL)
F Jacob Lucchini (to Laval, AHL)
F Joel Teasdale (to Laval, AHL)
F Lukas Vejdemo (to Laval, AHL)
F Jordan Weal (to Laval, AHL)
D Otto Leskinen (to Laval, AHL)
D Gustav Olofsson (to Laval, AHL)
D Xavier Ouellet (to Laval, AHL)
G Vasili Demchenko (to Laval, AHL)
G Michael McNiven (to Laval, AHL)
G Cayden Primeau (to Laval, AHL)
F Kevin Lynch (to Laval, AHL)

 

Philadelphia Flyers (via team release):

F Pascal Laberge (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Zayde Wisdom (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Linus Sandin (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Tyson Foerster (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Matthew Strome (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Tyler Wotherspoon (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Mason Millman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Chris Bigras (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Derrick Pouliot (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Egor Zamula (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Wyatte Wylie (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Felix Sandstrom (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Max Willman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Roddy Ross (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

San Jose Sharks (via team release):

F Kurtis Gabriel (to San Jose, AHL)
F Antti Suomela (to San Jose, AHL)
D Trevor Carrick (to San Jose, AHL)
D Nick DeSimone (to San Jose, AHL)
D Fredrik Claesson (to San Jose, AHL)

St. Louis Blues (via team release):

F Sam Anas (to Utica, AHL)
F Dakota Joshua (to Utica, AHL)
F Tanner Kaspick (to Utica, AHL)
F Hugh McGing (to Utica, AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie (to Utica, AHL)
F Jake Neighbours (to Utica, AHL)
F Evan Polei (to Utica, AHL)
F Nolan Stevens (to Utica, AHL)
F Nathan Walker (to Utica, AHL)
D Scott Perunovich (to Utica, AHL)
D Mitch Reinke (to Utica, AHL)
D Steven Santini (to Utica, AHL)
D Tyler Tucker (to Utica, AHL)
D Jake Walman (to Utica, AHL)
G Evan Fitzpatrick (to Utica, AHL)
G Jon Gillies (to Utica, AHL)
F Matthias Laferriere (to Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)

Vancouver Canucks (via team release):

F Jonah Gadjovich (to Utica, AHL)
F Lukas Jasek (to Utica, AHL)
F Kole Lind (to Utica, AHL)
F Will Lockwood (to Utica, AHL)
D Josh Teves (to Utica, AHL)
D Jett Woo (to Utica, AHL)
G Jake Kielly (to Utica, AHL)

Washington Capitals (via team release):

F Shane Gersich (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
F Phillippe Maillet (to Hershey, AHL)
D Lucas Johansen (to Hershey, AHL)
D Paul Ladue (to Hershey, AHL)
D Cameron Schilling (to Hershey, AHL)

Buffalo Sabres Agree To Terms With Mattias Samuelsson

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Bad news for the Western Michigan Broncos, as one of their top players won’t be returning for his junior year. Mattias Samuelsson has agreed to terms with the Buffalo Sabres on a three-year entry-level contract. Sabres GM Jason Botterill explained his excitement:

We are very pleased with Mattias’ growth both at Western Michigan and on the international stage. He possesses a unique combination of size, speed and skill, and we look forward to working with him on his next steps as a pro.

The 20-year old defenseman was selected 32nd overall in 2018 and is the son of Kjell Samuelsson, who played nearly 1,000 games as an NHL defenseman and is now a development coach with the Philadelphia Flyers.

While his father stood at a towering 6’7″, Mattias Samuelsson hits the ice with plenty of his own size. At 6’4″ 220-lbs you may expect a bruising, plodding player, but Samuelsson is anything but. The left-handed defenseman has the speed and puck skills to play at the next level, even if his best attributes are still on the defensive side. In 30 games for Western Michigan this season he scored 14 points, but was a finalist for the NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year award.

There is likely still some development to be done with Samuelsson, but the Sabres will take over direct control of his path now that he’s under contract. Even if that means he starts in the AHL, you can bet that his name will be on the back of an NHL sweater before long.

NHL Draft Picks Participating In The World Junior Championship

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The 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship is underway from Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. The tournament began today and will run through the championship game on January 5th. Each of the NHL’s 31 teams has at least one representative at the WJC. Five teams have only one draft pick participating, while the Los Angeles Kings (9) and Arizona Coyotes (7) each have more than those teams combined. However, it only takes one player and one moment to make history at the WJC. Check out which future NHLers will have that chance this year:

Anaheim Ducks (2):

G Lukas Dostal, Czech Republic
F Trevor Zegras, USA

Arizona Coyotes (7):

F Barrett Hayton, Canada
F Jan Jenik, Czech Republic
F Matias Maccelli, Finland
D Aku Raty, Finland
D Victor Soderstrom, Sweden
F Valentin Nussbaumer, Switzerland
D Ty Emberson, USA

Boston Bruins (3):

F Jakub Lauko, Czech Republic
F John Beecher, USA
F Curtis Hall, USA

Buffalo Sabres (4):

F Dylan Cozens, Canada
F Matej Pekar, Czech Republic
G Erik Portillo, Sweden
D Mattias Samuelsson, USA

Calgary Flames (1):

G Dustin Wolf, USA

Carolina Hurricanes (5):

D Anttoni Honka, Finland
F Lenni Killinen, Finland
F Patrik Puistola, Finland
F Dominik Bokk, Germany
F Jack Drury, USA

Chicago Blackhawks (2):

F Antti Saarela, Finland
F Michal Teply, Czech Republic

Colorado Avalanche (4):

D Bowen Byram, Canada
G Justus Annunen, Finland
F Sampo Ranta, Finland
D Daniil Zhuravlyov, Russia

Columbus Blue Jackets (4):

F Liam Foudy, Canada
F Kirill Marchenko, Russia
F Dmitri Voronkov, Russia
D Tim Berni, Switzerland

Dallas Stars (3):

F Ty Dellandrea, Canada
F Oskar Back, Sweden
F Albin Eriksson, Sweden

Detroit Red Wings (5):

D Jared McIsaac, Canada
F Joseph Veleno, Canada
D Moritz Seider, Germany
F Jonatan Berggren, Sweden
F Jesper Eliasson, Sweden

Edmonton Oilers (4):

F Raphael Lavoie, Canada
G Olivier Rodrigue, Canada
F Matej Blumel, Czech Republic
D Philip Broberg, Sweden

Florida Panthers (3):

Justin Schutz, Germany
F Grigori Denisenko, Russia
G Spencer Knight, USA

Los Angeles Kings (9):

F Aidan Dudas, Canada
F Akil Thomas, Canada
F Lukas Parik, Czech Republic
F Rasmus Kupari, Finland
D Kim Nousiainen, Finland
D Tobias Bjornfot, Sweden
F Samuel Fagemo, Sweden
F Arthur Kaliyev, USA
F Alex Turcotte, USA

Minnesota Wild (1):

F Alexander Khovanov, Russia

Montreal Canadiens (4):

D Alexander Romanov, Russia
D Mattias Norlinder, Sweden
F Cole Caufield, USA
D Jordan Harris, USA

Nashville Predators (1):

D Spencer Stastney, USA

New Jersey Devils (5):

D Kevin Bahl, Canada
D Ty Smith, Canada
D Daniil Misyul, Russia
F Nikola Pasic, Sweden
G Akira Schmid, Switzerland

New York Islanders (2):

F Jacob Pivonka, USA
F Oliver Wahlstrom, USA

New York Rangers (5):

D Nico Gross, Switzerland
F Karl Henriksson, Sweden
D Nils Lundkvist, Sweden
D Zachary Jones, USA

D K’Andre Miller, USA

Ottawa Senators (3):

D Jacob Bernard-Docker, Canada
D Lassi Thomson, Finland
F Shane Pinto, USA

Philadelphia Flyers (4):

F Egor Zamula, Russia
D Adam Ginning, Sweden
F Bobby Brink, USA
D Cameron York, USA

Pittsburgh Penguins (1):

D Calen Addison, Canada

San Jose Sharks (1):

Santeri Hatakka, Finland

St. Louis Blues (2):

G Joel Hofer, Canada
F Nikita Alexandrov, Russia

Tampa Bay Lightning (3):

F Nolan Foote, Canada
F Maxim Cajkovic, Czech Republic
G Hugo Alnefelt, Sweden

Toronto Maple Leafs (3):

D Mikko Kokkonen, Finland
D Rasmus Sandin, Sweden
F Nicholas Robertson, USA

Vancouver Canucks (4):

F Karel Plasek, Czech Republic
D Toni Utunen, Finland
F Vasily Podkolzin, Russia
F Nils Hoglander, Sweden

Vegas Golden Knights (3):

F Pavel Dorofeyev, Russia
F Ivan Morozov, Russia
G Isaiah Saville, USA

Washington Capitals (2):

F Connor McMichael, Canada
D Martin Has, Czech Republic

Winnipeg Jets (2):

F David Gustafsson, Sweden
D Ville Heinola, Finland

USA Hockey Announces Preliminary WJC Roster

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December 23rd: According to Corey Pronman of The Athletic, Janicke, Regula and Krygier are the final three cuts for the Americans. Previously the team had been trimmed down to 26, with Johnson, Gruden and Mastrosimone being sent home. Oliver Wahlstrom was added to the group late and will play in the tournament.

December 9th: USA Hockey has followed several other countries in announcing their preliminary roster for the upcoming World Junior tournament. The team will compete for spots at a training camp in Plymouth, Michigan later this month, where a 23-man roster will be selected.

The full camp roster:

Goaltenders:

Spencer Knight (FLA)
Isaiah Saville (VGK)
Dustin Wolf (CGY)

Defensemen:

Ty Emberson (ARI)
Jordan Harris (MTL)
Ryan Johnson (BUF)
Zac Jones (NYR)
Christian Krygier (NYI)
K’Andre Miller (NYR)
Alec Regula (CHI)
Mattias Samuelsson (BUF)
Spencer Stastney (NSH)
Cam York (PHI)

Forwards:

John Beecher (BOS)
Bobby Brink (PHI)
Cole Caufield (MTL)
Jack Drury (CAR)
Parker Ford (2020 eligible)
Jon Gruden (OTT)
Curtis Hall (BOS)
Trevor Janicke (ANA)
Arthur Kaliyev (LAK)
Robert Mastrosimone (DET)
Shane Pinto (OTT)
Jacob Pivonka (NYI)
Nick Robertson (TOR)
Alex Turcotte (LAK)
Trevor Zegras (ANA)

College Hockey Round-Up: 12/12/19

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In the biggest departure from their pro and junior counterparts, college hockey is about to take a significant holiday break. As student-athletes take final exams for thee fall semester and then enjoy a break over Christmas, there are just five games scheduled from December 15-27. The final weekend of the month is also a lighter schedule than normal, as many teams are already done until January and many more will be after this weekend.

Recent Results

It has not been so much of a fall from grace for several top teams of late as it has been a plummet. Notre Dame and Harvard, both of whom began their seasons with substantial undefeated streaks, have both failed to pick up a point in the past two weeks, and Wisconsin, a popular pick to be title contender this season, has fallen out of the rankings with three straight losses. Notre Dame has fallen ten spots in the rankings from No. 5 to No. 15 after back-to-back sweeps at the hands of No. 10 Bowling Green and No. 5 Boston College by a combined score of 20-5. BC also took down Harvard, as did Boston University, No. 3 Cornell, and Colgate. The Crimson have moved from No. 9 to No. 17 as a result. Wisconsin had a disastrous run-in with their next door neighbors, splitting a home series against unranked Michigan before being swept on the road at No. 18 Michigan State.

Meanwhile, the teams at the top continue to soar. No. 1 Minnesota State continues to be unbeatable, taking both games against defending champion No. 11 Minnesota-Duluth and extended their winning streak to nine games with a sweep of Lake Superior. Mankato currently has an unassailable lead in the NCAA rankings. Goaltender Dryden McKay’s impeccable .957 save percentage and 1.06 GAA are miles ahead of even his closest rivals, Tyler Wall (NYR) of No. 14 UMass Lowell and Cornell’s Matthew Galajda. The Mavericks’ keeper could be on the fast track to taking home the Hobey Baker Award this year.

However, another player in the hunt will be Jordan Kawaguchi of No. 2 North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks have been on fire of late, knocking off Minnesota on Thanksgiving Day (and again the day after) and then sweeping No. 19 Western Michigan, and Kawaguchi has been the catalyst. The junior forward is up to 24 points on the year, third-best in the NCAA, and could become a real threat to Jack Dugan (VGK) of No. 13 Providence for the scoring title.

Providence themselves split a chippy series with UMass Lowell in a battle between two teams pushing for a spot in the top ten. It’s been a better stretch for Hockey East over the past two weeks, as Boston College is also surging, No. 12 Northeastern came away with a tournament win in Belfast, Northern Ireland two weeks ago, and No. 9 UMass  has not surrendered more than two goals in a game in a month.

World Junior Participation

While most NCAA teams will take a break for much of the remainder of December, not all of their players will be out of action. With the majority of preliminary rosters released for the upcoming U-20 World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic, it looks as though a number of college standouts will get a chance to make their mark on the international stage. Below is the list of NCAA participants:

Canada: D Jacob Bernard-Docker (OTT), North Dakota; F Alex Newhook (COL), Boston College; F Dylan Holloway (2020), Wisconsin

Finland: F Sampo Ranta (COL), Minnesota

Switzerland: F Matthew Verboon, Colgate

United States: G Spencer Knight (FLA), Boston College; G Isaiah Saville (VGK), Nebraska-Omaha; D Ty Emberson (ARI), Wisconsin; D Jordan Harris (MTL), Northeastern; D Ryan Johnson (BUF), Minnesota; D Zac Jones (NYR), UMass; Christian Krygier (NYI), Michigan State; D K’Andre Miller (NYR), Wisconsin; D Mattias Samuelsson (BUF), Wester Michigan; D Spencer Stastney (NSH), Notre Dame; D Cam York (PHI), Michigan; F John Beecher (BOS), Michigan; F Bobby Brink (PHI), Denver; F Cole Caufield (MTL), Wisconsin; F Jack Drury (CAR), Harvard; F Parker Ford, Providence; F Curtis Hall (BOS), Yale; Trevor Janicke (ANA), Notre Dame; Robert Mastrosimone (DET), Boston University; F Shane Pinto (OTT), North Dakota; F Jacob Pivonka (NYI), Notre Dame; Alex Turcotte (LAK), Wisconsin; Trevor Zegras (ANA), Boston University

 

USA Hockey Announces Invitees For 2019 Summer Showcase

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After Canada released their group yesterday, USA Hockey has announced their 44 invites for the 2019 World Junior Summer Showcase, the first step towards participating at the next World Junior tournament. GM John Vanbiesbrouck and head coach Scott Sandelin will be evaluating all 44 players over a short period in Plymouth, Michigan between July 26-August 3 where they will take on teams from Canada, Sweden and Finland.

The list of players includes many already drafted names, but also some that are available this weekend in the 2019 Entry Draft. The full group is listed below:

G Drew DeRidder (2019 draft eligible)
G Spencer Knight (2019 draft eligible)
G Isaiah Saville (2019 draft eligible)
G Dustin Wolf (2019 draft eligible)

D Slava Demin (VGK, unsigned)
D Ty Emberson (ARZ, unsigned)
D Jordan Harris (MTL, unsigned)
D Drew Helleson (2019 draft eligible)
D Zach Jones (2019 draft eligible)
D Ryan Johnson (2019 draft eligible)
D Christian Krygier (NYI, unsigned)
D Jackson LaCombe (2019 draft eligible)
D K’Andre Miller (NYR, unsigned)
D Alec Regula (DET, unsigned)
D Mattias Samuelsson (BUF, unsigned)
D Spencer Stastney (NSH, unsigned)
D Jayden Struble (2019 draft eligible)
D Alex Vlasic (2019 draft eligible)
D Bode Wilde (NYI)
D Cam York (2019 draft eligible)

F John Beecher (2019 draft eligible)
F Matthew Boldy (2019 draft eligible)
F Bobby Brink (2019 draft eligible)
F Cole Caufield (2019 draft eligible)
F Jack Drury (CAR, unsigned)
F Joel Farabee (PHI)
F John Farinacci (2019 draft eligible)
F Parker Ford (2019 draft eligible)
F Jon Gruden (OTT)
F Curtis Hall (BOS, unsigned)
F Trevor Janicke (2019 draft eligible)
F Blade Jenkins (NYI, unsigned)
F Arthur Kaliyev (2019 draft eligible)
F Owen Lindmark (2019 draft eligible)
F Luke Loheit (OTT, unsigned)
F Robert Mastrosimone (2019 draft eligible)
F Blake McLaughlin (ANA, unsigned)
F Shane Pinto (2019 draft eligible)
F Jacob Pivonka (NYI, unsigned)
F Nick Robertson (2019 draft eligible)
F Alex Turcotte (2019 draft eligible)
F Luke Toporowski (2019 draft eligible)
F Oliver Wahlstrom (NYI)
F Trevor Zegras (2019 draft eligible)

Notably not on the list is potential first overall pick Jack Hughes, who is still eligible for the tournament but will likely be playing in the NHL for the 2019-20 season.

USA Hockey Makes Final Cuts For World Junior Championships

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After a 6-2 victory this morning over the Czech Republic in their final pre-tournament exhibition game, USA Hockey made their final cuts to their team before the World Junior Championships start on Dec. 26, according to NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. , The team released forwards Sean Dhooghe, Cole Coskey and Samuel Walker as well as cutting defensemen Michael Callahan, Ty Emberson and Joey Keane.

Here is the final 23-man roster:

F Evan Barratt (CHI)
F Noah Cates (PHI)
F Sasha Chmelevski (SJS)
F Logan Cockerill (NYI)
F Jack Drury (CAR)
F Joel Farabee (PHI)
F Jack Hughes (2019 draft eligible)
F Tyler Madden (VAN)
F Josh Norris (OTT)
F Jay O’Brien (PHI)
F Ryan Poehling (MON)
F Jason Robertson (DAL)
F Oliver Wahlstrom (NYI)

D Mikey Anderson (LAK)
D Quinn Hughes (VAN)
D Phil Kemp (EDM)
D K’Andre Miller (NYR)
D Dylan Samberg (WIN)
D Mattias Samuelsson (BUF)
D Jack St. Ivany (PHI)

G Kyle Keyser (BOS)
G Spencer Knight (2019 draft eligible)
G Cayden Primeau (MON)

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the release of Dhooghe, who many felt deserved to make the team. The undersized (5-foot-3, 150 pounds) Dhooghe has performed quite well in his sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin where he has already surpassed his goal total from last year. He has nine goals and 14 points in 18 games so far this year, but went undrafted last year despite incredible talent.

The team did keep two players who didn’t attend the WJC summer camp as both Madden and St. Ivany were able to prove their value to Team USA with their play in these exhibition games.

The team kept all three goaltenders on their roster, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as U.S. general manager John Vanbiesbrouck has kept three goaltenders on World Junior rosters seven of the last eight years with the exception of 2016.

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