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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.

Atlantic Notes: Nylander, Miller, Athanasiou, Zadina

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While there was an expectation that the Toronto Maple Leafs would even get better once they signed William Nylander to a six-year, $45MM deal, the team hasn’t gotten the production out of their young star so far as many would have hoped. The 22-year-old sat out for the first 59 days of the season holding out, but has struggled so far since returning to the Toronto lineup.

So far the forward has just two assists in seven games and while he is undoubtedly still trying to shake off the rust after such a long layoff, The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn (subscription required) writes that Nylander has been the worst player on the ice for the Maple Leafs lately, pointing out his most recent performance against Florida was quite sub-par, including making several mistakes, including missing a wide-open shot from Connor Brown at one point, while never taking a single shot against the Panthers. While the scribe believes that Nylander will eventually turn it around, he believes that Nylander could continue his current trend for a bit more.

  • Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Hub reports that defenseman Kevan Miller will not be cleared until Dec. 27 at the earliest. The blueliner has been out since Nov. 26 after suffering cartilage damage to his larynx. The 31-year-old has only appeared in 11 games this season, but have to hope that Miller will be back within a week. The team does hope that Jake Debrusk will play Sunday.
  • The Detroit Red Wings played without Andreas Athanasiou Saturday and could be without him again on Sunday, according to the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. The 24-year old expected to play today, but was ruled out with an upper-body injury and he remains questionable for Sunday. Athanasiou is having a breakout year so far with 11 goals in just 32 games. His career-high is 18.
  • When the Detroit Red Wings allowed Filip Zadina to join the Czech National Team for the World Junior Champsionships, the team was well aware that the move could backfire. The Athletic’s Katie Strang (subscription required) writes there is always concern with injury, diminished returns or the potential that Zadina could return to some of his junior league habits, but the team still felt that playing at the World Juniors could be a huge benefit for Zadina’s development to get him ready for the NHL game. “I think that he knows that he’s not quite ready,” Griffins coach Ben Simon said. “He’s close, but he has to work on other aspects of his game. When they call him up they don’t want him to come back here. Their whole plan — I can’t speak for them, but I don’t think they want to give him that thrill of getting called up and have that disappointment of getting sent down.”

 

Urho Vaakanainen To Play For Finland At World Juniors

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Urho Vaakanainen is no longer listed on injured reserve on the Boston Bruins website, but he won’t be coming back to play in the NHL for the next little while. That’s because the 19-year old defenseman is off to join Finland at the World Junior Championship in Vancouver, adding another legitimate force to a team that has gained a few over the last week.

Vaakanainen hasn’t played since taking a Mark Borowiecki elbow to the head in late October, a play on which he suffered a concussion. He has been working his way back slowly and skating with the Bruins, but he’ll make his return to game action for Finland instead. That kind of an upgrade is incredibly important for the country’s hopes in the tournament, especially given the recent additions of Eeli Tolvanen and Henri Jokiharju as well.

In fact, Vaakanainen projects to play alongside Jokiharju on Finland’s top pairing, one that could very well challenge for the best in the entire tournament. The two have both shown an ability to compete at the NHL level already, and could very well return there after a medal run in early January. Boston has gotten a little more healthy on the blue line of late, but could decide to insert the 19-year old if they feel he can help.

At the very least, this is a good sign for Vaakanainen’s future after the uncertainty surrounding his concussion. It’s hard to know how early brain injuries can affect a player’s career, but we’ll get to see if he can shake off the rust quickly and show off his smooth defensive ability against some of the talented forwards around the world.

Timothy Liljegren Ruled Out Of The World Juniors

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Maple Leafs prospect defenseman Timothy Liljegren has been ruled out of participating in the World Juniors, the team announced (Twitter link).  He suffered a high ankle sprain at the beginning of the month with Toronto’s AHL affiliate and is currently classified as being out week-to-week.

Liljegren, Toronto’s first-round pick (17th overall) back in 2017, is in his second season with the Marlies and was off to a strong start before suffering the injury.  He currently has eight points (2-6-8) in 19 games after collecting 17 (1-16-17) in 44 contests last year.  This would have been his second time in this tournament after playing a regular role last year.

This is a tough blow for a Sweden back end that’s projected to be their strength.  However, they still have quite a few first rounders on their defense corps in Adam Boqvist (Blackhawks), Erik Brannstrom (Golden Knights), Rasmus Sandin (Maple Leafs), and Nils Lundkvist (Rangers) while projected 2019 first rounder Philip Broberg is also in the mix for a spot.  Sweden still has to cut one more defender before they finalize their roster for the tournament which gets underway on Wednesday against Finland.

Isac Lundestrom Loaned To Team Sweden

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Though he wasn’t included on the preliminary roster for Sweden , Isac Lundestrom is heading to the World Juniors. According to Elliott Teaford of the OC Register, the Anaheim Ducks have loaned Lundestrom to Team Sweden for the upcoming tournament, which beings on December 26th. Lundestrom had been playing in the AHL after suiting up 15 times with the Ducks earlier this year.

Lundestrom’s addition is a huge step towards the gold medal for Sweden, who already had a rock solid defense corps but were inexperienced up front. The 19-year old Ducks prospect will bring some NHL experience along with a long history of international competition. He was part of the Swedish team that barely lost to Canada in the gold medal game a year ago, and previously had won a U17 bronze medal and U18 silver medal in the same year. Lundestrom will be leaned on heavily to drive the play in the offensive zone for his country, just as he was at times this season in Anaheim and San Diego.

Selected 23rd overall in 2018 he surprised many by making the Ducks out of camp as an 18-year old, and was even given the chance to play at center during certain games. That’s high praise for a player who many believed needed several years of seasoning, but perhaps shouldn’t have been shocking given his experience. Lundestrom had already completed two full seasons in the SHL before being drafted, and even got a taste of the men’s professional league during the 2015-16 season. While his absolute ceiling is still a ways off, his polish so far has been spectacular for a player of his age. The World Juniors will be just another chapter in his development, and one which the Ducks hope will take him to another level offensively.

Poll: Who Will Win The 2019 World Junior Championship?

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Tonight in Kelowna, British Columbia, Russia and Sweden battle it out in the first pre-tournament game for the upcoming World Junior Championship. This tournament, made up of under-20 players from around the world, is one of the premiere international competitions in the world of hockey and brings with it plenty of intrigue. NHL fans in particular get a glimpse of the next wave of superstars, often before they’re even drafted. That’s no different this year, where the tournament will feature several exceptional talents scheduled to go in the 2019 or 2020 entry drafts.

Last year, Canada defeated Sweden in a memorable final game to secure the gold medal on Tyler Steenbergen’s first goal of the tournament. St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou led the Canadians in scoring with ten points in seven games, while Ottawa Senators prospect Drake Batherson scored a team-leading seven goals. Colorado Avalanche fans got a look at two of their own top prospects in Cale Makar and Conor Timmins, while newly minuted Philadelphia Flyers starting goaltender Carter Hart was the star in net. Amazingly, only a single player will return from that team for Canada in Max Comtois as most of the others have either aged out of the tournament, are dealing with injury or were withheld by their NHL teams.

Canada isn’t the only medal favorite though, as several other countries are bringing explosive lineups of their own. The discussion has to start with the United States, where Quinn and Jack Hughes are set to be the talk of the tournament. Quinn, the elder brother and a defenseman selected by the Vancouver Canucks seventh overall in June, is having an outstanding sophomore season at the University of Michigan and is expected to turn pro afterwards. Jack, the younger and a center, is expected to go first-overall in the 2019 draft to whoever wins the lottery.

Finland has the presumptive second-overall pick playing for their group in Kaapo Kakko, but also got some great news today when Henri Jokiharju was loaned from the Chicago Blackhawks. Jokiharju should be a difference maker for the Finnish team, who also should be strong in net with Buffalo Sabres prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Sweden doesn’t have the firepower up front of some previous years, but is an absolute powerhouse on defense even without the injured Timothy Liljegren. The five-man offensive units should be more than strong enough with the likes of Erik Brannstrom and Adam Boqvist jumping into the rush.

The Czech Republic got some great news when Filip Zadina was cleared of injury, and after getting some experience at the AHL level he should be even more dangerous this time around. Russia meanwhile will bring another strong mostly 19-year old group to Vancouver, and have some AHL experience of their own in Klim Kostin who was loaned by the St. Louis Blues.

In all, this should be another outstanding tournament filled with exceptional talents. Cast your vote below on who you think will win the whole thing, and then tune in on December 26th to see it all kick off.

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Gabe Vilardi Will Not Play In World Juniors

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Both the Los Angeles Kings and Team Canada were hoping that young forward Gabe Vilardi would be able to recover in time to take part in the upcoming World Junior Championship, but according to Mark Masters of TSN that isn’t going to happen. He had played a few conditioning games in the AHL before taking part in Canada’s selection camp, but with pre-tournament games starting this week and Vilardi still unable to practice with the team, a decision had to be made. The question now will be whether Vilardi is sent immediately back to the OHL.

While this is obviously disappointing for Vilardi, it’s good news for the rest of the Canadian forwards including 17-year old Alexis Lafreniere. The potential 2020 first-overall pick has made the squad, and given his practice spot beside Nick Suzuki and Jaret Anderson-Dolan it won’t just be as the extra forward. The young QMJHL phenom has 53 points in 31 games for the Rimouski Oceanic and has done nothing to show he shouldn’t be at the very top of the 2020 draft board.

It certainly hasn’t been a smooth ride for Vilardi since being selected 11th overall by the Kings in 2017. He played just 32 regular season games with the Kingston Frontenacs last season due to injury, and has suited up just four times this year after dealing with another back issue. All four of those contests have come in the AHL, but given his age he is not allowed to stay there for the whole season. If he is healthy enough to play, and the Kings don’t keep him with the NHL team, he’ll have to go back to the OHL where he very well could be on the trade block once again. Kingston is sitting last in the OHL Eastern Conference and could flip Vilardi for a huge package of future assets given he will not be back next season.

Klim Kostin Assigned To Team Russia For World Juniors

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Last night the San Antonio Rampage put up five goals against the Iowa Wild, and today they’ve lost two of the goal scorers. While Zach Sanford is on his way back up to the NHL, Klim Kostin has been assigned to Team Russia for the upcoming World Junior Championships. Kostin had been listed on the Russian roster as a player who would join the preliminary roster at a later date, which is apparently now as the tournament approaches. Pre-tournament games start tomorrow with Russia taking on Sweden in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Kostin, 19, greatly impressed in his first training camp after being selected 31st overall in 2017, but failed to crack the St. Louis roster. Instead of going back to the KHL, he joined the Rampage as a teenager and actually showed quite well in his first professional season. Though there were some consistency issues, that’s to be expected of a player so much younger than his competition. Kostin still used his big frame well and ended the 2017-18 season with 28 points in 67 games. This season he’s off to a better goal scoring pace and has 11 points in 28 games, but will really get to show off in the upcoming junior tournament.

Participating in the tournament last year for Russia as one of the rare 18-year old players selected, Kostin was a standout and ultimately led the team in scoring with eight points in five games. He’ll be looking for revenge and a medal this time around, and should play a huge part among the team’s talented forwards.

Snapshots: Sestito, Thomas, Letang, Koivu

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It looks like enforcer Tom Sestito will be getting another chance to work his way back to the NHL as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Toronto Marlies have signed the 6-foot-5, 228-pound forward to a professional tryout. A veteran of 154 NHL games, the 31-year-old had been playing in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the previous two years, but he wasn’t able to get a contract this year.

Friedman says that his source said he was thrilled that Sestito was getting one last shot to work his way back and referred to him as a great teammate. Sestito’s best season came in the 2013-14 season with the Vancouver Canucks when he played 77 games and scored five goals and nine points and accumulated 213 penalty minutes. He was probably best known for hits that netted him a pair of four-game suspensions, including one against New York Rangers’ Andre Deveaux from behind in 2011 and another one in 2017 when he boarded Winnipeg’s Toby Enstrom. His last NHL team was the Pittsburgh Penguins where he played 17 games in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons combined.

  • St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said that forward Robert Thomas will not be loaned to Team Canada for the World Junior Championships, according to Fox Sports’ Andy Strickland. The 19-year-old has just two goals and seven points so far in his rookie campaign in St. Louis while averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time per game, so many have speculated the Blues could loan him out temporarily to get him extra playing time at the World Juniors. However, Thomas has seen a small spike in his playing time since head coach Mike Yeo was fired and replaced by Craig Berube as the team hopes that the 2017 first-rounder continues his development while learning on the bottom lines.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins got some good news on the injury that defenseman Kris Letang suffered Friday in the third period against the Boston Bruins when the blueliner collided with Boston’s Joakim Nordstrom and had his knee buckle. Fans began to get concerned when he wasn’t able to stand on his own. However, while he did miss tonight’s game, the Penguins announced that he’s day-to-day, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It could’ve been a lot worse,” coach Mike Sullivan said. The 31-year-old has been having a solid season this year with seven goals and 25 points in 30 games this season.
  • NHL.com’s Kevin Falness reports that Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau said that he expects center Mikko Koivu to return to the Wild’s lineup on Tuesday when they face San Jose. The 35-year-old has missed four games with a left leg injury, but a return could be a big addition as Koivu has put up solid numbers this year as he has four goals and 21 points in 27 games.

Kristian Vesalainen Declines Invitation To The World Juniors

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Most young players view the opportunity to play at the World Juniors as an exciting one.  However, that doesn’t seem to be the case for Jets prospect Kristian Vesalainen.  Jussi Ahokas, the head coach of Team Finland, acknowledged to Yle Urheilu, a Finnish newspaper, that the 19-year-old declined their invitation to suit up in this year’s tournament which gets underway on December 26th.  Instead, the winger has opted to remain with Jokerit of the KHL.

Vesalainen has participated in this event in each of the last two years.  He had a quiet showing in his draft-eligible year, picking up just a single goal and an assist but 17-year-olds don’t often have a significant impact in this tournament.  However, he was more productive last year, picking up six points in five games to tie Eeli Tolvanen (a Nashville first rounder) for the team lead in scoring.

2018-19 has been a bit of a strange season for Vesalainen.  He made Winnipeg’s roster out of training camp but played a very limited role, logging less than seven minutes of ice time per game.  He was loaned to their AHL affiliate in Manitoba where he fared better, picking up eight points in as many contests.  Just before he was eligible to activate his European Assignment Clause, the Jets recalled him in mid-November but at the same time, Jokerit (a Finnish team) acquired his KHL rights from SKA St. Petersburg.  After spending a couple of days with Winnipeg, the team had a change of heart, re-assigning him to the AHL where he quickly triggered his assignment clause.  It appears that playing for three different teams already is enough for Vesalainen and he will remain with Jokerit instead of taking one final run at a Gold Medal at the World Juniors.

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