Hockey Sense Roundup: International break notes; College power rankings; World Junior stock watch
Plus: College hockey news and notes; NHL Draft check-ins; Notes from the road
After missing last week’s roundup, I’m doubling up on the meatiness in this week’s edition. It’s a lot, but we’re going to cover a lot of ground, from notes on draft-eligible players from this recent international break, the latest in college hockey, plus notes from my recent trips to view prospects in the AHL (Grand Rapids @ Iowa), NCAA (Minnesota @ Wisconsin) and USHL (Green Bay @ Cedar Rapids) live. On top of that, I wanted to take a look at the status of USA’s World Junior roster again as we close in on the final decisions for the team.
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I wanted to make sure there was enough in here for you to pick and choose what you’d like to read.
There’s a lot to get to, so let’s get started.
International Break Notes
The most recent international break featured a number of high-profile tournaments featuring NHL prospects and 2022 NHL Draft eligibles. Among them…
Sweden finished 3-0-0 to win the Karjala Cup in Finland, a senior men’s tournament. Finland finished second, while Russia was third and the Czech Republic was last. Russia sent a team with several of its key U20 players including 16-year-old Matvei Michkov, who is the youngest player ever to suit up for Russia in a men’s tournament. He also scored the goal of the tournament…
In the U20 Four Nations, hosted by Sweden, Russia went 3-0-0 to take the title despite missing some of their best eligible players. Finland finished second, while Sweden and the Czech Republic was in last. Alexander Pashin (CAR) led the tournament in scoring with four goals and two assists in three games. NHL Draft-eligible Russians Danila Yurov and Ivan Miroshnichenko each played significant roles on the team. Yurov scored three goals and had an assist, while Miroshnichenko had two points. Other top performers included Finland’s Roni Hirvonen (TOR) and Aatu Räty (NYI), who each had four points to pace Finland. Sweden draft-eligible forward Liam Öhgren was tied for the team lead with three points.
The largest collection of 2022 NHL Draft-eligible players in the international break, however, were in Monthey, Switzerland for the U18 Five Nations Tournament. The U.S., represented by the NTDP’s U18 team, rolled over the tournament competition, going 4-0-0 and outscoring the opposition 30-5. Sweden finished second, with Finland third, Switzerland fourth and the Czech Republic in last. I watched a few of these games with a particular focus on the U.S. National Under-18 Team since I haven’t gotten chance to see them a ton yet. Despite this being their second year in the NTDP, for many players on the roster, there were no international tournaments for them to play in as a group due to the pandemic. So this was their first international tournament as a group. It’s safe to say they aced it.
U.S. National Under-18 Team Notes from 2021 U18 Five Nations Cup
Logan Cooley, C: The top player on the U18 team in terms of draft outlook, Cooley finished the tournament with seven points including five assists. His speed was a factor, though I thought he tried to force plays a bit more than he needed to. The confidence he has on the puck is unrivaled. There’s nothing he won’t try and he’ll succeed a lot more than he’ll fail. Look for him to be on the U.S. roster at the World Juniors.
Rutger McGroarty, LW: Welcome back to the lineup, Rutger McGroarty. He recovered from a fracture in time to play in the tournament and rewarded his team with eight points, four goals and four assists. McGroarty is a net-front force as his peers just aren’t strong enough to move him off pucks. He has soft hands in tight and can make plays under duress. His ability to win battles, play physical and still have the skill and sense to finish plays as well as he does is why I believe McGroarty will be a high pick in the draft.
Jimmy Snuggerud, RW: It was a breakout tournament for Snuggerud who bookended the tournament with hat tricks. He has a great release and can score from in close as well. I liked the pace he played with, too. He had two exceptional games and two where he was fine. That’s why you take some caution with the international events, but there’s no question his stock is up after this one and will earn more serious looks as a upper-tier prospect as a result.
Lane Hutson, D: Every year there are players I end up irrationally high on and I’m just warning you that it is going to be Hutson this year. I fully understand the concerns about his size and where he is going to ultimately end up in the draft will likely have to do a lot with that. He’s listed at 5-foot-8, which seems generous and has a lot of filling out to do. Maybe he’s still growing, but that’s hard to project. Here’s what I do know, though — he is as dynamic a defenseman as I’ve covered. His skill level is off the charts and his smoothness with the puck is truly special. He finished the tournament leading it in assists with seven. He is a power-play weapon, but he can produce at five-on-five, escape the zone and he competes, too.
Isaac Howard, C/W: Howard still needs to find ways to impact games on a more consistent basis because you can lose him at times, but over the games I watched, I saw a player who simply creates. He has such tricky one-on-one skill that his peers don’t really stand much of a chance at slowing him down. Howard finished the event with seven points including four goals. His speed and creativity continue to suggest to me there’s quite a bit of upside there.
Frank Nazar, C: Nazar is the kind of player that jumps off video. He has great hands and beats defenders on the regular. You can give him pucks to gain the zone and no matter how well the opposition sets up, he often finds a way over that blue line and putting pucks into dangerous positions. He had two goals and four assists in the event and continued to see his stock rise.
Devin Kaplan, RW: One of the players that I thought really stood out even more than I expected him to was Kaplan. He is a 6-foot-3 winger that has some of the best touch on the puck on a team full of highly-skilled players. His vision and ability to find plays was also very noticeable. He had two goals and two assists, but was a threat the whole way through. It was a big breakout for him.
Cole Spicer, C: Spicer’s line with Kaplan and Cutter Gauthier was absolutely buzzing. Spicer made a few highlight-reel plays and raised his hand to be counted by the scouts in this tournament. These kinds of events can put players more firmly on the radar and I think Spicer did himself that favor. He’s got some good quickness and plays with enough energy to challenge defenders.
Seamus Casey, D: Casey has been a top producer for this team over his two years at the NTDP. He had four points in the tournament, was moving the puck very well and showed off a quality shot. He does a really nice job of extending plays in the offensive zone.
Cutter Gauthier, LW: Averaging nearly a point per game for this club, Gauthier can be a bit overshadowed, but performed at a high level in the tournament. His ability to hunt pucks and create some havoc in the offensive zone was notable. He ended up with a goal and five assists in the tournament as he, Kaplan and Spicer were really clicking in their shifts together.
Tyler Muszelik, G: The net belonged to Muszelik for most of the tournament when Dylan Silverstein was injured and unavailable for the tournament. Muszelik took the ball and ran with it. The shot stats were a little shoddy for the end of the tournament there, so I don’t have an accurate save percentage for him, but Muszelik performed well even though his team was blowing out the competition. The U.S. had a tight game against Sweden and the American netminder had to come up big a few times and did. He’s 8-1-1 on the season, too, and definitely helped his save percentage out a bit in this event.
Men’s College Hockey Power Rankings
Anybody can beat anybody this year and that seems to be the case every single weekend. While that may well be true, I still feel like the top teams have really put themselves out there and have played well enough to still be considered among the top. Here’s how things have shaken out over the last two weeks.
1. Michigan (10-2-0)
When your most hyped up players are your best players, it’s going to go a long way. The Wolverines have gotten tremendous performances from all of their first-round picks and they’ve also gotten the goaltending to be able to compete. A dominant sweep of Penn State made Michigan the first team to double-digit wins. Kent Johnson is leading the nation with 20 points, Owen Power and Luke Hughes are piling up points from the back end and Matty Beniers is on a goal-scoring tear. Michigan has to believe they’re on a fast track to one of its best seasons in recent memory.
2. Minnesota State (9-3-0)
The Mavs exploded for 14 goals in their two-game set with Bowling Green, shaking off that weird split with Ferris State the week before. On MSU’s best nights, they are so difficult to play against that I think they are legitimate national title contenders. So much so that I won’t dock them too much for that one loss to Ferris. Nathan Smith also continues to put together an All-American caliber season that should see him among the Hobey top 10 this year. The Jets prospect just makes tons of plays every single game.
3. St. Cloud State (9-3-0)
An OT loss to Omaha was a stumble last weekend, but only a slight one. The Huskies have so many weapons on their roster and David Hrenak has been playing the best hockey of his collegiate career with a .939 save percentage. St. Cloud defends remarkably well, too. Nothing comes easy against them.
4. Minnesota Duluth (7-2-1)
My one concern with the Bulldogs is that their offense can occasionally go missing as it did in a 0-0 tie/shootout win at Colorado College. Despite that, the Bulldogs have just two losses on the season. Ryan Fanti has won the starting job and his absolutely owning it with a 6-1-1 record and .946 save percentage. That’s a reason their inconsistency on offense doesn’t bother me much. Even though this is not a star-laden Bulldogs squad, they continue to find a way to compete.
5. Quinnipiac (9-1-2)
In the midst of a seven-game unbeaten streak , QU looks like it could be the class of the ECAC once again. Senior defenseman Zach Metsa is averaging over a point per game, while the Bobcats have gotten mostly spread out scoring with senior transfer Oliver Chau and Wyatt Bongiovanni leading the way with five goals apiece. Meanwhile, the goaltending has continued to hold up as freshman Yaniv Perets has impressed with a 5-0-1 record and .934 save percentage.
6. North Dakota (8-3-0)
The Fighting Hawks have opened their NCHC conference slate with an impressive four straight victories. They’ve gotten a lot out of their transfers Ashton Calder, Connor Ford and Zach Driscoll. Meanwhile, Jake Sanderson is playing at a Hobey Baker-caliber level with a six-point weekend and 15 points on the season. His emergence offensively has been a real driver for UND’s success.
7. Minnesota (7-5-0)
Consistency issues are plaguing the Gophers this season. I don’t think we’ve seen them come close to playing their best game yet, but I’ve seen the team with my own two eyes. They’re one of the best in the country on a talent basis, but have not gotten the goaltending at the level Jack LaFontaine is capable of. There are just so many players that can score on this team and i think their blue line is among the nation’s best. They need more out of their super senior goalie and also need to be able to fight through the adversity of games if they want to be a title contender.
8. Nebraska Omaha (9-3-0)
UNO has not had the toughest schedule, but they just earned a big split against St. Cloud State on the road, which gives you a little more confidence in them. There’s still more to prove as they enter the teeth of their conference schedule in a few weeks, but credit where credit is due, Omaha can score. Taylor Ward is the nation’s top scorer, while Tyler Weiss, Chayse Primeau and transfer senior Brannon McManus are averaging over a point per game. Meanwhile, UFA defenseman Brandon Scanlin has 11 points in 12 games.
9. Denver (6-4-0)
I remain a believer in Denver even if they’ve been inconsistent to start the season. Carter Savoie has been scoring at will once again this season, putting up four goals last weekend to improve his total to 10. Two straight tough weekends on the road have Denver at a less-impressive 6-4, but they recovered with a huge sweep of Western Michigan on home ice. There is a lot of offense in this team. Now they just need to get the goaltending from Magnus Chrona to make it count.
10. Northeastern (8-4-0)
Winners of five of their last six, Northeastern has been in just about every game it’s played. They’ve got enough scoring to keep teams honest, but it’s their ability to prevent goals that has been truly impressive. The Huskies have allowed three or more goals just three times in 12 games this season. Devon Levi may just be the best goalie in the country, playing every minute for Northeastern after missing last season with an injury. He has four shutouts and a .943 save percentage. Having goaltending can make all the difference.
Honorable Mentions: Western Michigan, Cornell, Providence, UMass, Harvard
Men’s College Hockey News and Notes:
Matty Beniers (SEA) is on some kind of heater for Michigan. With seven goals over his last five games, Beniers has become an absolute menace offensively. Michigan switched up their power play a little bit and got Beniers a little more on the outside and he’s rewarded them with production. Six of his nine goals have come on the advantage this season. On top of that, Beniers continues to be a two-way force that can be trusted in all situations.
Speaking of the Wolverines, Kent Johnson (CBJ) is currently tied for the national scoring lead as he is now up to 20 points in just 12 games. He is tied with Omaha’s Taylor Ward and Lake Superior State’s Louis Boudon. Johnson had six assists over the weekend and now has 16 on the season — 13 of which were primary.
Also notable, Owen Power (BUF) is the top scoring defenseman in the country presently. he has 18 points in just 12 games so far after putting up 16 points in 26 contests last season. Any concern about the offensive ability of the Big Dog, as he was once known in the USHL, has been squashed this year. This is exactly how things went for him in his two USHL seasons as well. I think he does such a good job of adjusting and learning on the job. To see the moves he can make now and the chances he’s willing to take is just not that surprising. Power is going to be in the Hobey Baker mix this year if he keeps this up.
Carter Savoie (EDM) is currently leading the country in points per game with 1.70 after a four-goal weekend in Denver’s impressive home sweep of Western Michigan. Savoie has to be at least garnering some attention from Canada’s World Junior decision-makers, though I think even with how well he’s played he’d be a long shot. He is second in the NCAA with 10 goals and showcases his skill on a weekly basis.
How about Ohio State goalie Jakub Dobeš (MTL) absolutely dominating the collegiate ranks as a freshman? Owner of a .946 save percentage, which is tied for best in the country among players with more than two starts, Dobeš is 7-2-0 over his first nine collegiate starts, has one shutout and a 1.39 goals-against average. He helped the Buckeyes beat Minnesota and then didn’t get the goal support in his second start of the weekend, allowing just two goals to the potent Golden Gophers. Dobeš was very good in the USHL last season, but not playing at this level. The 6-foot-4 Czech netminder has looked every bit the part of a top-end collegiate goalie.
An under the radar player that might be worth keeping a closer eye on at the moment is UConn’s Ryan Tverberg (TOR). He has goals in five straight games, which included tough matchups against Boston College and Providence. Tverberg is a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen and sources have indicated he’s getting a bit of a push to be part of Team USA’s camp. The question, however, is if he has been in the U.S. long enough to meet citizenship requirements as he spent most of the last several years in Canada before moving to the U.S. to play for UConn. Tverberg represented Canada East at the World Junior A Challenge two years ago, but that is not a binding event. It’s interesting, nonetheless. The 19-year-old sophomore had seven points in 14 games last season, but is already up to nine goals and 15 points in just 11 games in his second collegiate campaign.
There are currently six freshmen in the NCAA that are at double-digit points and over a point per game. Arizona State’s Josh Doan (ARI) continues to lead the way with 15 points in 12 games. Former OHLer Austen Swankler is making the most of his recovered NCAA eligibility with 13 points in 10 games for Bowling Green. Luke Hughes (NJD) has been putting up remarkable numbers for a true freshman defenseman with 13 points in 12 games and a nation-leading plus-16 rating. The silky skilled Massimo Rizzo (CAR) has 12 points so far for Denver, while teammate Sean Behrens (COL) has 10 assists in 10 games. Harvard’s Sean Farrell (MTL) has 11 points and is tops among first-year players with 1.57 points per game.
U.S. World Junior Stock Watch
The U.S. National Junior Team’s selection process remains underway as players are being evaluated every weekend. As I noted a few weeks back, I think there are some clear locks for the team already, but there are others that still had something to prove as they get closer to making the final decisions. I wanted to take a look at how some players in the mix are performing to see if they’re helping or hurting their chances.
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