how did Joel Armia do?

He looked decent on a couple of shifts. One in particular he made an awesome move at the blueline to get by the defender and then rifled a shot at the goalie. He didn't score, but looked very dangerous on the play. He is bigger than I thought and has a really good shot. All in all, he was impressive for some shifts but on other shifts he was invisible.

That said, I know for a fact that Buffalo is really high on him. I spoke with their head scout and he told me that the new owner was arriving the next day to watch Armia play in person. He will definitely bring a lot of size and skill to their lineup when he eventually makes the team.

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10 team league, multi-cat, full keeper.

Forwards: J. Toews, J. Tavares, J. Eberle, J. Neal, A. Kopitar, T. Seguin, E. Kane, M. Duchene, J. Benn, M. Ryder, D. Brown, B. Marchand

Defense: A. Pietrangelo, K. Shattenkirk, A. Goligoski, PK Subban, J. Carlson, J. Spurgeon

Goalies: M. Smith, A. Niemi

Bench: R. Clowe, B. Dubinsky, M. Calvert, P. Mueller, D. Clarkson, M. Carle, M. Niskanen, P. Wiercioch, J. Halak, A. Lindback

This has been exactly his biggest criticism from scouts.

Good size, good skills but very inconsistent.

I think this could be the lineup at the WJC (they are not in order or anything like that):

Miller
Etem
Coyle
Noesen
Prince
Grimaldi
Bjugstad
Watson
Agostino
Zucker
Knight
Shore
(Biggs could end up on the team even if he was cut from the camp early)

Clendening
Merrill
Murphy
Tinordi
Johns
Faulk
Forbort

Campbell
Iles

At this point I think there is a good chance Jones makes the team, even though he is young and the defense is pretty deep. I'm not sure who he bumps (maybe Johns, Murphy, or Clendening?), but he looked too good not to make the team so far and the scouts I spoke with seemed to think he was almost a lock.

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10 team league, multi-cat, full keeper.

Forwards: J. Toews, J. Tavares, J. Eberle, J. Neal, A. Kopitar, T. Seguin, E. Kane, M. Duchene, J. Benn, M. Ryder, D. Brown, B. Marchand

Defense: A. Pietrangelo, K. Shattenkirk, A. Goligoski, PK Subban, J. Carlson, J. Spurgeon

Goalies: M. Smith, A. Niemi

Bench: R. Clowe, B. Dubinsky, M. Calvert, P. Mueller, D. Clarkson, M. Carle, M. Niskanen, P. Wiercioch, J. Halak, A. Lindback

Very good looking team. The defence looks strong. The US team usually likes to reward the USDP participants so some of those players might be a stretch (Prince, Knight, and Noesen). Sticking with that point, I am very interested to see if Team USA gives Galchenyuk a chance to play (assumming Sarnia lets them). He would be an asset to the team and one of their top forwards.

Other candidates I will add that have some chance even though they are younger (long shots):

- Jacob Trouba (top 2012 pick)
- Seth Jones (2013 would be rare but he's so damn good)
- Henrik Samuelsson (his departure to Sweden for the year complicates this and definitely makes him a LONGER shot)
- Connor Murphy (2011 1st Rd pick)

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I did list Connor Murphy already.

Lately, the US coach has played CHL prospects at the Worlds, so I don't think that would be a knock against Knight, Noesen, and Prince. All three are worthy of a spot IMO, so if they don't make it, it will because they were just beaten out by other players. There's always 2013 for Noesen, Prince, Miller, and Murphy though.

I think Jones would be the 7th D if he were to make it. Teams don't like to put guys who are in their current draft year in the lineup (like how RNH didn't make it), let alone a guy whose draft year is two years away (like how Yakupov didn't make it). His talent will force their hand though, which is only a good thing. Better to make tough choices then to just give guys spots without earning it.

You also have to remember that they have a camp in December right before the WJC starts, so people who may look great now may not then, and vice versa. Tyler Biggs can still prove his worth.

Love hearing more good things about bjugstad, took him 45th overall last year on a hunch as he was already 6'4 at draft time, and was finishing high school a year early.. Once he fills out to potentially 6'5 230 lbs, and if he can translate his obviously high level of intelligence to the ice rink and think the game at another level, then that coupled with his raw tools (not to mention skating ability and shot) could make him a beastly forward... If everything falls into place, that is.

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Dynasty - $100/yr buy-in - YR5 - $90M CAP
G A PTS +/- PIM PPP SOG W GAA SV% SO

C - Crosby, Giroux, Getzlaf
LW - Neal, Elias
RW - Perry, Voracek
D - Letang, Chara, Boyle, Del Zotto, Faulk
Util - Eberle, Seguin,Hossa, Pavelski
G - Rask, Lehtonen

BENCH
Selanne, Iginla, Doan, M. Foligno, Bogosian, Garrison, McDonagh, Gardiner, Bryzgalov

PROSPECT
Forsberg, Bjugstad, Eller, M. Backlund, Vatanen, R. Murphy, Lack.

2010-11 - 1st
2011-12 - 1st
2012-13 - 2nd

My Bad. Missed that one. It's been a long day

I do think that USA Hockey is starting to understand that they need to expand their roster to Americans playing in other leagues (CHL, etc.) and we will start to see them include these types of players. It should be interesting to see how this team stacks up come December. USA Hockey is getting better and better every year.

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Awesome job Seadawg! Certainly helps get through August.

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12 team - 25 man NHL roster/25 man farm - Full Keeper
League (own salary cap).
H2H: G, A, +/-, PIM, PPP, SHP, SOG / W, SV%, GAA, SHO

C - Crosby, EStaal, Thornton, Marchand
LW - Parise, Moulson, Whitney, Glencross, Morrow
RW - Eberle, Purcell, Dupuis, Okposo, Bouchard
D - Letang, Karlsson, Byfuglien, Streit, Chara, P.Martin, Gonchar, Markov
G - Fleury, Lehtonen, Rask

Farm
F- Bennett, Nyquist, Jeffrey, McKegg, M.Stone, Rajala, N.Peterson, C. O'Reilly, McMillan
D- R.Ellis, J.Morrow, Goncharov
G- J.Bernier, Visnetin, Thiessen, Murphy, Janus