This is one of the deepest and strongest rosters the United States (USA) has brought to the World Junior Championships since 2019. Arguably the favorite to win Gold, the United States boasts 10 first-round draft picks.
This special edition series will examine several of the USA’s top fantasy hockey prospects. There isn’t room to cover everyone and I will exclude draft-eligible players. After you get done here please check out the rest of my International NHL Prospects Series.
Let’s dig in…
Fantasy Hockey Prospects: Team USA
Gavin Brindley, RW, Columbus Blue Jackets
Drafted 2023, Round 2, 34th Overall
Firecracker is a good adjective for Brindley. He’s a smaller player, 5’9″ and 170 pounds, but he packs a punch. He combines high-end speed, great agility, a quick release, and the smarts to make the right play, often the safe, simple play. Watching him at the World Juniors, the puck follows him around the ice.
He’s currently projected to be a middle-six forward in the NHL. One can’t help but think, after watching a few games, if this is his floor. According to Team USA’s official roster, he has added 13 pounds since the draft.
I can see him going back to Michigan for a third season. The lighter NCAA schedule gives him time to build strength and create the base needed for the rigors of the pro game. Unless he blows the doors off in training camp, expect him to start his pro career in the AHL. A realistic timeline is two years, after this season, before Brindley makes his full-time appearance for the Blue Jackets.
Isaac Howard, LW, Tampa Bay Lightning
Drafted 2022, Round 1, 31st Overall
You never know what you are going to get with late first-round picks. They are misses more often than hits, as far as becoming impact players in the NHL goes.
Now in his draft year, plus two, Howard looks more like a hit than a miss. He does a good job locating open space in the offensive zone, is a strong passer with a good shot. It has been his shot on display so far at the World Juniors, with six goals through four games.
Having switched schools this summer, a third year in college feels more likely than not. With Tampa Bay’s need for cheap contracts to round out their roster, Howard’s timeline to the NHL could be expedited once he does turn pro.
Rutger McGroarty, LW, Winnipeg Jets
Drafted, 2022, Round 1, 14th Overall
Expect McGroarty to leave Michigan at the end of this season. Michigan is a favorite to make the Frozen Four, so McGroarty may not join the Jets at the end of the season.
McGroarty provides a very safe floor and should become a top-six winger for the Jets. There’s Brock Boeser vibes with more peripheral value. Don’t expect a 90-point producer but don’t expect a 55-point player either.
Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, St. Louis Blues
Drafted 2o22, Round 1, 23rd Overall
He had a huge post-draft year with 50 points in 40 games as a freshman with the University of Minnesota. His World Juniors was just as impressive with 13 points in seven games.
He’s a big body with a nack for the net. The Blues have a reputation of drafting impact players with their first round picks. Snuggerud has all the makings of another one. With 16 points in 18 games as a sophomore, Snuggerud hasn’t had the same success on the score sheet as he did in his first year.
In October, I held expectations he would turn pro at the end of the college season. With what appears to be a step back I now have some doubts and wonder if he’ll return to Minnesota for a third season. I doubt it affects his overall timeline to reaching the Blues as a regular. Whether he plays in the AHL or NCAA next year, Snuggerud was always another full season, possibly two away from the Blues.
Gabe Perreault, C, New York Rangers
Drafted 2023, Round 1, 23rd Overall
The player that broke Jack Hughes USDP scoring records gets drafted 23rd overall. That’s not a storyline that most are expecting to read. Yet, this is Gabe Perreault’s story.
That is how real the concerns about his skating were at the draft. His stride isn’t smooth and it lacks explosiveness or high-end top speed. The skill is all there. It is all about him getting up the ice to use it.
It hasn’t affected him in his first season with Boston College. His 25 points puts him tops on the team, ahead of fellow first-round and World Junior teammates, Will Smith, Cutter Gauthier, and Ryan Leonard.
The NCAA is the perfect spot to work on his skating. He also needs to work on his strength before turning pro. He likely spends two more years at Boston College working on both. The Rangers can afford to be patient with his development. There might be a year in the AHL afterward, so the wait here could be a longer one. The hockey IQ AND skill set could make him well worth it though. A lot of boom-bust potential here.
Lane Hutson, D, Montreal Canadiens
Drafted 2022, Round 2, 62nd Overall
Canadiens fans are excited for this one. The only question on Hutson right now is strength. We’ve seen enough undersized defencemen with similar skill sets join the NHL in recent years to know what his potential could be.
As a freshman, he scored 15 goals and 48 points. In 15 games this year he has five goals and 20 points. Remember, he’s a defenceman.
USA Hockey has him listed at 5’10” and 178 lbs. He’s put on 16 pounds since his draft year. The added size will definitely help him transition to the NHL. He could join the Canadiens at the end of this season. If he does play, it will burn the first year of his entry-level contract, a big incentive for any NCAA prospect.
I know a lot of folks are expecting him to become the next Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes. His numbers are better than both after one and a half seasons in the NCAA. It is always better to use caution with players like Hutson. If he doesn’t take off in year one, too often owners give up on the fantasy prospect too soon and move on.
Sam Rinzel, D, Chicago Black Hawks
Drafted 2022, Round 1, 25th Overall
Rinzel moves exceptionally well for a 6’3″ defender. His skating and edge works are above average. He also has really good hands and vision.
He currently projects as a top-four defenceman for the Black Hawks. The skill package here is raw, which means, untapped upside. He’s a tantalizing prospect who could take a leap forward in the next couple of years offensively.
Rinzel is a couple of years away from making a Black Hawks roster but the upside is real. You see him compared to players from Cam Fowler to Brent Burns. This gives you an idea of the range of expectations and potential tucked in that lanky frame.
Trey Augustine, G, Detroit Red Wings
Drafted 2023, Round 2, 41st Overall
He doesn’t have the elite expectations of a Thatcher Demko or a Carey Price, but he still projects to be a very good NHL starting goalie. Right now Team USA is relying on him to backstop them to a world championship.
He is having an impressive freshman year for Michigan State University, with an 11-3-1 record and a .916 save percentage.
With Sebastian Cossa already in the system, the Red Wings hope one pans out to solidify the position for the next decade.
Augustine likely spends two more years in college before turning pro. He’s three to four years away. Patience is really a virtue with prospects.
That will do it for the United States for this article.
Thanks for reading.
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