2008 WJC: Team USA, Not Schroeder Fall Short

The Americans dominated the slightly weaker group in Liberec during the round robin stage of the tournament, but failed to deliver when it really mattered. In the last two games of the tournament, marquee players such as James vanRiemsdyk and Kyle Okposo were virtually non-factors, nullifying their impressive efforts during round robin play and eventually losing to Russia in the bronze medal game.

The one shining light was the undersized, 2009-eligible-winger Jordan Schroeder. Unlike most of his older, bigger and more experienced teammates, Schroeder actually stepped up his game when it mattered most. However, in the end, it was obviously not enough for Team USA, who finished off just outside of the medals, losing to Russia in the bronze medal game.

James vanRiemsdyk (Phi), LW, New Hampshire

Was an excellent offensive leader during the round robin games, but then his level of play dropped off dramatically .. has good straightaway speed, but his first couple of strides are sluggish and his lateral movement is not very smooth .. has a big frame and has added a good deal of muscle during the past year, which allows him to cover the puck very well and to be a highly effective force in high traffic areas .. soft hands and a good scoring touch, he knows where to position himself in front of the net and his wristshot could be lethal, as it is hard and accurate .. sees the ice well and has a strong passing game, although he is not used in a playmaking role .. could be even more intense and his focus on the defensive duties could be more diligent as well .. his rather lacklustre play in the medal round raises question marks on how well he handles adversity. Stats: 6-5-6-11

Jordan Schroeder (2009), LW, National U-18 Team

A smallish player, but compensates that with great speed and strong hockey sense .. has extremely quick first strides and has already developed an elite-level-top-gear, making him very hard to catch .. soft hands and strong stickhandling ability, he can dangle at high speed and has a wide range of dekes to choose from .. seems to be more of a playmaker than a goal scorer, and he has excellent vision .. setting up nifty plays seems to come natural to him .. not a bad shooter, he has a decent wristshot as well as a solid slapshot, but he is the kind of player that looks to pass .. a hard worker on the ice and his speed makes him effective on the backcheck as well .. always keeps up his intensity level, is not shy to enter traffic areas and overall, gives you an honest team effort .. reliable defensively at his level, despite his lack of experience. Stats: 6-1-7-8

Colin Wilson (2008), C/W, Boston University

Part of what was supposed to be the American leading line, but just as many others on the team, Wilson didn't show his best performance when it really mattered .. the Canadian-born-player is a reliable centre, but his offensive upside might be limited .. is not a strong skater, as his first strides are slow and then his overall acceleration and top speed are average at best .. has good overall strength though, which combined with a good reach, makes it difficult to knock him off the puck .. works hard both ways and is responsible defensively .. has a good wristshot and does not go for the fancy when he gets the chance to score, as he just wants to bury the puck as quick as possible .. his size and strength also makes him effective when crashing the net .. handles the puck well and is a good passer, but his limited vision and creativity does not make him suited for more advanced playmaking tasks .. is not likely to become a top-six player offensively in the NHL. Stats: 6-6-1-7

Kyle Okposo (NYI), RW, Bridgeport

Okposo was very much a one-man show at this tournament last year .. in time for the sequel this year, we were treated with more of the same old .. the winger is undeniably very talented, as he is a smooth skater with good acceleration .. has good size, strength, excellent deking ability and strong overall puckhandling, however, all the pieces never seem to connect for him .. tends to always rush the puck up ice and ends up attempting one deke too many .. does not utilize his linemates the way he should and simply lacks vision on the ice or desire to use it .. wants to be a flashy player at the expense of team success at times .. uses his size well when going for the net but could be more aggressive without the puck and create even more havoc in the offensive zone .. average defensively at best, as he sometimes just does not finish off his backchecking duties. Stats: 6-1-5-6

Mike Carman (Col), C, Minnesota

A smart and responsible two-way centre, who always gives an honest effort .. Carman does not however, have the ability to be an offensive leader at this level, as he lacks standout features, although he rarely does anything bad .. he is a solid skater, moves smooth on the ice and accelerates well enough, but lacks any type of real breakaway speed .. reads the game well, makes smart decisions with and without the puck, but is predictable offensively, due to his lack of real peripheral vision .. is borderline undersized and he will never have much a size advantage, but he still battles well along the boards and works hard for every loose puck. Stats: 6-2-1-3

Bill Sweatt (Chi), LW, Colorado College

Made his second and last WJC appearance, just like many other American players .. however, Sweatt was quite a disappointment at this tournament, as he has not at all taken his game to the next level since last year .. he is still an elite skater, with world-class top speed, but he should have displayed that amazing ability much more frequently here .. otherwise, Sweatt still struggles with his usual limitations, as his vision on the ice is only average and his passing could sometimes be choppy .. has neither the shot nor the poise of a sniper in front of the net .. works hard and is an effective penalty killer, but he needs to improve his weak spots to be more than a mere checking-line player in the NHL. Stats: 6-0-1-1

Jamie McBain (Car), D, Wisconsin

Less than two years ago, McBain was the top-scoring defenseman at the U18 WJC, but since then, little seems to have happened with his development .. McBain is actually a less mobile player than he used to be, as it seems he has bulked up in the wrong way, making him sluggish in his strides and lateral movement .. still has a booming slapshot, but did not take advantage of that as much he should have .. barely average in his own end, as he could be beaten easily by speedy opponents and he does not have the raw and aggressive physical game to compensate for his loss of foot speed .. has a good passing game and delivers crisp feeds from his own end. Stats: 6-0-1-1

Bob Sanguinetti (NYR), D, Brampton

Was surprisingly left out from last year's team and this time around, the OHL star could step into the shoes of Erik or Jack Johnson, as the leading American rearguard .. Sanguinetti displayed strong puckhandling ability, as he knows how to carry the puck up ice and deliver good outlet passes .. did not join the offensive rush that often and was an easy target to put under pressure on the forecheck .. is prone to mistakes when pressured and does not solve problems on the ice with the ease one should expect from an elite defensive prospect .. has a hard and accurate slapshot and is obviously useful on the powerplay .. despite his frame, Sanguinetti is not a very physical player, which he needs to correct for the next level. Stats: 6-1-2-3

Blake Geoffrion (Nsh), RW, Wisconsin

Another American player who have failed to take a step forward in his development curve .. was mainly used in a checking role on this team and did not display much more upside than that either .. has never been a strong skater and still has a choppy stride, but has decent top speed, albeit not breathtaking .. plays a simply game and does display much in terms of vision on the ice .. wants to get the puck in deep, cycle along the boards and manufacture some bad-angled shots .. has a hard wristshot, but with a slow release .. works hard along the boards and takes good care of his defensive responsibilities. Stats: 6-0-1-1

Rhett Rakhshani (NYI), RW, Denver

One American returnee to note a significant improvement in his game since last year .. has grown increasingly confident when handling the puck, which in turn give him more time and space .. now, he just does not dump the puck in, but he could carry it into the offensive zone or even set up a play .. his overall passing game and vision has improved, making him a much better choice for an offensive line these days .. a strong skater, as he is smooth and has an above average top speed .. strong upper body and could certainly carry himself in the battles along the boards or in high traffic areas in front of the net .. has a strong wristshot with a quick release, although he lacks the laser precision of a true sniper ..shows good attitude on the ice and has a strong work ethic .. decent defensive coverage, despite the occasional positional error.