Biggs and Grimaldi Cream of the Crop

Underage call-ups for Team USA at the 2010 World Under-18 Championships, Rocco Grimaldi (pictured) and Tyler Biggs are still the cream of the crop for the USNTDP's 1993s. McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey was able to watch the U.S. U-18 team in action at the 2010 USHL Fall Classic and enters notes on Biggs and Grimaldi, as well as four other Team USA forwards who have the inside track toward selection in Minnesota next June.

Tyler Biggs (2011), RW, USA U-18

Looked great at the Fall Classic and has made significant improvements over the past year .. a 6-foot-2, 210-pound power forward who now has a powerful skating stride .. able to build very nice top speed and uses it on the forecheck, backcheck and in driving to the net .. able to really thrust up into his checks .. engages physically going for the puck .. possesses a hard wristshot .. able to make nice lateral stickhandling maneuvers .. able to handle the puck away from his body but can also draw it back in .. makes hard, crisp, accurate passes .. dropped the gloves with gigantic Omaha defenseman J.D. Carrabino and was upset it only ended up a wrestling match and punched the glass in the penalty box hard, which did not appear to hurt him at all .. wore the "C" at the Fall Classic, making him a prime candidate to wear it the whole season .. for some comparison, he was far more impressive at the Fall Classic than Omaha power forward Seth Ambroz, who cannot skate like Biggs .. committed to the Miami University.

Rocco Grimaldi (2011), C, USA U-18

Another hard summer of dedicated training has made him even more impressive than he already was .. is even faster and more powerful than last year .. separation is phenomenal, thanks to the exceptional power he has from the very first stride he takes .. covers so much ground so quickly and so efficiently .. skating is virtually perfect .. wins virtually every race to the puck, including when he starts well behind .. closes the gap incredibly fast on the backcheck .. can change gears, and his shiftiness is elite .. cruising speed is exceptional and is better than most players' top speed, as Grimaldi is always in control .. agility is amazing, as he can change directions incredibly quickly .. lateral agility leaves most opponents looking foolish .. able to fake opponents out of their jocks with his ability to swivel and pivot at speed .. stops are also incredibly powerful .. sends up a huge spray even with most of his one-foot stops .. center of gravity is so low, as Grimaldi stays very low in his strides .. to go with his world-class skating, Grimaldi is an excellent stickhandler who can handle it comfortably at all coordinates around his body .. only 5-foot-6 and 165 pounds, but is still extremely effective in shielding the puck from all comers .. able to weave through traffic at will .. always a step ahead of the play and knows what he's going to do .. has great offensive vision to find teammates, and he can buy so much time for his teammates .. shot power is even harder now, too .. can snipe his extremely hard wristshot .. has a powerful slapshot, too .. fires NHL-caliber passes that are smooth, hard, crisp, and accurate .. able to make hard passes at speed .. also extremely dangerous when allowed to set up .. is very intelligent in how he engages physically .. will play with some physicality now and again .. able to absorb the vast majority of the hits he receives regardless of the opponent's size .. committed to North Dakota.

J.T. Miller (2011), C, USA U-18

Mostly played wing last year, but played at center at the Fall Classic .. at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, he is one of the bigger forwards on the U-18 team .. was the U-17 team's most physical forward last season and is bringing it again .. able to launch into his checks .. a real threat to make a hit from the side on the backcheck .. conscientious defensive player who forechecks hard and backchecks hard and can create turnovers and strip the puck .. gets a little upright under acceleration, but still has good speed .. has good cruising speed with the puck and has some offensive vision .. makes hard, crisp, accurate passes .. has a knack of connecting right on the tape at distances to spring teammates .. also a threat off the half boards and on the attack .. able to make nice one-touch passes, too .. no college commitment of yet.

Ryan Haggerty (2011), RW, USA U-18

May have been the U-17 player who improved the most over the summer .. speed and stride have made significant gains .. has very good cruising speed and his stride extension is also now quite good .. more confident with the puck and can protect it by stickhandling away from his body .. makes crisp, accurate passes .. plays with some physicality .. dropped the gloves with Sioux City's Jake Suter and did well, getting in some good shots early .. listed at 5-foot-11 and 184 pounds, but it looks to be a very strong 184 .. not impossible that Haggerty could be similar to Bryan Rust for the U-18 team this year .. no college commitment of yet.

Travis Boyd (2011), C, USA U-18

Skating was off in first game of the Fall Classic, but was back to his normal self after that .. a smooth skater with good cruising speed .. has good speed with the puck and is a heads-up stickhandler who can assess the play .. able to weave through traffic with his cruising speed and stickhandling ability .. able to make some slick stickhandling maneuvers at speed .. able to make tight turns with the puck and is a threat off the boards .. makes crisp, accurate passes .. able to unleash a hard slapshot .. also sports a fairly hard wristshot .. is a bit undersized at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, but isn't prohibitively small .. figures to be among the U-18 team's top-six forwards in 2010-11 .. if he were born two days later, he'd be eligible for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft .. committed to the University of Minnesota.

Adam Reid (2011), LW, USA U-18

Has good size at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, but still needs to improve a number of his skills .. brings his skates up too much in his recovery phase .. edge control can be a little shaky in turns .. tries hard on the forecheck and will finish his checks, although his lack of speed reduces his effectiveness .. still a threat to strip the puck and create turnovers through sheer effort .. speed with the puck is a little slow, and he doesn't appear confident with the puck on his stick .. mishandles the puck at times .. now and again, he does show some hands and works his way through traffic .. capable of making some nice passes from the wing .. primarily received fourth-line icetime, but did manage to pot some goals at the Fall Classic .. the Under-18 team's weakest player in terms of skill and skating, but still a prospect to monitor .. has some potential if he can improve his skating, because the effort to be a physical force on the forecheck and in crashing the net is there .. spent the summer training with Rocco Grimaldi, which speaks of his work ethic and commitment toward improving .. committed to Northeastern.