The United States has been putting on clinics in recent years at the World
Junior Championships - they';ve medaled the last three years in a row (one
gold, two bronze) and now have a total of six medals in the last decade. After
the rosters for the USA Hockey Summer Showcase were announced, it looks like
the success will continue.

The showcase displays the top forty-one American players eligible for the U20
tournament - a majority of which come from the NCAA. Of those forty-one, here
are ten that have a real shot at cracking the roster and making a name for
themselves come December.ForwardsEvan Barratt, Penn State

Evan Barratt';s claim to fame comes from his shenanigans with Ryan Lindgren
more than it does from his talent, but that';s nothing to be afraid of because
he does have the talent.Evan Barratt of the U.S. National Development Team
(courtesy USA Hockey)

Barratt was best described by Penn State teammate Andrew Sturtz as, "a guy who
 likes to get the puck below the goal line and just wear guys down. He';s a
really hard-nosed player and he plays with his heart on his sleeve." Barratt
also went on to describe himself as a kid who loves shooting the puck and
scoring.

The US has always capitalized on using time and space to fire one past the
goalie. Add Barratt into the mix and now he can wear down the opposition so the
 US can get to work much faster.Sean Dhooghe, Wisconsin

Sean Dhooge';s most recognizable trait is that he';s six inches shorter than
Johnny Gaudreau. At 5-foot-3, if he makes it into the NHL he would be tied with
 Roy Worters as the shortest players to play in the big league.

"He doesn';t really play like a 5-foot-3 kid. People say that he could play
like he';s six feet. He';s not afraid to go in the corners, he';s got a lot of
skill, he likes to use his speed and protect the puck. He';s got some good
offensive skill with the puck and he can shoot the puck and score," older
brother Jason said of Sean.

Dhooghe has already won a U18 gold medal, after leading Team USA in scoring
with three goals and six assists in seven games. After scoring six goals and
tallying 10 assists last season with Wisconsin, it';s no question Dhooghe can
face off against older, bigger competition. If he can do that, playing against
players his age shouldn';t be much of a hurdle.Grant Mismash, North Dakota

Grant Mismash is the kind of player you';d expect to come out of UND: a kid who
 can shoot the puck but has some grit to his game. He';s the living embodiment
of the Fighting Hawks'; systems.

"Just a shoot-first mentality," Mismash said to Nashville Predators media, "a
competitive person who plays with an edge and kind of gets under the skin of
other players and likes to shoot the puck and get in those dirty areas and
compete hard."

Mismash is one of a handful of players in the showcase that are willing to
work in the dirty areas. In the past, Team USA has benefitted from a solid mix
of players who stick to the outside and get the puck around the crease for
players like Mismash to bang in.Ryan Poehling, St. Cloud State

Poehling is a to-be junior at, what was, the nation';s top program last season
in St. Cloud State. While still marinating in the NCAA, Poehling has some of
the best hands in the game. He was fourth in scoring on the elite St. Cloud
State Huskies with 31 points in 36 games - his teammates who scored more than
him were both older and played more games.Ryan Poehling (Courtesy St. Cloud
State)

As noted in his scouting report: "Ryan plays a sound game positionally coming
back into his own end and has a knack for creating turnovers on the backcheck."
 Couple defensive responsibility with deadly hands and he';s a Team
USA dream.Brady Tkachuk, Boston University

Tkachuk is almost a guaranteed returnee to this year';s roster - that is, if
the team that drafted him fourth overall this year lets him go this December.
That is up to speculation, but assuming he';s allowed by the Senators, he';ll
be a key player to the US this year.

Last year, he was third on Team USA with nine points (3G, 6A) in seven games.
He';s a big-bodied center who controls the play around the net. Every move he
 makes has a purpose. He doesn';t just hack and slash at the puck haphazardly.
He';ll be a beast on the attack and will fit well alongside a crafty
sniper.DefensemenMikey Anderson, University of Minnesota - Duluth

For the past two years, Mikey';s older brother Joey has been a member of Team
USA';s U20 roster. Last year, the two played together on Team USA and at UMD,
but now it';s time for Mikey to go out on his own.

"Anderson is a sound, two-way defenseman. Defensively, he's a rock, with great
gap control, good reads and a willingness to sacrifice the body," said Corey
Pronam of ESPN Insider. "He shows good vision transitioning the puck up ice and
 solid stick skills when evading pressure. I'd like to see a more explosive
gear in his skating, particularly for a player under 6-foot. His point
production and shot generation were impressive this season, and he might have
more offensive upside than some believe."

Don';t be surprised if Anderson is a top-pair guy or a captain/assistant with
his versatility and potential. He';d be a perfect fit alongside Quinn
Hughes.Quinn Hughes, Michigan

Quinn Hughes is an elite defenseman and is one of the most NHL-ready of all the
 players accompanying him on this list. He';s fast, he';s skillful, he';s a
hard worker and he';s confident. He';s a possible franchise defenseman.Quinn
Hughes of the University of Michigan. (University of Michigan Photography)

Hughes has already competed at the WJC as well as the World Championships.
After success on both stages, he';s a shoo-in for a top-pair position with Team
 USA. That is, as long as he has not signed with the Canucks or he';s allowed
to go, since Hughes has yet to make a decision of where he';ll be playing next
season.Dylan Samberg, University of Minnesota - Duluth

Samberg was paired with Mikey Anderson at UMD and the two went on a tear
together, leading their team to the Frozen Four and a National Championship.
Samberg credits his time on the U20 roster last year as a major component to
his success.

"Coming into this year, you don';t really know what to expect. It';s a new
game. It';s a man';s game. I just came in trying to work my hardest. I finally
got my confidence after I went to the World Juniors. I played well down there.
It really helped me when I came back," Samberg told the Duluth News Tribune.

Samberg finished the season with one goal and 12 assists, which tied for third
among UMD defenders last season. That';s not bad for a true freshman coming
from high school instead of the preferred junior system.

Since Samberg was the second-highest scoring American defenseman at the 2018
WJC behind Adam Fox with one goal and three assists in seven games, he should
be returning for his second year in the tournament. Who knows what that will
do to his confidence and production with UMD.Reilly Walsh, Harvard University

Walsh is exactly the type of defenseman that makes it to the WJC roster in
December and succeeds. He';s a defenseman that sits just around the 6-foot mark
 and has the skating ability to make up for it.

"The son of former NHLer Mike Walsh, the younger Walsh possesses a skating
stride that allows him to recover swiftly...He is able to change a game's pace
to disrupt opponents' rhythm. Generating speed over his first few glides, he
shifts speeds effectively to make up ground laterally," said THW';s Jeff
Hawkins.

Chris Dilks of SBNation also applauds Walsh as a spark among a sparse Harvard
Crimson lineup. Walsh could be considered, in comparison to another player on
this roster, as a second-pair Quinn Hughes, which would be the opposite of a
problem for Team USA.GoaliesCayden Primeau, Northeastern

Northeastern had possibly the best offense in the league, and it was easy for
Adam Gaudette and Dylan Sikura to have the years they had when Cayden Primeau
was in net. The freshman rightfully stole the net from Northeastern';s starter
of two years and went on to post a 19-8-5 record as well as a goals-against
average that was seventh best in the NCAA and a save percentage that was sixth
best.

ROBBERY!! 

Cayden Primeau continues to shine for Northeastern... 0-0 in the 2nd.
#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/WNptyQpgxF

- NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 24, 2018

Primeau, now a Montreal Canadiens prospect, has already donned the red, white
and blue as a member of the U18 team that won gold in 2017. Now he has a chance
 to come to the U20s as a Beanpot champion as well.

"I didn't think I'd go into college and earn all the accolades I have," Primeau
 said during a break in the Canadiens' development camp last weekend. "I love
challenging myself and I did that every day."

Some of Team USA';s recent goaltenders have also been successful, and
well-recognized prospects. Some of these names include the Canucks'; Thatcher
Demko, the Flames'; Tyler Parsons and the Maple Leafs'; Joseph Woll. Primeau
would fit in well alongside those names.

The post USA Hockey Summer Showcase Boasts Top NCAA Talent appeared first on
The Hockey Writers.

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