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World Hockey Championship: Canada vs USA – 5 American Prospects to Watch

By Ryan Ritchie

Apr 9, 2016; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils left wing Miles Wood (44) skates in warmups before his first NHL game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2016; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils left wing Miles Wood (44) skates in warmups before his first NHL game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports /
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World Hockey Championship: Canada vs USA – 5 American Prospects That Could Have an NHL Impact in 2016-17

Qualifying rounds for the World Hockey Championship took place on Thursday in St.Petersburg/Moscow, Russia.

In an early surprise, Team USA knocked off a solid top ranked Group A Czech team in a shootout win.

Top prospect Auston Matthews scored a beautiful goal to secure the victory for the Americans.

Finland dominated Denmark in a 5-1 victory, Russia beat Germany 4-1, and Canada defeated Sweden 6-0.

Heading into the World Hockey Championship Semi-Finals, Canada and the United States meet once again for one of International hockey’s greatest rivalries.

Unfortunately, the American squad is full of prospects and fringe players (with a few notable exceptions). It made for a slow-start for Team USA, but the younger players have developed chemistry as the tournament grows older.

Here are five American prospects worth keeping an eye on in Saturday’s match-up at 1:15PM:

Auston Matthews (2016 Draft) – This is the obvious call. You can imagine fans in Leafs nation will take the opportunity to see how Matthews matches up against the likes of Morgan Rielly, Matt Dumba, and Ryan Murray. Currently leads USA in points with eight, one more than Detroit’s Dylan Larkin.

Hudson Fasching (Buffalo Sabres) – He made a short NHL appearance after wrapping up his final college year – it was too small of a sample size. Fasching only has one point in the tournament so far, but you have to center him out when he’s on the ice to appreciate his game. Tagged as a power forward, there is some finesse to his gritty style. Hudson is strong along the boards, and he does a great job protecting the puck. On a side note, he regularly finishes his checks. 

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Tyler Motte (Chicago Blackhawks) – Standing just 5’9, Motte’s undersized stature is highly noticeable. A high-energy player, Tyler is an absolute workhorse, and creative puck-handler. He’s got quick feet, with excellent acceleration and speed. Solid in his own-end, Motte is good two-way player. His only knock is that it’s relatively easy to knock him off the puck/overpower him. He will need to find a way to be stronger on his skates, and use his small size to his advantage.

Miles Wood (New Jersey Devils) – At 6’1 160lbs, Wood played his first NHL game towards the end of the 2015-16 season after wrapping up his final year at Boston College. A fast skater, Wood is extremely strong on the fore-check. He may be listed at 160 pounds, but he uses his size effectively to play a big man’s game that makes him look more like 200 pounds. A solid summer in the gym could pay big dividends for both Miles Wood and the New Jersey Devils.

Next: NHL Olympic Participation for 2018 in Doubt

Steve Santini (New Jersey Devils) – This 21-year-old RHD just finished his final year at Boston College before making his NHL debut towards the end of 2015-16. Santini would be best described as a two-way defenseman. He can provide a little on the score sheet (maybe 15-30 points/year), but Steve has a defense first mentality. His passing skills are arguably his best attribute. Santini makes a beautiful first pass to breakout, and has shown his ability to make that 90-foot pass to send teammates on odd-man rushes/breakaway’s – which we’ve seen a couple of times during the World Hockey Championship.

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