Similar to the goaltending position, there are only a few eligible defensemen able to return to this year’s squad. One is Seth Jones, who appears to be a lock for the Nashville Predators, who will need his services for their playoff push, leaving only one other returnee. Enter physical, stay at home defenseman Pat Sieloff, a 2012 2nd round pick of the Calgary Flames.

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Philadelphia - September 27, 2013 - Similar to the goaltending position, there are only a few eligible defensemen able to return to this year’s squad. One is Seth Jones, who appears to be a lock for the Nashville Predators, who will need his services for their playoff push, leaving only one other returnee. Enter physical, stay at home defenseman Pat Sieloff, a 2012 2nd round pick of the Calgary Flames. On last year’s squad, Sieloff did not play a huge role, but stepped in and played well when Shayne Gostisbehere was suspended. He had been seen as a lock for the squad up until recently when it was announced that he would be leaving the Windsor Spitfires to play professionally.

So far, he has not been cut from the Calgary Flames training camp roster, but he appears to be an outside shot to make the NHL squad. If he is assigned to the AHL, it is likely the Flames would release him to play in the World Juniors. With his status temporarily in doubt, it is possible that the defense could be all new faces. One common theme of USA’s defensemen the past few years is that they tend to look for guys with good size that are also strong skaters, and are familiar with USA Hockey (have played for the USNTDP or US National Team in some capacity). Skating will be especially important with this year’s tournament being played on international ice, meaning a bigger rink. With that in mind, here’s a look at who I think will claim the spots, assuming Sieloff will be released to play:

Matt Grzelcyk(Boston University, Hockey East): An undersized offensive defenseman, Grzelcyk has a strong familiarity with the U20 WJC team, as he was the last cut from last year’s squad, even travelling to Europe with the team to play a few exhibition games before he was sent back. After almost making last year’s squad, you would think that Grzelcyk is a virtual lock to make the team. He brings a very high hockey IQ, good skating, and a good first pass. He has a strong affiliation with USA Hockey as well. After being one of the best offensive defensemen in Hockey East last year, he will look to improve upon it in his sophomore season and make the US squad.

Brady Skjei(University of Minnesota, Big Ten): Along with Grzelcyk, Skjei was considered to be a contender to make the US squad last year after being a first round pick of the New York Rangers. But, he struggled throughout his freshman season and was not given serious consideration. Skjei is a very good skater that is good in his own end, but struggled to produce offensive last year, contributing just three points in 36 games. The talents to contribute offensively are there for Skjei, but he was unable to put it all together last year. He brings good size and is good in his own end. One thing that Skjei has going for him is that the coach of the US team is Don Lucia, his coach at Minnesota. Don’t discount the effect that familiarity with the player can have on selecting a team.

Ian McCoshen (Boston College, Hockey East): Running with the theme of strong skating defensemen, McCoshen fits the bill of a typical USA Hockey defenseman. He’s a good skater that is responsible in his own end, and while he does not have one specific skill that jumps out, he does everything pretty well. As a freshman at BC, he’ll have the opportunity to play big minutes and be a part of a formidable top three that will likely also include Canadian WJC hopeful Michael Matheson and Steve Santini (see below). If he can have a strong start to the year, his chances of making the squad are good.

Steve Santini (Boston College, Hockey East): Much like McCoshen, Santini is the typical US defenseman. He has good size at 6’2”, 201, is a good skater, and brings extensive international experience. He was named the best defenseman in the entire U18 WJC last year despite not putting up a single point. When Santini is at his best, you do not notice him at all. He can be physical at times, but is not overly physical and does not take himself out of position to make the big hit. He plays smart, effective defense while still providing a good outlet pass.

Connor Carrick (Hershey Bears, AHL): Carrick is a somewhat small offensive defenseman that had an impressive first year in the OHL before signing an ELC to play in the AHL. He put up 44 points in 68 regular season games, and 18 points in 15 playoff games. Before playing in the OHL, he played two seasons with the National team program, giving him an important advantage of familiarity with USA Hockey. Although he is not the strongest on the defensive side of the puck, the size and physicality that Santini, McCoshen, Sieloff, and Skjei bring would allow the US to take a smaller, more offensive defenseman.

Dylan Blujus (North Bay Battalion, OHL): I am predicting Blujus to fill the 7th defenseman spot. With this spot, I think it makes the most sense to select a player that can step in and fill multiple roles. Similar to Ian McCoshen, Blujus is a jack of all trades, master of none. He is a good skater, pretty physical, and good defensively with some puck skills. The biggest thing Blujus has working against him is that he has no international experience with the US, so he will need to stand out in order to get picked.

Those are the seven defensemen I expect to make the squad, but they are not necessarily the seven defensemen that I deem most worthy of making the team. Anthony DeAngelo is a dynamic offensive defenseman for the Sarnia Sting, who led the OHL in assists by a defenseman and was third among defensemen in points by a 17 year old, a truly remarkable feat. He is seen as one of the best prospects for the 2014 NHL Draft, but appears to be unlikely to make this squad because he has had a bit of a rocky relationship with USA Hockey, who is surely unhappy that he spurned the US program, choosing to play in the OHL instead. In the one international tournament he played in, he played very well, putting up 6 points in 4 games in the 2013 Ivan Hlinka tournament.

As we have seen with Blake Clarke, another top 2014 draft prospect for the US that has been ignored by USA Hockey, it is not only about how well you play the game, but also who you play for. In a world where the best players are always chosen regardless of history, I think DeAngelo makes the squad ahead of Carrick as the dynamic offensive defenseman of the squad.