Plymouth, MI – – Team USA concluded their first day of camp and I walked away with these conclusions.

Ty Smilanic (Panthers) – He was the fastest player in camp and that’s saying something. Who can cover him coming down the ice on the wing? This team has a great roster mix.

Brett Berard (Rangers) – He is the most versatile forward on the team regarding what line he could potentially play on. He looked good with Matt Coronato (Flames) and center Logan Cooley. Berard and Cooley (2022 NHL Draft eligible) had great chemistry.

Brock Faber (Kings), Luke Hughes (Devils), and Jack Peart (Wild) all looked exceptional on the blueline but Jake Sanderson (Sens) was best and he’s probably the best defenseman in the tournament.

Tanner Dickinson (Blues) – Was one of the most surprising players. He had speed and he was playing a lot with Chaz Lucius (Jets), who was very locked in offensively and he showed a lot of jump. Dickinson was a good complimentary player.

Dominic James (Minnesota Duluth, 2022 NHL Draft eligible) – If he made this team, he would play left wing. He has some great dekes, especially in the shootout and we know how important that can be. He was very aggressive in the offensive zone.

More tomorrow when the lines aren’t as blurry. A lot of combinations were tried out today.