As the players arrive in Plymouth, Mich., with 26 competing for 20 active skater spots starting Thursday, the staff and fans prepping to follow the tournament are hoping they’ll start learning some answers to open questions.

Things like who is on the power play and penalty kill should become evident. The roles certain players will be asked to play will become clearer. Plenty of things will not be settled until the team departs for Europe and gets into some pretournament games. 

The answers will begin to materialize this week, however, and here are a few of the most important things Team USA will have to figure out before the puck drops on Dec. 26.

Will Rutger McGroarty Be Healthy Enough To Play?

McGroarty’s status is probably one of the most critical questions facing Team USA at this stage. They have the forward depth to absorb the loss of a player like McGroarty, but as one of the leaders of this group, his presence would be missed on a variety of fronts.

McGroarty sustained an injury in a game against Penn State on Nov. 17. He was hospitalized with an undisclosed injury, but has been recovering. The World Juniors would be about five weeks out from the injury, which is why USA invited him to camp and is going to give him every opportunity to be healthy for the event. 

A message from Rutger McGroarty pic.twitter.com/vRsjQxnxvA

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) November 18, 2023

Based on the little I’ve heard about his recovery, I’d term McGroarty’s status as doubtful. We’ll know more by the end of the USA camp and whether he is on the flight to Europe with the group to see how close he really is to returning. 

USA can roster 20 skaters, but the IIHF has allowed for two replacements to be made in the event there is an injury or illness, creating some additional roster flexibility. Once a player is replaced on the roster, however, that concludes his tournament. 

The Americans could also opt to start the tournament short. This is a tactic they have used in the past when other players needed some extra time. They leave a roster spot open and buy themselves a few more days. It’s a little easier to do that now because you only have to be one of the four teams to reach the medal round, something the U.S. should do with ease given their group. USA opens the tournament against Norway.

There are a lot of options on the table at this point.

Should McGroarty not be available, I think that would more solidify a roster spot for Isaac Howard (TBL), who I’d term as an on-the-bubble option at this point.

Does Team USA Have A Goalie Controversy Brewing?

There are no bad choices when it comes to the goaltending position for Team USA. Trey Augustine (DET) is the incumbent starter who played last year as an underager and performed at a high level until games against Canada and Sweden where USA was a bit of a mess defensively at times. Augustine also won the U.S. a gold medal at the 2023 IIHF World Men’s Under-18 Championship.

🏒 #B1GHockey Three Stars 🏒

⭐️ @MSU_Hockey's Trey Augustine , G
⭐️⭐️ @BadgerMHockey’s Carson Bantle, F
⭐️⭐️⭐️ @BadgerMHockey's Charlie Stramel, F

➕ https://t.co/0N2zubFHfd pic.twitter.com/bYxSGggxOQ

— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) December 12, 2023

Jacob Fowler (MTL) has thus far been among the best goalies in the NCAA as a true freshman with Boston College. He is 13-3-1 for the No. 1 Eagles with a .925 save percentage. He also backstopped the Youngstown Phantoms to the Clark Cup in the USHL last season and helped the U.S. win the 2022 World Junior A Challenge. He’s thrived on the biggest stages afforded him, but he’s never experienced the World Juniors the same way Augustine has.

No matter how you slice it, the U.S. has two No. 1 goalies. It very well may take until the quarterfinal round to determine which of these two players is the go-to guy. And USA has time. They don’t have a particularly strong group with both Norway and Switzerland on their side of Gothenburg, but USA does have two challenging pre-tournament opponents in Sweden and Canada which will test their netminders adequately. 

USA had a great tandem in 2017 with Joseph Woll and Tyler Parsons – amazingly, current NHLer Jake Oettinger was the No. 3 goalie on that roster. Both Woll and Parsons split the pre-tournament games before USA ultimately decided to give Parsons the medal round. That decision proved fruitful as Parsons ended up being a major difference-maker in games against Russia and Canada, particularly in shootouts best known for Troy Terry’s heroics, as the U.S. claimed the gold medal.

Interestingly enough, this summer when I spoke to both goalies about their favorite World Junior memories, they called it “The Tyler Parsons Shootout.” All of the forwards called it “The Troy Terry Shootout.”

Which Defensemen Will Get The Penalty Kill Duties?

The U.S. does not have a litany of penalty-killing specialists on their blue line. That’s what opened the door to guys like undrafted Patrick Geary, who was not really on the WJC radar until late. 

You’d have to expect Ryan Chesley (WSH) to be among the top penalty killing defensemen for Team USA. I also could see the Americans being comfortable with Seamus Casey (NJD) in that role, with Drew Fortescue (NYR) being another option. If Geary can establish himself in a role, there could be a spot for him as a depth defenseman. He’s been used frequently on Michigan State’s PK and even has a shorthanded goal this season. 

Seamus Casey (NJD) has arguably been the best blueliner in the NCAA in the first months of the season.

Literally off-the-charts playmaking and chance creation numbers. Strong overall offensive production, excellent in transition. #NJDevils https://t.co/K04X1wMJze pic.twitter.com/ZYtBxlh2bX

— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) December 12, 2023

Can James Hagens Handle Top Six Duties?

This is going to be a big question for the tournament because it could be one of the keys to USA’s offensive attack. With Logan Cooley unavailable, the U.S. has an opening for a top-six center. Will Smith looks like he’s as good as gold as one of the two. After that, it could come down to a decision on whether or not to give James Hagens, a late-2006 birthdate not draft eligible until 2025, a crack at significant minutes.

When it comes to skill and hockey sense, Hagens can absolutely hang as he showed during the World Junior Summer showcase. He got shifts with Cutter Gauthier (PHI) and Jimmy Snuggerud (STL) and played well. That would have been Cooley’s spot.

Team USA players past, present and future share which NHL players they model their game after as we keep gearing up for the World Juniors. @iihf_wjc @usahockey

Watch more FloHockey original WJC Features: https://t.co/f90NTEca1Q pic.twitter.com/FZ4VuSzEPx

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) December 12, 2023

But he’s still a young player who still has some physical development ahead of him. There have only been 11 players in their Draft-minus-1 season that have played for Team USA. Neither Jack Eichel nor Auston Matthews who were among players who got the same chance Hagens is getting ended up playing the kind of substantial minutes we’re talking about being possible for Hagens.

The big difference here, however, is that I think there is better insulation for the young player. Hagens’ skills as a distributor and playmaker complement the high-end finishing ability of the bigger, stronger Gauthier and Snuggerud. 

Additionally, the U.S. has a pre-made line that they know can give them scoring pop with Will Smith, Gabe Perreault (NYR) and Ryan Leonard (WSH). Frank Nazar (CHI) has some built-in chemistry with Isaac Howard (TBL) and/or Rutger McGroarty (WPG) and Gavin Brindley (CBJ).

This might just be a case where Hagens makes the most sense because the other players may be more effective with other players. There’s also this next question, however…

Is Cutter Gauthier A Center Or A Wing?

This is another question that should be meted out during camp. Gauthier played some center over the summer, but ended up a lot on the wing. He is a high-end left wing that can finish and be one of the team’s primary goal scorers. However, he’s also shown at Boston College that he can still score goals from the center position and is a driving, powerful forward that may be better equipped for the grind of the tougher teams in the tournament.

Gauthier’s effectiveness, or at least his ability to take on a lot of center responsibilities in certain situations, could help with roster flexibility and finding the right fit.

Regardless of the position, Gauthier is one of USA’s most critical players and will be viewed as a leader.

How Does Aram Minnetian's Suspension Affect His Chances?

Aram Minnetian (DAL) was not invited to USA's summer evaluation camp, but he was invited to this camp. Unfortunately, however, Minnetian committed an infraction that saw him suspended by Hockey East for one game. Since Boston College plays no games between now and the World Junior Championship, the IIHF can review the infraction and determine if they will honor that ban at the World Juniors. It is in the IIHF bylaws that USA Hockey would have to notify them of a suspension to a candidate for their team. The IIHF then would review and make a decision about the player's eligibility for the tournament.

Stefan Noesen once lost his spot on Team USA's roster because the OHL suspended him for 10 games due to a check from behind and the IIHF ruled him ineligible for the tournament as a result. Timing was not helpful.

Minnetian is a bubble player for roster inclusion and will be eligible to return next season. In all likelihood, the IIHF would uphold the one-game suspension that would cost Minnetian a game at this World Junior Championship. If USA feels he is good enough to warrant inclusion, he likely has to sit the game. In the end, that may not be worth it for a player that's down your lineup.

We won't know until the camp concludes, but you'd have to think this suspension could prove costly to Minnetian's already tenuous chances of making the roster.

Having seen the one angle that the broadcast showed, that might be light https://t.co/H3WVoLb2th pic.twitter.com/XbOk8Pd9yR

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) December 11, 2023

How Will The Fourth Line Be Structured?

In the years that Team USA has won the gold medal, the fourth line has often played a surprisingly substantial role. One of the best examples is at the 2013 World Juniors when a line of Blake Pietila, Cole Bardreau and Ryan Hartman -- dubbed The Grind Line -- provided unexpected scoring depth, elite penalty killing and tough defensive shifts that wore the opposition down. 

USA has options for that kind of fourth line again, but they also have players that may be better equipped to provide scoring depth. Gavin Hayes (CHI), who is on pace for 50-plus goals in the OHL likely is destined for a fourth-line role thanks to his size and heavy game on top of being able to score and provide net-front presence. Oliver Moore (CHI) is unlikely to be in a top-six role, opening the door for him to prove his defensive prowess and speed can be a difference-making component for USA's depth. Danny Nelson (NYI) is a No. 1 center at Notre Dame, but is a one-time defenseman who brings size and some heaviness to USA down the middle or on the wing. Carey Terrance (ANA) is another quality option who fits a number of roles for Team USA and has the speed that can make a difference down their lineup.

USA will be looking for penalty killers, some grit, but they also know they don't want to give away much skill. That's why they invited the forwards they did. This is a skilled group on top of having players that can play with some grind. They have a litany of options available to them including the four players mentioned, William Whitelaw (CBJ) and Quinn Finley (NYI).