Two Spartans Invited to Team USA Showcase

Both players were high NHL Draft picks this summer, with Lee going 26th overall to the Nashville Predators and Vansaghi going 48th to the Philadelphia Flyers.

This news follows two tough blows for the program: losing out on Gavin McKenna to Penn State and, the same night, losing Isaac Howard after his rights were traded to the Edmonton Oilers.

But just as fans began to panic, Michigan State got some encouraging news.

Lee is a talented dynamo whose game could thrive on the international stage. He has elite vision and hands, capable of threading passes through traffic with poise and precision. His patience with the puck allows him to wait out defenders and find the perfect window.

The one weakness in his game is a significant one: his skating. In today’s NHL, average skating isn’t a bonus; it’s the baseline. That’ll be something to watch closely in his development.

Vansaghi, on the other hand, is built for impact. At 18 years old, he already stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 212 pounds. Even against older college players, few could knock him off the puck or match him physically.

Now, with Howard moving on, Vansaghi should see a much bigger role. First, he played bottom-six minutes, but now, with a massive hole to fill, there’s opportunity ahead.

In just 12 minutes per game last season, the rising sophomore scored six goals and added 10 assists, which is a solid stat line for a freshman.

Given his size and physical maturity, it’s no surprise that he held his own last year, and expecting him to dominate as a sophomore doesn’t seem out of the question.

Even though it was a rough week for Adam Nightingale’s program, it didn’t all end up so bad. It just goes to show there’s still an unruly amount of talent brewing in East Lansing.

On top of Vansaghi and Lee, Cayden Lindstrom will be a driving force, and Trey Augustine remains one of the Big Ten’s premier goaltenders, having helped Team USA win back-to-back World Junior gold medals.

No McKenna? No Howard? No problem for the Spartans.

Stay up to date on all your Michigan State hockey news when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and feel free to share your thoughts when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

Be sure to also like and share our content when you follow us on X @MSUSpartansOnSI.