Toggle sidebar

World Cup: 2016 World Cup — Team USA

  • Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have to wonder why Okposo (top 4 production among American players past 3/4 years) keeps getting passed over by Team USA...
 
Joe Zanussi said:
I would've preferred Johnson, but I wont lose sleep
Click to expand...

They're building a team, not an all-star team. Palmieri fills a different role than Johnson.

RMimagery said:
You have to wonder why Okposo (top 4 production among American players past 3/4 years) keeps getting passed over by Team USA...
Click to expand...

Okposo competes with Pavelski, Kessel, Oshie, and Wheeler for scoring roles on the RW. He's not really suited to play the role that Callahan would.
 
Palmieri is a solid addition. Granted, at this point, I was braced for Dustin Brown or Luke Glendening, so Palmieri was one of many welcomed choices.
 
William H Bonney said:
Palmieri is a solid addition. Granted, at this point, I was braced for Dustin Brown or Luke Glendening, so Palmieri was one of many welcomed choices.
Click to expand...

If Brown scoring had not dropped off the map the last few years, he'd be on the team. He fits the exact mold team USA is trying to build. Palmieri will do well .
 
Zippy316 said:
They're building a team, not an all-star team. Palmieri fills a different role than Johnson.



Okposo competes with Pavelski, Kessel, Oshie, and Wheeler for scoring roles on the RW. He's not really suited to play the role that Callahan would.
Click to expand...

No, but he's a top 3 producing F for Team USA and should be a top 6 RW, easily.

Only two eligible americans are ahead of him point per game, past 3 years, and they can't find a spot...

http://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/seasons/last-3-nhl-seasons-players-stats.html
 
RMimagery said:
No, but he's a top 3 producing F for Team USA and should be a top 6 RW, easily.

Only two eligible americans are ahead of him point per game, past 3 years, and they can't find a spot...

http://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/seasons/last-3-nhl-seasons-players-stats.html
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure you're referencing Okposo and not Johnson.

Regardless, Patrick Kane, Blake Wheeler, and Joe Pavelski are all ahead of him in PPG the last three years. All three of those guys play RW and will likely do so in a scoring role. Wheeler could easily drop into a third line role as well if Pavelski does not play center.

Okposo is stuck behind some very strong names on the right side to play a scoring role where he is needed. Same holds true for Kessel. At that point, especially after Pavelski/Kane, I would imagine that Team USA was looking for the players that could adapt to a variety of roles and don't need to be in a scoring role to succeed. Wheeler is capable of doing that; Okposo and Kessel are question marks in that regard. I'm assuming the roster, from a depth chart perspective, looks like the one below with the middle-six wingers being very interchangeable. If you have a guy like Okposo or Kessel, you need them in that 2RW role. USA already has a top-end offensive RW in Kane so they likely went for all-around guys to fill the 2RW and 3RW spots.

Pacioretty - Pavelski - Kane
Parise - Stepan - Wheeler
JvR - Kesler - Oshie
Abdelkader - Backes - Palmieri
Dubinsky

Suter - Carlson
McDonagh - Byfuglien
Johnson - Niskanen
Johnson
 
Last edited:
Zippy316 said:
I'm pretty sure you're referencing Okposo and not Johnson.

Regardless, Patrick Kane, Blake Wheeler, and Joe Pavelski are all ahead of him in PPG the last three years. All three of those guys play RW and will likely do so in a scoring role. Wheeler could easily drop into a third line role as well if Pavelski does not play center.

Okposo is stuck behind some very strong names on the right side to play a scoring role where he is needed. Same holds true for Kessel. At that point, especially after Pavelski/Kane, I would imagine that Team USA was looking for the players that could adapt to a variety of roles and don't need to be in a scoring role to succeed. Wheeler is capable of doing that; Okposo and Kessel are question marks in that regard. I'm assuming the roster, from a depth chart perspective, looks like the one below with the middle-six wingers being very interchangeable. If you have a guy like Okposo or Kessel, you need them in that 2RW role. USA already has a top-end offensive RW in Kane so they likely went for all-around guys to fill the 2RW and 3RW spots.

Pacioretty - Pavelski - Kane
Parise - Stepan - Wheeler
JvR - Kesler - Oshie
Abdelkader - Backes - Palmieri
Dubinsky

Suter - Carlson
McDonagh - Byfuglien
Johnson - Niskanen
Johnson
Click to expand...

Duby will play before Abdelkader. Easily. He shut down Crosby and Malkin when we played them in the playoffs, that'll be his role here. Also a CBJ so Torts gonna tort.
 
vogeezy said:
Duby will play before Abdelkader. Easily. He shut down Crosby and Malkin when we played them in the playoffs, that'll be his role here. Also a CBJ so Torts gonna tort.
Click to expand...

Dubinsky most definitely didn't shut down Crosby. In their matchups Sid won fairly handily and dominated pretty much no matter who he matched up with. He just didn't score goals because of bad luck , a significant wrist injury to go along with the fact he had to be their shutdown C cause Brandon Sutter was terrible. That myth about shutting Crosby down picked up steam but never was based in actual reality. I have no doubt Dubinsky will be asked by Torts to be his shutdown guy but he isn't gonna bother Canada's top lines much when they play.
 
http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/...on-relishing-return-team-usa-world-cup-hockey

Great Jack Johnson article
Once Lombardi said the magic word that revealed Jack was on the World Cup roster and allowed him to exhale, Johnson knew it was just Step 1 and that there was still more work to be done.

"When he said yes, I flat-out told him, 'I promise you. I won't let you down. Whatever you want -- kill penalties, block shots, change water bottles -- whatever you want, I'll be happy to do it.,'" said Johnson, who has worn the USA jersey at two U-18 world championships, two world junior championships, five world championships and one Olympics with a gold, two silver and a bronze medal to show for it.
Click to expand...
 
Anyone going to the games??? I absolutely hate the format but my buddies got me to commit to drive 7 hours to the USA vs Europe game.

It'll be my first appearance at a mens USA game, I'm pretty excited to see Kane and co.
 
interesting. I expected Suter or Parise a little bit more, but who cares, there is a lot of leaders. Good choice!
 
Taking a stab at the lines and D pairs:

JVR-Pavelski-Kane
Pacioretty-Stepan-Wheeler
Parise-Kesler-Palmieri
Dubinsky-Backes-Oshie
Abdelkader

Suter-Byfuglien
McDonagh-Carlson
E. Johnson-Niskanen
JJ

Schneider
Quick
 
William H Bonney said:
I hope Jack proves us all wrong. I'm not confident it happens, but I'll be rooting for him.
Click to expand...

I'm expecting a good tournament from him. For all his flaws he is a gamer who has always represented the U.S with snarl and heart everytime he has played for them. I have been one of the few that liked that pick for the U.S right from the start

Sometimes it is about having players with the right attitude. Teams need the right mix of guys like that.
 
Pacioretty-Pavelski-Kane
Parise-Kesler-Wheeler
Dubinsky-Stepan-Palmeiri
JVR-Backes-Oshie
Abdelkader

Suter-Carlson
McDonagh-E.Johnson
Niskanen-Byfuglien
J.Johnson

Schneider.

Kessel, Faulk, Okposo should all be here. Oh well.
 
I just want to see a line of Abdelkader/Backes/Oshie run amok. In all seriousness, I think the lineup is very solid. It will be very hard to play against and has enough skill to be dangerous.
 
Really wanted to see Kessel here. Still it is a very solid roster with a lot of potential to do damage.
 
Rhambo6 said:
Really wanted to see Kessel here. Still it is a very solid roster with a lot of potential to do damage.
Click to expand...

Any other coach and Kessel makes the team. I think they can overcome his absence though. I think the talent level of this team up front is being underrated a bit. It would be nice if guys like Backes and Abdelkader can score a bit but I don't think it's 100% necessary for that to have to happen.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom