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Olympics: 2026 U.S. Olympic Team

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If the same U.S. management team is in place for the Olympic Team (which I believe it is), we're probably looking at a very similar roster:

Goaltenders (x3):

Hellebucyk (starter)
Oettinger (back-up)
Swayman

* My hope is Swayman rebounds next year (there are signs he is doing so now). If he doesn't, perhaps Wolf (if he continues to progress) or Demko (if he can stay healthy) may get the nod

Defensemen (x7):

Slavin/Faber
Q. Hughes/Fox
Werenski/McAvoy
Hanifin

* I can see a number of candidates for the 7th spot, including Sanderson and Vlasic. Hanifin has played well though and plays a style that should age well

Forwards (x13):

M. Tkachuk/Eichel/B. Tkachuk
Knies/Matthews/Keller
Miller/J. Hughes/Guentzel
Larkin/Trocheck/Boldy
Connor

* I think the forward group will be very similar, although I can see some turnover on the 4th line. A guy like Connor may be at risk as well. He hasn't shown much. I also think Matthews needs a strong playmaking winger to excel. I would have thought Hughes could be that guy, but he's been fighting the puck. He may be better at center.
 
Rabid Ranger said:
Forwards (x13):

M. Tkachuk/Eichel/B. Tkachuk
Knies/Matthews/Keller
Miller/J. Hughes/Guentzel
Larkin/Trocheck/Boldy
Connor

* I think the forward group will be very similar, although I can see some turnover on the 4th line. A guy like Connor may be at risk as well. He hasn't shown much. I also think Matthews needs a strong playmaking winger to excel. I would have thought Hughes could be that guy, but he's been fighting the puck. He may be better at center.
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I was wondering if maybe Hughes' "struggles" so far are a center vs. wing thing, but I wouldn't think they'd play him at wing here and center in the Olympics. Or maybe Miller plays center on that line.

I think Boldy goes up to Matthews' wing before they put Knies there just for chemistry's sake.
 
Dr Jan Itor said:
I was wondering if maybe Hughes' "struggles" so far are a center vs. wing thing, but I wouldn't think they'd play him at wing here and center in the Olympics. Or maybe Miller plays center on that line.

I think Boldy goes up to Matthews' wing before they put Knies there just for chemistry's sake.
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Fair points, although I really like Knies and see him as a serious candidate. May be too soon though.
 
Can’t believe the hate Fox is getting in here. Dude’s a 26 year old Norris winner. I’d take him over every single defenseman on this team. You should too. He’s quite simply proven himself better than them.

The pairs were only changed because Hanifin-Faber was shaky. Fox took one for the team that they needed to create more solidity in two pairs. The coach wasn’t gonna move his family member down. I’m happy that Faber did a lot better after getting to play with Slavin, but the player who has looked shaky at any point here is him, not Fox.

And the PP stuff is random. It worked with Werenski because the puck went in the net. It didn’t work with Fox because it didn’t.

Give your head a shake if you’re claiming he shouldn’t be on the team next year. And maybe with a different coach he’ll play a bigger role. Who knows? We don’t even know how this tournament will end, so relax on the insane take about him.
 
Rabid Ranger said:
Forwards (x13):

M. Tkachuk/Eichel/B. Tkachuk
Knies/Matthews/Keller
Miller/J. Hughes/Guentzel
Larkin/Trocheck/Boldy
Connor

* I think the forward group will be very similar, although I can see some turnover on the 4th line. A guy like Connor may be at risk as well. He hasn't shown much. I also think Matthews needs a strong playmaking winger to excel. I would have thought Hughes could be that guy, but he's been fighting the puck. He may be better at center.
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Forwards (14):
M. Tkachuk-Eichel-B. Tkachuk
Guentzel-Matthews-J.Hughes
Miller-Larkin-J. Robertson
Nelson-Trocheck-Boldy
Beniers-Thompson

First guys out:
Connor, Kreider, Keller

Connor definitely at risk. I think J. Hughes stays at wing though, and Knies would probably need to be at or above a ppg pace at the start of next season to be in serious consideration. Couldn't go with all chalk picks though and I think Robertson works his way back in. He's been extremely good since not making the team, and he plays IMO a less one-dimensional game than Connor. Kreider gets beat out by the more versatile Beniers as the extra "defensive" forward and Tage beats out Connor and Keller as the extra "offensive" forward. If you want a real out-there prediction as one of the extras -- Ryan Leonard

Defenseman (8):
Hughes-Fox
Werenski-McAvoy
Slavin-Faber
Sanderson-Hanifin

First guys out:
Carlson, L. Hughes, S. Jones

Fox is safe only because there's no obvious candidate at RD to replace him (in reality there is with John Carlson, but it seems pretty clear that the braintrust is not high on him). If Luke Hughes or Lane Hutson take a really massive step next year I could see them pushing but probably falling short. No need to dip into the McDonagh/Pesce/Anderson/Vlasic/Roy type players unless there are multiple injuries.

Goalies (3):
Hellebuyck
Oettinger
Swayman

First guys out:
Stolarz, D'Accord, Demko

Nothing to talk about at all here unless someone gets hurt. Of the rest of the field I don't think there's anyone with such a strong track record that you do anything but take the hot hand.
 
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Kreider will be gone next year, almost 100%. He has a back injury that has definitely hampered him, but he’s been atrocious this year. Unless he’s at like 40% right now, he’s basically just fallen off a cliff, which isn’t unexpected from a 33 year old.

The others I could see not making it back are Nelson, Trocheck, Hanifin, and Sanderson. If Demko gets it together, one of the goaltenders could be at risk (likely whoever is playing worse of Oettinger/Sway). I think Trocheck and Sanderson end up making it back, but we’ll see. Nelson, Hanifin, and Kreider look like the goners.

Thompson, Keller, Caufield, Hughes, Hughes, Hutson look like the candidates to replace these guys.
 
If they leave Connor off:

B. Tkachuk - Eichel - M. Tkachuk
Guentzel - Matthews - Keller
J. Hughes - Larkin - Boldy
Miller - Thompson - Tuch
Robertson

Q. Hughes - McAvoy
Slavin - Faber
Werenski - Fox
Hanifin

Hellebuyck
Oettinger
Demko/Swayman
 
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ZachaFlockaFlame said:
Not having him on an Olympic roster because he got posterized by the best player the league has ever seen skill wise is something. He's making the roster next year unless he's injured
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It looked to me like McAvoy and Werenski each thought the other guy had a better angle and hesitated. By the time Charlie realized that, McDavid was gone.

No competent staff would exclude either player based on that play. Both are top-6 locks imho.
 
As a Sabres fan who adores Tage, some cautionary advice.

He's not what one would call a complete player. He's still learning how to use his massive frame and long reach in board play and winning puck battles. Despite his size, he's not terribly physical, but more of a gentle giant type. Tage is often on the wrong side of the puck defensively and can get lost in d-zone coverage. Offensively he's mostly the stud the highlight reel watchers want in the lineup, with that ridiculous cannon of a shot and his sweet hands, but he does tend to overhandle the puck at times and can go 1-on-3, get easily stripped of the puck, and leave you shaking your head. On top of all that, he's often challenged by a nagging injury.

If there's a spot for a PP specialist who can be plugged into a top-6 center or wing position because of injury or lack of chemistry, with defensively sound linemates, Tage is your guy. Just understand what you're getting.
 
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Adam Fox always has the highest Expected Goals%, even when you think he only played okay.
1739716767808.jpeg.webp
 
ThatGuy22 said:
He played 13 minutes and was sheltered against Canada's big guns. Expected goals isn't a terribly great metric for a 1 game situation where the coach was definitely playing the matchup game, and not just rolling lines.
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I’m just saying that people are saying he played bad and he literally had the best analytics on the team. It doesn’t make sense.
 
Dr Jan Itor said:
If they leave Connor off:

B. Tkachuk - Eichel - M. Tkachuk
Guentzel - Matthews - Keller
J. Hughes - Larkin - Boldy
Miller - Thompson - Tuch
Robertson

Q. Hughes - McAvoy
Slavin - Faber
Werenski - Fox
Hanifin

Hellebuyck
Oettinger
Demko/Swayman
Click to expand...
Absolutely no on Tage being a fourth line center. It's scoring winger or nothing for him.
 
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ThatGuy22 said:
He played 13 minutes and was sheltered against Canada's big guns. Expected goals isn't a terribly great metric for a 1 game situation where the coach was definitely playing the matchup game, and not just rolling lines.
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We were protecting a 1 goal lead for half the game and Faber and Slavin were excellent/the best shutdown pair we have. If we were tied or behind you can bet Fox's time wouldn't have been limited. It's not any more complicated than that.
 
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Pavel Buchnevich said:
Kreider will be gone next year, almost 100%. He has a back injury that has definitely hampered him, but he’s been atrocious this year. Unless he’s at like 40% right now, he’s basically just fallen off a cliff, which isn’t unexpected from a 33 year old.

The others I could see not making it back are Nelson, Trocheck, Hanifin, and Sanderson. If Demko gets it together, one of the goaltenders could be at risk (likely whoever is playing worse of Oettinger/Sway). I think Trocheck and Sanderson end up making it back, but we’ll see. Nelson, Hanifin, and Kreider look like the goners.

Thompson, Keller, Caufield, Hughes, Hughes, Hutson look like the candidates to replace these guys.
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Did you see the last game he played for the Rangers when he skated like was shot from a cannon on the PK and skated by everyone to score a goal? He still has plenty left in the tank.
 
Sayba said:
Did you see the last game he played for the Rangers when he skated like was shot from a cannon on the PK and skated by everyone to score a goal? He still has plenty left in the tank.
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He legitimately only has 4 assists in 47 games this season. That is not a player good enough to make Team USA.

I'm very amenable to the idea that it may be that he's crippled due to this back injury, but unless it's that, he's cooked as far as playing next year for Team USA.
 
I'll post my full thoughts after the current tournament ends but if you're a guy who didn't make the Four Nations team, I think you have to feel pretty good about how many Olympic spots are still going to be truly up for grabs. I don't think many guys have locked down their spots for the Olympic roster that weren't already locks.
 
Hazy Little Thing said:
Over who? Slavin? Of course not. Werenski? No. Hanifin? Maybe but he just turned 28, shouldn’t expect him to decline in the next year.
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Werenski is only better than Sanderson on the power play but you don't need him there if you have Quinn Hughes.

When it comes to third pair 5v5/PK minutes I'd feel more comfortable having Sanderson or Hanifin out there. It's not an All-Star team.
 
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