Olympics: 2026 U.S. Olympic Team

[Pavel Buchnevich]

The amount of bad takes hills he's died on over the years is impressive.

I’ve bookmarked your overemotional take about Fox.

You’ll be confronted with this going forward.

 

[AmericanDream]

Also I didn't think Fox played that bad. From what I heard the dude is battling through a knee injury..true or not I thought he played fine. It just so happened that 3-4 other guys played God tier levels (Slavin, Werenski, Faber & McAvoy when healthy) which made him look like the weakest link.

And if he is our weakest link in our top 8, we are set. Sanderson and Hanifin played well too. Hanifin doesn't have a wow factor but he was pretty smooth for the most part minus a few hiccups.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Sullivan is awful.

Dude is constantly trying to pound square pegs into round holes. Playing plugs/grinders over youth is one of his patented moves the past couple of years.

I will retract some of the negativeness if it comes out Connor has an injury he genuinely misses time for, but if not, and he sat him for Nelson is ridiculous.

The fact Connor didn’t play and a guy like Tage Thompson didn’t make the roster over some of these guys is another one.

Him playing Jack Hughes on the wing and scratching Connor made me lose a lot of faith in him for 2026.

I’ve bookmarked your overemotional take about Fox.

You’ll be confronted with this going forward.

Quinn's skating being heads and shoulders better while ceding nothing offensively or defensively makes him better than Fox.

 

[AmericanDream]

Him playing Jack Hughes on the wing and scratching Connor made me lose a lot of faith in him for 2026.

Connor was invisible. Connor isn't built for the 4th line and when he did get bumped up the lineup when Brady went down, he did nothing. Sullivan moved a lot around trying to get things going, I do agree that he should have put Jack at center for a stretch to see what they could do.

 

[Jaykay]

J. Hughes, Connor, and Fox have been too good at times to just leave out but they can be on a short leash. Sullivan was good about bumping guys down if they weren't playing well, continue that here.

Tkachuk-Eichel-Tkachuk
Guentzel-Matthews-Connor
Boldy-Hughes-Thompson
Miller-Larkin-Tuch

Keller, Cooley, Knies

Hughes - McAvoy
Slavin - Faber
Werenski - Fox

Sanderson, Hanifin

Hellebuyck
Oettinger
Wolf

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

It's so tough because Fox is a tremendous IQ player that should work for best on best but sometimes a guy like McDavid speeds past you and there's nothing you can do, example like what he did to McAvoy in Montreal. But with Fox, it's repeated and guys that should not be doing that to you. The play on the 2nd goal was something you'd see in a roller hockey game where the dman bits on the puck carrier and leaves the guy streaking behind. I might put Fox in very sheltered minutes next year in Italy, it also doesn't help we got no power plays tonight which is where Fox thrives the most

Sorry, this isn’t true.

Fox can’t cover two guys. Nelson completely lost the forward. Fox played the puck carrier, as he should.

 

[William H Bonney]

I’ve bookmarked your overemotional take about Fox.

You’ll be confronted with this going forward.

Oh no, how will I recover.

The difference is if Fox proves me wrong at the 2026 Olympics, I'll happily eat crow. You would continue to die with your take.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

This makes it seem like you just watch the fancy stats and not actually watch the game. Faber shut down the best players in the world at 22.

Very brave of him for being 22.

How did Faber shut anyone down when he rated poorly all tournament? The same can be said for Slavin. He was hemmed in his zone the whole tournament and people are lauding him because he made a few heroic plays.

Yeah, I’d prefer our team have the puck and have a boring, low event shift than needing someone to make a heroic dive, or slide, or block.

I mean, there's a reason he is perma-banned from the Rangers sub.

I’m not banned from anywhere. I choose not to post there.

Edit: I wish I could respond to this how I wanted, but of course you’re allowed to slander me and I’d get in trouble for coming back at you.

I’ll save myself the time going forward and do the easy thing, so I don’t need to be bothered with you anymore.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Oh no, how will I recover.

The difference is if Fox proves me wrong at the 2026 Olympics, I'll happily eat crow. You would continue to die with your take.

How brave. You’ll admit that we shouldn’t cut our best players from the Olympic team because they had indifferent four game exhibition tournaments.

I have no emotion about this. I don’t care who played like what. I want us to pick the best team next year. That’s how you build a winner. And we outshot Canada and outscored them in two games. Don’t know why we need some big change. It’s tough to beat a good team twice. Can tip your cap to them that they got the breaks and bounces in game 2 rather than trashing our best players and trying to find a way for Canada to convincingly beat us the next time after you overthink the roster and don’t bring the best players.

Quinn's skating being heads and shoulders better while ceding nothing offensively or defensively makes him better than Fox.

Hughes absolutely cedes something defensively to Fox, but whatever I’m not going to argue semantics. Just as I don’t care whether Eichel or Matthews is better. And I wouldn’t be arguing that Matthews doesn’t deserve to make the Olympic team. Absolutely ludicrous stuff.

 

[AmericanDream]

Unless Keller shows up in May for the WC he has zero shot here. Zero.

Connor did himself no favors. Didn't impress in camp, got 4th line role, then scratched after being bumped up for Brady against Sweden. I have doubts they bring him back next year.

Taking an early stab at it without knowing who shows up at the World Championships..

Hughes - Sanderson (play his offhand)
Werenski- McAvoy
Slavin - Faber
Hanifin - Fox

B. Tkachuk - Eichel - M. Tkachuk
Guentzel - Matthews - Robertson
Boldy - Hughes - Miller
Thompson - Larkin - Knies
Caufield/Kane

Hellebuyck
Oettinger
Swayman

 

[WarriorofTime]

Big silver lining is that this will certainly keep everyone motivated and prevent complacency amongst players and lineup/roster selections for the Olympics. You'd almost certainly rather lose the appetizer and be better prepared for the main entree next year. So they didn't win the NHL 4 Nations Faceoff Trophy, that didn't feature a bunch of the teams and nerfed a team like Finland that couldn't bring all the guys they'd like which ok, they've certainly shown there's not much separation between them and Canada, with an ability to withstand injuries and given they're a bit younger should be well positioned next year.

 

[Dominance]

Unless Keller shows up in May for the WC he has zero shot here. Zero.

Connor did himself no favors. Didn't impress in camp, got 4th line role, then scratched after being bumped up for Brady against Sweden. I have doubts they bring him back next year.

Taking an early stab at it without knowing who shows up at the World Championships..

Hughes - Sanderson (play his offhand)
Werenski- McAvoy
Slavin - Faber
Hanifin - Fox

B. Tkachuk - Eichel - M. Tkachuk
Guentzel - Matthews - Robertson
Boldy - Hughes - Miller
Thompson - Larkin - Knies
Caufield/Kane

Hellebuyck
Oettinger
Swayman

Scary team, but I guess that’s to be expected going forward with the US presumably only likely to expand its edge in the size of its overall player pool. The days of Canada’s “B Team” stacking up favourably against your top guys don’t feel that long ago, but are long gone now.

Slavin was your MVP against us both games, and he’s smart enough that I’d put him on his off-side on the top pair and give Hughes complete freedom to wheel.

Robertson is just too slow to be effective at this level. I’d look at how Stone, while still a stellar NHL player, was close to a liability for us this tournament - and leave Robertson off altogether.

 

[AmericanDream]

Also Vlasic is a name to keep tabs on too. Big shut down defender could find his way onto this team if Jones gets moved out and he is given the reigns...

 

[phillyjawn]

if Brock Nelson gets a roster spot on the olympic team I will freak out. Was noticeably terrible in almost every single game. don't know why he made the team over like Tage Thompson or Keller

 

[AmericanDream]

Scary team, but I guess that’s to be expected going forward with the US presumably only likely to expand its edge in the size of its overall player pool. The days of Canada’s “B Team” stacking up favourably against your top guys don’t feel that long ago, but are long gone now.

Slavin was your MVP against us both games, and he’s smart enough that I’d put him on his off-side on the top pair and give Hughes complete freedom to wheel.

Robertson is just too slow to be effective at this level. I’d look at how Stone, while still a stellar NHL player, was close to a liability for us this tournament - and leave Robertson off altogether.

I think his skating gets overblown. He had foot surgery over the summer so that didn't help him work on that. I would imagine if he has a full offseason to work more on that he will be fine. I am adding him here because of what he does around the net, something that Matthews can work well with..

 

[RedHawkDown]

Larkin should be the 2nd line C based on performance in this tournament.

 

[phillyjawn]

Larkin should be the 2nd line C based on performance in this tournament.

without a doubt. Eichel gets 1c, and move Matthews to the wing until he starts producing.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Sorry, this isn’t true.

Fox can’t cover two guys. Nelson completely lost the forward. Fox played the puck carrier, as he should.

Playing the puck carrier and allowing Bennett to go behind you is absolutely the wrong play there to make for Fox. At the worst, Nelson tracks back and catches up to Marner to make a stick check or make the play harder than it was. Fox tried to pick pocket Marner and start an odd man and he got burned.

Hughes absolutely cedes something defensively to Fox, but whatever I’m not going to argue semantics. Just as I don’t care whether Eichel or Matthews is better. And I wouldn’t be arguing that Matthews doesn’t deserve to make the Olympic team. Absolutely ludicrous stuff.

Quinn Hughes does not cede something to Fox defensively, he's on par with him defensively because, shocking, his skating ability is world class to Fox's pedestrian skating and makes up for the blunders he has. And the issue is Fox can't handle elite skating talent, you either have to put him with Slavin next year or bury him with sheltered minutes on PP1 and third pair. Fox is most likely a lock but he can't play against the big boys of Canada like last night or a very good top line for other countries. The Matthews and Eichel comparisons are dumb to make between the defensive counterparts we're talking about now.

 

[Joe Sakic]

I thought Jack Hughes was great. Despite no offensive production, weak defensive play and falling down 1+ time on every shift he was outstanding for us.

Auston Matthews; what a leader. For the Olympics I prefer we give him the C and an A on his jersey. Maybe the other A can go to one of the Tkachuk brothers.

 

[RedHawkDown]

without a doubt. Eichel gets 1c, and move Matthews to the wing until he starts producing.

I am Canadian and would love to see the Americans get wrecked again but Larkin is our captain and I can't root against him. I thought he was phenomenal for the US. I'd probably run a roster like:

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

Hughes - McAvoy
Slavin- Faber
Werenski - Fox
Sanderson

Hellebuyck
Oettinger

 

[JKG33]

Also Vlasic is a name to keep tabs on too. Big shut down defender could find his way onto this team if Jones gets moved out and he is given the reigns...

I was thinking the opposite, if Jones gets moved to a team like Dallas or Carolina, especially prior to this trade deadline, he could play his way back on the team. I wouldn't hate seeing him get reunited with Werenski.

without a doubt. Eichel gets 1c, and move Matthews to the wing until he starts producing.

This. Put Hughes at C and move Matthews to the wing, let him use his big body to win board battles that Hughes can't, and Larkin definitely deserves a bigger role.

 

[William H Bonney]

How brave. You’ll admit that we shouldn’t cut our best players from the Olympic team because they had indifferent four game exhibition tournaments.

I have no emotion about this. I don’t care who played like what. I want us to pick the best team next year. That’s how you build a winner. And we outshot Canada and outscored them in two games. Don’t know why we need some big change. It’s tough to beat a good team twice. Can tip your cap to them that they got the breaks and bounces in game 2 rather than trashing our best players and trying to find a way for Canada to convincingly beat us the next time after you overthink the roster and don’t bring the best players.

Not brave. I just don't pretend to be infallible like you. I get it wrong all the time, and If I'm wrong about Fox and he plays well at the 2026 Olympics, I'll admit I was wrong and be happy about it.

You get it wrong all of the time, too, but the difference between you and most everyone else is you will never concede because of your ego. Like when you bitched and complained non-stop about Carter Mazur making the WJC team and pathetically died on that hill while he had an excellent tournament. Or you claimed Larkin wouldn't be a center in the NHL. Or Turcotte was better than Jack Hughes. Or Bode Wilde was some huge WJC snub. There are endless examples of it, and it's why you butt heads with every single poster on this forum. Not because you have differing opinions at times, or because you get it wrong like we all do, but because you pretend you don't.

You seem to approach every discussion like it's a debate where you're more interested in being perceived as the winner (in your own mind) than anything else

Save the post, I don't care. I hope I'm wrong about Fox. I care more about watching entertaining hockey, and USAH doing well and hopefully growing the game in our country than I do about maybe being right about Fox.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Connor was invisible. Connor isn't built for the 4th line and when he did get bumped up the lineup when Brady went down, he did nothing. Sullivan moved a lot around trying to get things going, I do agree that he should have put Jack at center for a stretch to see what they could do.

I would've put Connor with Matthews last night, Jack Hughes doesn't belong on the wing. Also in a game where one shot decided it, the best pure goal scorer besides Matthews on the US roster, would've been nice to have.

 

[Breakers]

I'm all set on Adam Fox, this guy won a Norris? He's clueless out there in all 3 zones.

Good defenceman

But my god did he get slaughtered on canadas forcheck

Like completely dismantled

He pulled the parachute on a few retrievals essentially saying “here, take it”

 

[5 14 6 1]

If I picked the team

Tkachuk - Eichel - Tkachuk
Hughes - Matthews - Guentzel
Boldy - Larkin - Connor
Miller - Thompson - Keller
Robertson/Tuch

Hughes - Slavin
McAvoy - Werenski
Faber - Sanderson
Fox

Hellebucyk
Otter