2026 U S Olympic Team
- Thread starter Rabid Ranger
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What’s wrong with rolling your centers out on the PK? For short tournaments like the Olympics, minute management isn’t as much of a concern compared to a NHL regular season. Especially, when all 4 of your lines are capable of playing more minutes and scoring. Canada did this with Toews and Bergeron in 2010 and 2014 along with Cirelli in 2025. Canada also successfully used guys like Nash, Toews, Richards, Benn, Marleau, Carter and Staal in checking roles for their 2010 and 2014 Olympic Teams.
I think Eichel and Larkin are a must on the PK. Throw in Trochek for one of the pairings. If Trochek isn’t PKing, it takes a lot of his value away in a best-on-best IMO. After that you could add a role role player, bring Beniers or have Boldy take responsibilities.
I was just stating that the US should prioritize skill as their bottom 6 would have more skilled players than Canada’s if they choose it correctly. I see that as an advantage.
A couple of items:
* We don't need a defined bottom six. Just take the best players. I would argue that guys like Matthews and Eichel ended up being our best defensive centers/face-off guys anyway. We don't need the likes of Nelson, Kreider, and Trocheck. Just bring Keller, Thompson, Robertson, and Caufield for the Olympics and put them into positions to succeed
* Adam Fox will very much be a key fixture on the blueline. He has struggled a bit with injuries this year but still has 50 points and makes a positive contribution while on the ice. We'll likely have Q. Hughes for the Olympics so that could mean Fox plays on say the 3rd pair, but that's a good thing
* We don't need a defined bottom six. Just take the best players. I would argue that guys like Matthews and Eichel ended up being our best defensive centers/face-off guys anyway. We don't need the likes of Nelson, Kreider, and Trocheck. Just bring Keller, Thompson, Robertson, and Caufield for the Olympics and put them into positions to succeed
* Adam Fox will very much be a key fixture on the blueline. He has struggled a bit with injuries this year but still has 50 points and makes a positive contribution while on the ice. We'll likely have Q. Hughes for the Olympics so that could mean Fox plays on say the 3rd pair, but that's a good thing
Good point on Fox. I admit I just don't really watch him much. I don't think he had a very good tournament at the 4 Nations, but if I really think about it, a bad showing (which is also perhaps debatable) at a single tournament shouldn't get you dropped from the team completely for the next one that's a year later. Players can rebound pretty well.
Why are they doing that? It's stupid. That's like World Cup teams announcing spots 6 months before the tournament.
It will have zero material impact on who watches/attends/cares about the Games. Those on the fence that happen to see it will just forget about it in 3 months.
A lot of players didn't really do much (I'm looking at you Kyle Connor and Jack Hughes). You have to keep going to the well with these guys and hope they improve and have their seminal moment. Beyond that, Fox is one of the eight best U.S. d-men. I think they will go with (assuming everyone is healthy):
* Q. Hughes/C. McAvoy
* Faber/Slavin
* Fox/Werenski
* Sanderson/L. Hughes
Other guys I would consider include Hutson, Carlson, and Lacombe. I just don't think they can resist all three Hughes brothers on the same team.
