Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
I think that will be very close to the team that is named. Have Matthews, Eichel, Miller, and Larkin up the middle with J. Hughes on the wing.
World Cup: 4 Nations Tournament- Team USA (2025)
- Thread starter AmericanDream
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I'd be shocked if it's not Hellebuyck unless his performance just suddenly tanks.
Not only is he the vet, but he has a pretty unreal track record of elite play at this point in his career.
Oettinger is good but prone to some bad periods. I’m not sure he’d backup over Swayman and might not make the team if Demko is healthy in time.
Who can PK on this team? You need role players. Guys to forecheck and play a checking role. Won’t win if we bring 13 Fs who are offense first
WarriorofTime
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Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
WarriorofTime
Registered User
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+Larkin, Eichel for an even six, which I think is a standard number.
I'm not concerned about potential Team USA PK Forward options.
Miller is an ok PKer as well. I think this is partly why they need to bring guys like Tuch, Kreider and Trocheck though instead of loading up on the scoring wingers like Keller, Guentzel, DeBrincat, Caufield, etc.
Pretty much all the likely Dmen PK regularly as well except for Hughes.
Curious if Tage Thompson’s hot start will get him a place on the team? And if Robertson might be on the bubble now after making most mock rosters?
I don’t have anyone in particular in mind. I like Tuch as a 4th liner and obviously Larkin can take on a checking line role with the scoring Cs ahead of him.
Maybe one of Beniers, Colton, Knies, Coleman? I would’ve said Coyle a year ago, but he’s been horrific this year. But honestly I don’t think any of those guys are good choices.
I think you adapt Tuch, Larkin and Boldy to defensive roles and get the Tkachuk bros to playing a particularly heavy game. I’d leave the DeBrincat, Kane types at home.
Keller & Caufield are really tough choices for me. With the way Robertson is playing this year, it may be nice to have a replacement ready.
M.Tkachuk-Eichel-Miller
B.Tkachuk-Matthews-Boldy
Connor-Larkin-Tuch
Robertson/Keller-Hughes-Thompson
Random fun line ideas:
-Tkachuk-Hughes-Tkachuk
-Hughes-Eichel-Boldy : unstoppable in transition
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I don’t hate the roster choices, but the attitude of bringing big, gritty, physical players is giving me flashbacks to when USAH picked the team designed to “beat Canada,” and then literally didn’t beat anyone.
Pick the best players.
B.Tkachuk-Matthews-Keller
Hughes-Eichel-M.Tkachuk
Connor-Larkin-Boldy
Robertson-Miller-Tuch
Thompson
This team reminds me a lot of the 2010 Canadian Olympic Team. Big and skilled wingers in the Tkachuks, Boldy and Thompson and great 2-way centers.
For that reason alone, they should attempt to fill in their checking roles and PK with skilled players, similar to how Toews, Marleau and Staal, Richards and Nash filled those roles for Canada. I believe my roster provides that. No need for a Cole Caufield or Debrincat. Guenztel is the one player that’s hard to leave off, but that’s just how deep the US is right now. Would love to have Kane on the team, but he’s not making it in the top 6 so there’s no point.
Hughes-Eichel-M.Tkachuk
Connor-Larkin-Boldy
Robertson-Miller-Tuch
Thompson
This team reminds me a lot of the 2010 Canadian Olympic Team. Big and skilled wingers in the Tkachuks, Boldy and Thompson and great 2-way centers.
For that reason alone, they should attempt to fill in their checking roles and PK with skilled players, similar to how Toews, Marleau and Staal, Richards and Nash filled those roles for Canada. I believe my roster provides that. No need for a Cole Caufield or Debrincat. Guenztel is the one player that’s hard to leave off, but that’s just how deep the US is right now. Would love to have Kane on the team, but he’s not making it in the top 6 so there’s no point.
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
Some hard decisions are going to have to be made. I think the brass may reward Worlds participation, which means Boldy and Caufield could have the inside track. They are both playing well so I wouldn't mind if that happened. That would probably be at the expense of a guy like Keller though. It would be hard to leave off the Thompson/Tuch tandem as well.
The thing is as long as the US builds their roster correctly, there won’t be any shouting or crying even if they lose. Let’s be honest, not adding a Kreider, Trochek, Caufield or Kane will be the reason that the US loses. I definitely think if Canada loses on the other hand, there will be plenty of debate as to who should have been on the team.
With that being said, if the US makes some bone-headed decisions like they have in the past, they’ll get what’s coming to them. I think that’s really hard to do though with the amount of skill that’s available to them.
- Apr 27, 2005
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I know a lot of people are putting Werenski and Carlson on their lists, but I'd much rather have elite defensive guys. We already have Hughes and Fox to QB a PP.
Slavin - Fox
Hughes - Faber
Vlasic - McAvoy
McDonagh
Vlasic is really incredible, at this point I think he's overtaken McDonagh. He's the best American defender aside from Slavin IMO. Vlasic - McAvoy would be an awesome shutdown 3rd pairing.
Slavin - Fox
Hughes - Faber
Vlasic - McAvoy
McDonagh
Vlasic is really incredible, at this point I think he's overtaken McDonagh. He's the best American defender aside from Slavin IMO. Vlasic - McAvoy would be an awesome shutdown 3rd pairing.
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
I think the ship has sailed on McDonagh, but I can see Vlasic making it.
WarriorofTime
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Eye of Ra
Grandmaster General of the International boards
The difference this time is that the big gritty players are actually legit good players.
Kreider, Trochek, Tkachuk Brothers, Miller, Boldy, Larkin, Tuch, Thompson, Robertson do all have grit and have lots of skills. They should be picked over the likes of Kane, Debrincat, Keller, Connor, Caufield, Guentzel.
No need for Colton, Coleman etc. There is enough grit.
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Sting
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- Feb 8, 2004
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I can't help but feel that Sanderson is better than Vlasic and McDonagh in both zones, and certainly better than Hughes in the defensive zone. That said, his stock has slightly fallen after getting paired with an anchor in Hamonic so I wouldn't be shocked to see USA leave him off. His play with a competent d-man is night and day better.
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I'm a big fan of Sanderson, and I think he's better offensively than these two (though Vlasic has really closed the gap here), but I'd take either of them defensively. Sanderson is a solid defender but he's more of a two way guy than a shutdown guy.
Honestly, any of Sanderson, L Hughes, Vlasic, Faber, McDonagh, Pesce, or Hanifin would be adequate guys to fill in the 5th-7th slots. We need either defensive or 2 way guys to fill in, so guys like Werenski & Carlson aren't great options IMO. I think Vlasic, Faber, and McDonagh are the best defensive guys of that group, but you could very easily make some substitutions.
I have to disagree here. There is a false narrative going around that Luke is a mediocre defender, but that's really not the case.
I agree that Hamonic has been an anchor and it sucks that Sanderson has to carry him, but Hughes had to do the same with Brendan Smith for the first ~25 games of last year, which made his numbers look far worse than he actually played:
5v5 Hughes w/ Smith
3GF 16GA -13
5v5 Hughes w/o Smith
48GF 39GA +9
But Luke has been excellent defensively this year. He has really transformed his game under Keefe - there have been several nights where he's been the team's best defensive player, despite returning from injury and missing training camp. He looked like Jaccob Slavin in their recent game vs the Oilers.
These are their defensive numbers this year - I think they are largely unfair to Sanderson b/c of Hamonic, but it highlights just how good Hughes has been in his own zone.
His shot suppression numbers have been fantastic. Of the 171 NHL dmen with >150 5v5 minutes this year, Hughes is:
- 9th in CA/60 (1st among Devils D)
- 12th in SA/60 (1st among Devils D)
- 22nd in xGA/60
Even looking at their careers to date, Hughes and Sanderson's defensive metrics are pretty much a wash:
Canucks LB
My Favourite, Gone too soon, RIP Luc, We miss you
- Oct 12, 2008
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I think JT Miller should be more in a shut down role, he’s going to be a huge factor against McDavid, Basically his counter.
This USA team though is unbelievable
This USA team though is unbelievable
WarriorofTime
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Luke Hughes would be a borderline choice for the B-team right now. His time may come but it's not in February.
TBH, I don't have any real issues with selecting any of the guys you've listed other than maybe Tuch- but the reason for that is guys like Robertson, Thompson, Boldy, and to a lesser extent, Miller- aren't really "gritty" or physical players. They're just taller finesse players.
