So far I like the coaching decsions.....Richards is solid as well as Gordon. It would be interesting to see if Philly missed the playoffs and Peter Laviolette does become available....I am sure he wouldnt want to be an assistant for this club, but it could very well be a tryout for him as well for the World Cup and next Olympics...same for Tortorella.
The US is finally starting to put out top notch coaches as well, so I really dont feel we can go wrong with the available coaches currently at our disposal.
As for the team, I would venture to say, like the rest of you guys, this team is going to be young. I dont want to automatically assume anyone that played in the Olympics will not be available for us, but you certainly have to rule out a good number of them.
I figured Ryan Malone wouldnt go, and it looks that way...if the Rangers miss, no chance Drury goes as well. This team is going to be lacking veteran leadership, unless guys like Chris Clark, Brian Pothier, RJ Umberger, or even Jason Blake can't answer the call. Not sure who will even be above the age of 26 for the US, but I still think Burke is going to be able to fill out a talented enough roster to keep the momentum going and be a medal contender.
As of now, we now know the US will NOT be getting the aid of either Jimmy Howard or Craig Anderson. Either one of those guys would have been a Godsend for this squad, but unfortunately they have more NHL business to attend to. So, the weight falls on Ty Conklin, Though he is no spring chicken, a solid WC tourney could vault him into a better situation overall next year....same goes for Clemmenson. As much as Scott has had such a bad year, I would still chew an arm off to have him on this team compared to what we had last year...Esche excluded. Clemmenson will be fighting for an NHL job next season, so I think he comes around a bit more this time around. As for Esche, he seems to be our go to guy lately. He is still a NHL calibre goalie, but is happy making more money in the KHL right now. If we can truly get Esche, Conklin, and Clemmenson (or hell, even Cory Schnieder), I think we will do fairly well.
As for the dmen, I think this area might actually be a strength. It will be a young core group, but the talent is surely there. Guys like Bogosian, Hainsey, Gilbert, Niskanen, Hillen, Whitney, Wisniewski, Gilroy, Chorney, Ballard, Lundin, etc all are going to be trying to continue making a name for themselves for the upcoming World Cup, and 2014 Olympics. The wild card is Erik Johnson, who should accept a role on this team, and continue to work on a solid season and a lost season last year. If EJ does come on board, our chances improve greatly imo.
A couple of kids that I have been very impressed with are; Dylan Reese and Jamie Mcbain. At this point, McBain looks to be a future top pairing dman. The kid plays the game as smooth as Paul Martin did at their respective ages...and imo, McBain has even more offensive upside. I would be utterly shocked if McBain does not get asked to play for the US, and a great showing would do even more wonders for this kid.
As for Reese, he has looked very smooth and confident as well. Though I think his upside is much less then McBain, I still feel Reese is showing just how capable he is at being a solid 2-way dman. He has nice hands, vision, and smooth skating to boot. He might be on the outside looking in right now, but I wouldnt be upset if they gave this kid a shot as well.
The forwards are deep, but that is counting on a few players who represented the US in Vancouver. Not sure if Kessel, Ryan, Backes, or Callahan want to suit up again this year; and I would bank on Drury and Malone saying no. I hope and pray at least 2 of those 4 do indeed accept offers to play for the US; and my gut says Bobby Ryan and Ryan Callahan will. Bobby and Burke have a solid past with one another, and the way Ryan has played, I think the kid wants to keep the hot hand going for a few more games. Callahan is an energy player that will have plenty of guys to battle with for final roster spots in 2011 and 2014...another answer the call and solid performance could almost lock him in for 2011 here. Kessel seems like he wouldnt do it again, and Backes looks to have run out of gas as well.
My ultimate hopes fall on these key forwards: RJ Umberger, T.J Oshie, Kyle Okposo, David Booth, Brandon Dubinsky and Patrick O'Sullivan. All of these guys need to answer the call, and this group would almost make up our top 6 forwards if the names above dont answer the call. I also hope that Ryan Potulny, Eric Nystrom, and Jim Slater can answer the call as well...as all can play up tempo gritty hockey that we will need on our 3rd and 4th lines.
Overall, this team is going to have to win the way we did in the Olympics; out hustle, out heart, and out work our opposition. If the younger Olympians do indeed answer the call, then I have high expectations for this team, if they dont, then I will just keep my fingers crossed and hope they gell quickly, and then get some help after first round eliminations..
