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USA Hockey: Team 2006

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newschool

Registered User
Aug 27, 2004
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Well, I know I am being a big time nerd.
Not only I am going to spend all this time to construct and type this thread, I am doing this one day after Team USA was eliminated from the world cup.

I realize we lost 2-1 in the semi-finals of the world cup, but I, like many, see this world up as a failure for Team USA.
More so because, I think with the proper construction of the team, and coaching decisions, we could have been the clear cut number 2 team after Canada.

Team USA hockey is in the middle of a major transition.
There are a number of guys who were key to our world cup victory in 2006, and our silver medal in the 2002 olympics.
These guys, will possibly go down as the best core group of american born players in the history of USA hockey.
John LeClair, Jeremey Roenick, Tony Amonte, Doug Weight, Chris Chelios, Brett Hull, and the already departed Mike Richter, probably won't be a part of the 2006 US olympic team, and they shouldn't be.
It is time for a new ERA in team USA hockey.
We might have a difficult time in the 2006 olympics, but it will be good to bring some fresh blood in, and introduce some really young kids as well, to get them experience.
The good news, there are a number of promising young defensmen on the way, and with Esche and Dipietro, we should be fine in goal for quite some time.
Things will considerably change in two years, but let's take a look at the candidates for 2006, and then my mock team as of right now.

CENTER

The Center position should be pretty strong.
There isn't a ton of depth, but we should be able to have two very gifted offensive centerman, as well as a good checker, and versatile center for the fourth line.

CANDIDATES

Mike Modano - A shoe in to be the number one center, and will still be an elite player in 2006.

Scott Gomez - Gomez is a great playmaker, and has a legit shot at being the number two center. If we have depth at center, Gomez can slide over to right wing.

Tyler Arnason - Arnason is a very good young player on the rise who shold be on the team.

David Legwand - Time for Legwand to get his act together. If he does, he could find himself as the second line center. He really has the talent.

Brian Rolston - I have no idea why Wilson didn't use him.

Craig Conroy - The perfect candidate for checking line center in '06 with the bigger rink and no red line. You need speed in international play, Conroy has it and a defensive minded game.

Zach Parise - Parise was a star for the world junior champion USA team last year. He would be awfully young in 2006, but don't count him out.

Jeff Halpern - Decent player, bad choice this year, would be a bad one in '06 as well.

Tim Connolly - Don't count him out, but it doesn't look like he'll ever live up to potential.

Others - Ryan Kessler, RJ Umberger, Dan Fritsche

NEWSCHOOL'S PICKS
Mike Modano
Tyler Arnason
Craig Conroy
Brian Rolston
David Legwand
Gomez - RW


DEFENSE

It's very difficult to speculate where this group will be in two years.
There are a NUMBER of very talented young USA defensmen, but not alot of who are overly established.
If the selection committee does things right though, we should have a very young, hungry, mobile group.
Again, hard to say how good this group will be, but with so many talented youngsters, we should be AT LEAST solid.
The one problem I see though is, we will have alot of good defensmen, but probably no great, number one defensmen.
We'll see.

CANDIDATES

Brian Leetch - He is already slowing down a bit, and will be too old in '06. They'll probably pick him though.

Mathieu Schneider - Will be 37 in '06. Should have been on the world cup team, without a doubt.

Derian Hatcher - His game doesn't translate well to international play. Coming off his injury, he was better off not being on the world cup team.

Hall Gill - The same can be said of Gill, but it might be wise to have on big, physical defensmen on the roster. I happen to think Gill is very underrated anyway.

Ken Klee - 35 in '06 and was a very questionable pick this summer imo. I think the guy (now playing with Toronto, imagine that) is overrated. I would have taken Gill and Carney over him.

Aaron Miller - 35 in '06 as well, but this guy is darn good, and you need a vet or two on the team.

Jordon Leopold - We missed him this summer. Should be on the team, and likely would be one of the top guys.

Brian Rafalski - One of the most underrated players in the NHL. At 33 he should still have plenty left in the tank for '06.

Paul Mara - Another guy who should have been on this summer's team.
Mara continues to get better, and by '06 could be a top pair guy.

Bryan Berard - Should have been on the team this summer. In international hockey you can get away with a guy like Berard who plays little defense but is very mobile and skilled.

Paul Martin - A very solid young defensmen who will only get better. I wouldn't have had him on this team, but he played well and got valuable experience.

Ryan Suter - Suter is the real deal. He should get a serious look in '06.

Tom Poti - Is bad defensively, and is coming off a bad year. However, he was very solid in the 2002 olympics, and international play suites his game nicely.

Others - David Tanabe, Jeff Jillson, Keith Ballard, John Michael-Liles, Tim Gleason, Ryan Whitney.

NEWSCHOOL'S PICKS
Jordan Leopold
Brian Rafalski
Paul Mara
Aaron Miller
Bryan Berard
Paul Martin
Ryan Suter
Hall Gill


WING

This is not a very deep group, and there won't be any super studs.
This group will not be like 96, 98, and 02 where you had studs like LeClair, Tkachuk, Hull, Amonte, Guerin, etc etc.
To be honest, I am not very impressed by this group, and this could be a big weakness of the team.
One positive though is that we could put together a very speedy group.

CANDIDATES

Keith Tkachuk - A shoe in, and should still be pretty good.

Bill Guerin - See Tkachuk.

Scott Gomez - Move him to RW to strengthen the weaker wing position.

Chris Drury - Solid all around player who deserves a bigger role with team USA.

Mike York - Why in god's name was he left off the world cup team?
His speed will be a major asset.

Bryan Smolinski - I wasn't crazy about the selection this summer, and I wouldn't like it in '06.

Mark Parrish - I like Parrish alot, and think he was a snub from this summer's team.

Jaime Langenbrunner - You know you'll get a very gritty, solid game every night from him.

Ryan Malone - He could be a big time player for team USA if he continues to develope. I like his speed and grit.

Brian Gionta - The little fire plug could be a solid addition.

Jason Blake - Unlike most, I liked his selection, and think his eneergy and toughness could help out the fourth line or as an extra in '06.

Steve Knowalchuk - I wasn't crazy about his pick this summer, and with the bigger rink and no red line, Kono shouldn't be on the team.

Others - Dustin Brown, Barry Tallackson

NEWSCHOOL'S PICKS
Keith Tkachuk lw
Bill Guerin rw
Mike York lw
Scott Gomez rw
Chris Drury lw
Jaime Langenbrunner rw
Ryan Malone lw
Jason Blake rw
Mark Parrish extra
Brian Gionta extra


GOALIE

Really simple, and so I don't waste mine or anyone elses time.
We are set as heck here, and for along time.

NEWSCHOOL'S PICKS
Robert Esche
Rick Dipietro
Ryan Miller


THE FINAL ROSTER / DEPTH CHART

Center

Mike Modano
Tyler Arnason
Craig Conroy
Brian Rolston
David Legwand

Left Wing

Keith Tkachuk
Chris Drury
Mike York
Ryan Malone
Brian Gionta

Right Wing

Bill Guerin
Scott Gomez
Jaime Langenbrunner
Mark Parrish
Jason Blake

Defense

Jordan Leopold
Brian Rafalski
Paul Mara
Aaron Miller
Bryan Berard
Paul Martin
Ryan Suter
Hall Gill

Goalie

Robert Esche
Rick Dipietro
Ryan Miller


LINES / D-Pairings / Goalie Rotation

Scoring Line 1

Keith Tkachuk - Mike Modano - Bill Guerin

This line was awesome in the world cup this summer, and they should be again in '06. All three of these guys should have one big time USA tournament left in them.

Scoring Line 2

Mike York - Tyler Arnason - Scott Gomez

All three of these guys can fly. There is no pure sniper on this line, but York and Arnason are 25 goal guys, and Gomez can get people the puck.

Checking Line

Chris Drury - Craig Conroy - Jaime Langenbrunner

This is a checking line that can shut down other teams top offensive players, and do it with speed. In international play, if you want to check an oposite line, you have to do it with speed, not strength.

Energy Line

Ryan Malone - Brian Rolston - Jason Blake

This line will provide some grit and intense play. They can also chip in on offense as well.

Mark Parrish - If there is an injury or someone isn't producing on the scoring lines, Parrish can step right in. Parrish is higher ont he depth chart than Blake, but I want Blake on my energy line, and Parrish is my extra goal scorer.

Brian Gionta - Gionta is my extra third/fourth line forward. If need be he can go in and check, or more likely bring energy and a pesty game to the fourth line.


Top Pairing

Jordan Leopold - Paul Mara

These could very well be the top two defensmen anyway.
I like the mix with Leopold as an offensive defensmen, and Mara a guy who can play physical and strong defense as well as do things offensively.

Second Pairing

Brian Rafalski - Paul Martin

Their teammates, so you would assume they know each well, and they played very well together this summer.

Third Pairing

Aaron Miller - Bryan Berard

Miller will be 35, but he is a very good defensmen who can handle third pair duties. He compliments the offense first, offensive second, defense third, Berard very well.

Ryan Suter - He is here for the experience, but he could play.

Hall Gill - Just in case we need to add size or toughness, Gill would be ready to go.


Robert Esche #1
Rick Dipietro #2
Ryan Miller #3




Just for the record, this would have been my team for THE 2004 WORLD CUP:

Keith Tkachuk - Mike Modano - Bill Guerin
Mike York - Scott Gomez - Brett Hull
Chris Drury - Craig Conroy - Jaime Langenbrunner
Brian Rolston - Doug Weight - Jason Blake
Mark Parrish
Bryan Smolinksi

Brian Leetch
Mathieu Schneider
Chris Chelios
Aaron Miller
Brian Rafalski
Jordan Leopold
Bryan Berard
Hall Gill


Thoughts, ideas??

Hope you guys enjoyed this.


__________________
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today."

-James Dean-
Click to read more...
 
Your defence is team viagra part 2
Somebody 33 years old and over, is not young.

Surely America´s future has players like Eaton, Hamhuis etc..A good team should have a core of 23-33 year old players. Anybody over 33 should be seen as a near- retired..

If somebody young is worse than old player, it is only temporary..if given chance they should be soon as good... :lol:
 
Sorry to dampen your spirits but I highly doubt the NHL will be at the Olympics in 2006.

Defense is a problem for your 2006 team. I dont see it getting solved until perhaps 2010 or 2008 if there is another world cup. That gives time for guys like whitney and other big guys to learn the game and hone their skating skills.
 
Can you read Miss Hockey??

2006 USA hockey team Defense (ages in 2006)

Jordan Leopold 25
Brian Rafalski 32
Paul Mara 26
Aaron Miller 35
Bryan Berard 29
Paul Martin 25
Ryan Suter 20
Hal Gill 31

Of the 8 defensmen, only 3 are 30 years or older.
That means, 5 of the 8, which is more than half, are under 30 years of age, or will be rather, in 2006.

The average age of that defense is 27.8 years old.
You figure that a hockey player is usually considered to be in their prime between 25-30.

So, I'd love to know where you are coming from with my "old defense."

You say the core should be 23-33, the average age of the defense is 27.8.
 
miss hockey said:
Surely America´s future has players like Eaton, Hamhuis etc..A :lol:
Click to expand...
Dan Hamhuis is from Canada.

Mark Eaton is an ok player, but he'll never play in an international tournament for Team USA.
He simply isn't good enough.

Nashville fan??

Yeah, that is pretty funny.
You don't even know where Hamhuis is from.
 
I don't think the US will be able to field a competitive team in 2006 either. I think the USA's next time in international events is in either 2008 or 2010.

Our next big wave of talent is about 16-22 years old right now. DiPietro, Komisarek, Suter, Parise, O'Sullivan, Schremp, Montoya, Whitney, Johnson, Kessel, etc. are the core future, IMO. Most of them are still teenagers, which means they still need about 5 (or more) years to hit their stride.

There's not a lot of talent in the 23-28 range. There's Leopold, Martin, Gomez, Legwand, Malone, Miller, Cole, Mara, Berard, and a few others I'm probably forgetting. But there's just not a lot of depth, or any superstar players that stick out.
 
I think having Gionta & Blake on the same team is a redundant waste of resources. I think Blake is the better player & notch above Gionta. He was one of the U.S.A.'s top six forwards in the tournament. I'd rather have the versatile Adam Hall at 6-3 205 instead of the much smaller Gionta.
 
Last edited:
Dont forget about Keith Carney as a candidate for D, and I dont think you should leave out Ty Conklin.
 
Does anyone know for sure what citizenship Arnason considers himself as? He was born in the States only because his dad was playing hockey there at the time. He's from Winnipeg, grew up here and lives here in the offseason.

He'll never get a sniff at Tream Canada so the American program would definitely be a better option for him. Has he ever played internationally before?
 
newschool said:
Well, I know I am being a big time nerd.
Not only I am going to spend all this time to construct and type this thread, I am doing this one day after Team USA was eliminated from the world cup.

I realize we lost 2-1 in the semi-finals of the world cup, but I, like many, see this world up as a failure for Team USA.
More so because, I think with the proper construction of the team, and coaching decisions, we could have been the clear cut number 2 team after Canada.

Team USA hockey is in the middle of a major transition.
There are a number of guys who were key to our world cup victory in 2006, and our silver medal in the 2002 olympics.
These guys, will possibly go down as the best core group of american born players in the history of USA hockey.
John LeClair, Jeremey Roenick, Tony Amonte, Doug Weight, Chris Chelios, Brett Hull, and the already departed Mike Richter, probably won't be a part of the 2006 US olympic team, and they shouldn't be.
It is time for a new ERA in team USA hockey.
We might have a difficult time in the 2006 olympics, but it will be good to bring some fresh blood in, and introduce some really young kids as well, to get them experience.
The good news, there are a number of promising young defensmen on the way, and with Esche and Dipietro, we should be fine in goal for quite some time.
Things will considerably change in two years, but let's take a look at the candidates for 2006, and then my mock team as of right now.

CENTER

The Center position should be pretty strong.
There isn't a ton of depth, but we should be able to have two very gifted offensive centerman, as well as a good checker, and versatile center for the fourth line.

CANDIDATES

Mike Modano - A shoe in to be the number one center, and will still be an elite player in 2006.

Scott Gomez - Gomez is a great playmaker, and has a legit shot at being the number two center. If we have depth at center, Gomez can slide over to right wing.

Tyler Arnason - Arnason is a very good young player on the rise who shold be on the team.

David Legwand - Time for Legwand to get his act together. If he does, he could find himself as the second line center. He really has the talent.

Brian Rolston - I have no idea why Wilson didn't use him.

Craig Conroy - The perfect candidate for checking line center in '06 with the bigger rink and no red line. You need speed in international play, Conroy has it and a defensive minded game.

Zach Parise - Parise was a star for the world junior champion USA team last year. He would be awfully young in 2006, but don't count him out.

Jeff Halpern - Decent player, bad choice this year, would be a bad one in '06 as well.

Tim Connolly - Don't count him out, but it doesn't look like he'll ever live up to potential.

Others - Ryan Kessler, RJ Umberger, Dan Fritsche

NEWSCHOOL'S PICKS
Mike Modano
Tyler Arnason
Craig Conroy
Brian Rolston
David Legwand
Gomez - RW


DEFENSE

It's very difficult to speculate where this group will be in two years.
There are a NUMBER of very talented young USA defensmen, but not alot of who are overly established.
If the selection committee does things right though, we should have a very young, hungry, mobile group.
Again, hard to say how good this group will be, but with so many talented youngsters, we should be AT LEAST solid.
The one problem I see though is, we will have alot of good defensmen, but probably no great, number one defensmen.
We'll see.

CANDIDATES

Brian Leetch - He is already slowing down a bit, and will be too old in '06. They'll probably pick him though.

Mathieu Schneider - Will be 37 in '06. Should have been on the world cup team, without a doubt.

Derian Hatcher - His game doesn't translate well to international play. Coming off his injury, he was better off not being on the world cup team.

Hall Gill - The same can be said of Gill, but it might be wise to have on big, physical defensmen on the roster. I happen to think Gill is very underrated anyway.

Ken Klee - 35 in '06 and was a very questionable pick this summer imo. I think the guy (now playing with Toronto, imagine that) is overrated. I would have taken Gill and Carney over him.

Aaron Miller - 35 in '06 as well, but this guy is darn good, and you need a vet or two on the team.

Jordon Leopold - We missed him this summer. Should be on the team, and likely would be one of the top guys.

Brian Rafalski - One of the most underrated players in the NHL. At 33 he should still have plenty left in the tank for '06.

Paul Mara - Another guy who should have been on this summer's team.
Mara continues to get better, and by '06 could be a top pair guy.

Bryan Berard - Should have been on the team this summer. In international hockey you can get away with a guy like Berard who plays little defense but is very mobile and skilled.

Paul Martin - A very solid young defensmen who will only get better. I wouldn't have had him on this team, but he played well and got valuable experience.

Ryan Suter - Suter is the real deal. He should get a serious look in '06.

Tom Poti - Is bad defensively, and is coming off a bad year. However, he was very solid in the 2002 olympics, and international play suites his game nicely.

Others - David Tanabe, Jeff Jillson, Keith Ballard, John Michael-Liles, Tim Gleason, Ryan Whitney.

NEWSCHOOL'S PICKS
Jordan Leopold
Brian Rafalski
Paul Mara
Aaron Miller
Bryan Berard
Paul Martin
Ryan Suter
Hall Gill


WING

This is not a very deep group, and there won't be any super studs.
This group will not be like 96, 98, and 02 where you had studs like LeClair, Tkachuk, Hull, Amonte, Guerin, etc etc.
To be honest, I am not very impressed by this group, and this could be a big weakness of the team.
One positive though is that we could put together a very speedy group.

CANDIDATES

Keith Tkachuk - A shoe in, and should still be pretty good.

Bill Guerin - See Tkachuk.

Scott Gomez - Move him to RW to strengthen the weaker wing position.

Chris Drury - Solid all around player who deserves a bigger role with team USA.

Mike York - Why in god's name was he left off the world cup team?
His speed will be a major asset.

Bryan Smolinski - I wasn't crazy about the selection this summer, and I wouldn't like it in '06.

Mark Parrish - I like Parrish alot, and think he was a snub from this summer's team.

Jaime Langenbrunner - You know you'll get a very gritty, solid game every night from him.

Ryan Malone - He could be a big time player for team USA if he continues to develope. I like his speed and grit.

Brian Gionta - The little fire plug could be a solid addition.

Jason Blake - Unlike most, I liked his selection, and think his eneergy and toughness could help out the fourth line or as an extra in '06.

Steve Knowalchuk - I wasn't crazy about his pick this summer, and with the bigger rink and no red line, Kono shouldn't be on the team.

Others - Dustin Brown, Barry Tallackson

NEWSCHOOL'S PICKS
Keith Tkachuk lw
Bill Guerin rw
Mike York lw
Scott Gomez rw
Chris Drury lw
Jaime Langenbrunner rw
Ryan Malone lw
Jason Blake rw
Mark Parrish extra
Brian Gionta extra


GOALIE

Really simple, and so I don't waste mine or anyone elses time.
We are set as heck here, and for along time.

NEWSCHOOL'S PICKS
Robert Esche
Rick Dipietro
Ryan Miller


THE FINAL ROSTER / DEPTH CHART

Center

Mike Modano
Tyler Arnason
Craig Conroy
Brian Rolston
David Legwand

Left Wing

Keith Tkachuk
Chris Drury
Mike York
Ryan Malone
Brian Gionta

Right Wing

Bill Guerin
Scott Gomez
Jaime Langenbrunner
Mark Parrish
Jason Blake

Defense

Jordan Leopold
Brian Rafalski
Paul Mara
Aaron Miller
Bryan Berard
Paul Martin
Ryan Suter
Hall Gill

Goalie

Robert Esche
Rick Dipietro
Ryan Miller


LINES / D-Pairings / Goalie Rotation

Scoring Line 1

Keith Tkachuk - Mike Modano - Bill Guerin

This line was awesome in the world cup this summer, and they should be again in '06. All three of these guys should have one big time USA tournament left in them.

Scoring Line 2

Mike York - Tyler Arnason - Scott Gomez

All three of these guys can fly. There is no pure sniper on this line, but York and Arnason are 25 goal guys, and Gomez can get people the puck.

Checking Line

Chris Drury - Craig Conroy - Jaime Langenbrunner

This is a checking line that can shut down other teams top offensive players, and do it with speed. In international play, if you want to check an oposite line, you have to do it with speed, not strength.

Energy Line

Ryan Malone - Brian Rolston - Jason Blake

This line will provide some grit and intense play. They can also chip in on offense as well.

Mark Parrish - If there is an injury or someone isn't producing on the scoring lines, Parrish can step right in. Parrish is higher ont he depth chart than Blake, but I want Blake on my energy line, and Parrish is my extra goal scorer.

Brian Gionta - Gionta is my extra third/fourth line forward. If need be he can go in and check, or more likely bring energy and a pesty game to the fourth line.


Top Pairing

Jordan Leopold - Paul Mara

These could very well be the top two defensmen anyway.
I like the mix with Leopold as an offensive defensmen, and Mara a guy who can play physical and strong defense as well as do things offensively.

Second Pairing

Brian Rafalski - Paul Martin

Their teammates, so you would assume they know each well, and they played very well together this summer.

Third Pairing

Aaron Miller - Bryan Berard

Miller will be 35, but he is a very good defensmen who can handle third pair duties. He compliments the offense first, offensive second, defense third, Berard very well.

Ryan Suter - He is here for the experience, but he could play.

Hall Gill - Just in case we need to add size or toughness, Gill would be ready to go.


Robert Esche #1
Rick Dipietro #2
Ryan Miller #3




Just for the record, this would have been my team for THE 2004 WORLD CUP:

Keith Tkachuk - Mike Modano - Bill Guerin
Mike York - Scott Gomez - Brett Hull
Chris Drury - Craig Conroy - Jaime Langenbrunner
Brian Rolston - Doug Weight - Jason Blake
Mark Parrish
Bryan Smolinksi

Brian Leetch
Mathieu Schneider
Chris Chelios
Aaron Miller
Brian Rafalski
Jordan Leopold
Bryan Berard
Hall Gill


Thoughts, ideas??

Hope you guys enjoyed this.


__________________
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today."

-James Dean-
Click to expand...

ur 2nd and 3rd lines are quite good and can rly help the usa the 1st line won't be to good as those player are slowly climbing in age
 
People seem to forget that Paul Martin, if he stayed in college, would just be coming off his senior year. I do not think a lot of people gave him credit to start the year in Jersey. I cant imagine many if any thought he would have had a shot to play in the World Cup. So guys like Parise, Suter, O'Sullivan, Stafford, Eaves, Pressing, Ballard, Thelen and Stuart to name a few may just surprise. Throw in Leopold, Martin, Gomez, Arnason, Parrish, Malone and Halpern all guys who have played in NHL that will be under 30 too. We could have a very young team, and more importantly a hungry team looking to prove themselves.

Then you would have.

Leopold-Stuart
Martin-Pressing
Ballard-Suter
Thelen

Gomez-Eaves-Stafford
O'Sullivan-Arnason-Halpren
Parrish-Parise-Malone

And this is basically guys from MN, a wild prospect and current world cup players. I know they all wont turn out. But i think the possibilty of youth is there for sure. We just need to test the waters. And see if there is another Paul Martin out there.
 
Good call on Komisarek. Do you think there would be room for another young stay-at-home type like Orpik? Yeah, I know - I'm a homer ;)
 
At head coach: Stanley Cup Champion John Tortorella. Great with youth, and will play an attacking style that was simply not evident against Finland.
 
newschool said:
Dan Hamhuis is from Canada.

Mark Eaton is an ok player, but he'll never play in an international tournament for Team USA.
He simply isn't good enough.

Nashville fan??

Yeah, that is pretty funny.
You don't even know where Hamhuis is from.
Click to expand...

Mark Eaton is above an OK player. If he continues to play like he did in Nashville last year, he'll get some serious looks. He's already better than a good bit of team USA's D-core and he's just entering his prime.

And for a Preds fan, I don't think they've ever ventured onto the Preds message board.
 
I wouldn't underestimate Brian Gionta. He's my favorite player, so I'm a bit bias. Not only is Gionta very solid defensively, but he's great offensively. He is a true sparker like you said. Gomez and Elias's production surged about 175% when Gionta was on their line.

He's easily the toughest player per pound out there too.
 
I don't know how alot of people are going to feel about this, but if the NHL sends players to Turin, there might quite a few returnees from this year's World Cup squad. Here's who I think stand a decent/great chance of being considered (players in bold I consider heavy favorites):

Forwards:

Mike Modano
Keith Tkachuk
Bill Guerin
Chris Drury
Scott Gomez
Doug Weight
Jamie Langenbrunner
Jeff Halpern
Bryan Smolinski
Steve Konowalchuk
Jason Blake
Craig Conroy
Brian Rolston

Really, only Brett Hull has no chance of returning. At most, I can see about 6-8 roster spots at forward opening up. Other players that will get consideration:

Adam Hall
David Legwand
Erik Cole
Dustin Brown
Ryan Malone
Tyler Arnason
Mark Parrish


Defense will likely be another story. Players that have a good/great chance of returning:

Brian Leetch
Aaron Miller
Brian Rafalski
Paul Martin
J.M. Liles
Jordan Leopold

These are some defensemen that could get some consideration:

Mark Eaton
Paul Mara
Hal Gill
David Tanabe
Keith Ballard
Brooks Orpik
Mike Komisarek
Tim Gleason
Tom Poti
Jeff Jillson
Derian Hatcher
Mathieu Schneider


Goal will probably be set.

Esche
DiPietro

The following will merit consideration for the 3rd spot:

Ryan Miller
Brent Johnson
Brian Boucher
Ty Conklin
John Grahame
Mike Dunham


If I had to put together a roster, this would be it:

Forwards:

Tkachuk/Modano/Guerin
Malone/Weight/Drury
Parrish/Gomez/Cole
Arnason/Legwand/Hall

Extras: Langenbrunner, Brown, Halpern

Defense:

Leetch/Eaton
Rafalski/Martin
Leopold/Orpik
Mara/Tanabe

Extras: Gleason, Gill, Schneider

Goal:

Esche, DiPietro, Conklin

A good team, but capable of a Gold? Err........... :dunno:
 
Tom Priessing is an intresting player for the US

I would personally consider him but in the end probably leave him off the team. I would use him as a replacement if Leopold, JM Liles, or Rafalski go down to injury.
 
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