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Olympics: USA Roster Discussion (Roster in post 1)

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Blum should be our top guy. USA hockey does some dumb shit sometimes. It'd be eccentric if it worked but since it usually doesn't it's just dumb
 
Xokkeu said:
Well I look forward to us vs Slovenia and Korea for last place
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Wow, that was awful wasn't it. I watched the streams on the USAHockey website. No finish, no determination to get the puck to the net, everything stayed wide. Goaltending was bad. I was looking forward to seeing the kid from Jokerit, good numbers in the KHL, but he looked like an ECHL reject. Slovakia beat them solely on structure and discipline. Russia B and Germany just kicked their ass. What's plan B? AHL and college kids?
 
Xokkeu said:
Blum should be our top guy. USA hockey does some dumb **** sometimes. It'd be eccentric if it worked but since it usually doesn't it's just dumb
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He should be 1RD.

He played about 10 minutes today.
No time on PP.
3rd pair.
Through his two games played he is even with 1 primary assist.
Played fantastic. Chelios even told him how well he played. Everytime he was on the ice USA had the puck in Germany's zone.
Not rewarded for play, but this is a preliminary tournament. The team is picked January 1st.

He feels unsure that he will make the team based off his extremely limited time. There are clear favorites and undeniable politics dictating on-ice decisions.
 
Friar85 said:
Wow, that was awful wasn't it. I watched the streams on the USAHockey website. No finish, no determination to get the puck to the net, everything stayed wide. Goaltending was bad. I was looking forward to seeing the kid from Jokerit, good numbers in the KHL, but he looked like an ECHL reject. Slovakia beat them solely on structure and discipline. Russia B and Germany just kicked their ass. What's plan B? AHL and college kids?
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I don't think there's a plan B. I think we just go and make the World Cup disaster look like a rousing success. I dunno I'm looking for a silver lining and all I can think of is the USA team getting so embarrassed the NHL has to go back to the Olympics. But that's about as likely as the US team winning gold
 
Friar85 said:
Wow, that was awful wasn't it. I watched the streams on the USAHockey website. No finish, no determination to get the puck to the net, everything stayed wide. Goaltending was bad. I was looking forward to seeing the kid from Jokerit, good numbers in the KHL, but he looked like an ECHL reject. Slovakia beat them solely on structure and discipline. Russia B and Germany just kicked their ass. What's plan B? AHL and college kids?
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I'm not sure what people are expecting here. By and large the U.S. brain trust has brought together the best talent available with no NHL and very little AHL participation. There is no plan B. Is this team going to amount to much? Probably not, but what were the expectations?
 
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Rabid Ranger said:
I'm not sure what people are expecting here. By and large the U.S. brain trust has brought together the best talent available with no NHL and very little AHL participation. There is no plan B. Is this team going to amount to much? Probably not, but what were the expectations?
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Hey, I get it. I am a USA Hockey supporter. I've done evaluations for them at many, many District Camps over the years and assisted in their coaching development programs, etc. I go back to the AHAUS years so I understand how far we have come.
I was hoping, based on the resumes of the players involved, to have a more competitive team at this tournament. I don't see any reason why we can't be competitive in Korea. We weren't this past weekend. I am hoping that we put the best team in the ice available, if that is a few extra college kids, let's do it. I am hoping they don't grandfather in a guy like Malone who looked very out of place in Germany.
All that said, who ends up being the goalie for this team? I am at a loss to come up with a really good option. Do you try a guy like Muse or a college kid or hope the Jokerit kid lives up to his KHL numbers?
 
I don't expect very much. These guys have very little practice time or preparation. You need to have a longer pre-Olympic game schedule to be successful. There's no use crying about this, I guess. I feel bad for the players. I hope things look better with this team in Pyeongchang.
 
Friar85 said:
Hey, I get it. I am a USA Hockey supporter. I've done evaluations for them at many, many District Camps over the years and assisted in their coaching development programs, etc. I go back to the AHAUS years so I understand how far we have come.
I was hoping, based on the resumes of the players involved, to have a more competitive team at this tournament. I don't see any reason why we can't be competitive in Korea. We weren't this past weekend. I am hoping that we put the best team in the ice available, if that is a few extra college kids, let's do it. I am hoping they don't grandfather in a guy like Malone who looked very out of place in Germany.
All that said, who ends up being the goalie for this team? I am at a loss to come up with a really good option. Do you try a guy like Muse or a college kid or hope the Jokerit kid lives up to his KHL numbers?
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Well, what we saw at the Deutschland Cup isn't the finished product. That said, I think the results were misleading but that's the nature of short tournaments like this. You can be in every game and even outperform the opposition but end up 0-3. It happened in this event and happened with a vastly superior roster at the World Cup. Am I optimistic that this team is going to accomplish much? No, but that has always been my expectation. I think the U.S. (and Canada) are going to be in tough here.
 
Rabid Ranger said:
I'm not sure what people are expecting here. By and large the U.S. brain trust has brought together the best talent available with no NHL and very little AHL participation. There is no plan B. Is this team going to amount to much? Probably not, but what were the expectations?
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Totally agree. Expectations will be a rag tag lineup.
 
Whatever I'd rather have a fast team of naive college guys than a bunch of concrete booted grinders ten years past their prime like Gionta and Malone.

Oh well. Well lose every game problems even against Slovenia and just move on with life
 
The US has had mediocre results in the Deutschland Cup over the years but expectations had to be a bit higher since the players are competing for an opportunity to make the Olympic team. Of course, young and enthusiastic US World Championship teams have struggled against Deutschland Cup level opponents despite often having better talent than US Deutschland Cup teams so the fact that veteran journeymen didn't perform well isn't shocking. It's just disappointing.

Regardless, my feelings about the US Olympic team's chances are the same as they were before this tournament; they may lose all three preliminary games. I'll watch and pull for them but I'm not going to be emotionally invested in it the way I would be if I were watching a best on best tournament.

The most disappointing part of all this is that US hockey was on the verge of a generational change with some very exciting young talent moving in to replace the previous core. I'm sure anyone who was frustrated watching the outgoing generation humiliate themselves at the World Cup while the best and most exciting American players were on another team would really be craving the chance to see the young generation even more. But we're at least five years away from any possibility of that.

Semi OT but this is just a crap run for US international sports. Best on best hockey basically done for; US men's team crashing and burning out of World Cup qualification in jaw dropping fashion; Basketball World Cup / Olympic qualification in the hands of G League players (they'll probably make it but bad format change by FIBA all around for the sport imo). At least things are still promising on the women's side of things.
 
Pretty sure the US is automatically qualified for World Cup and Olympics basketball since they wont the last two.

If any sport there is no concern in the US for it's basketball. It's more concerning about the lack of competition.

Also the USA baseball team finally won the World Baseball Classic.

But yeah US soccer is giant dumpster fire.
 
Xokkeu said:
Pretty sure the US is automatically qualified for World Cup and Olympics basketball since they wont the last two.

If any sport there is no concern in the US for it's basketball. It's more concerning about the lack of competition.

Also the USA baseball team finally won the World Baseball Classic.

But yeah US soccer is giant dumpster fire.
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FIBA changed qualification for the World Cup and Olympics to a system closer to FIFA's so all countries have to play their way in each cycle. The US won't have NBA players for qualifiers over the next few years so the window is open for missing the major tournaments in a way it hasn't really been before. Other basketball powers, particularly in Europe, will be worse off though.

Forgot about baseball but it's not something I focus on much. It's about time there was success there though.
 
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cagney said:
FIBA changed qualification for the World Cup and Olympics to a system closer to FIFA's so all countries have to play their way in each cycle. The US won't have NBA players for qualifiers over the next few years so the window is open for missing the major tournaments in a way it hasn't really been before. Other basketball powers, particularly in Europe, will be worse off though.

Forgot about baseball but it's not something I focus on much. It's about time there was success there though.
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Interesting didn't know that. As you say I think that actually benefits the USA more. Those qualifiers are going to be pretty boring but the US has the most depth in basketball.
 
Well looking quickly at it looks like the Americas get 7 World Cup berths. The USA just has to finish top 3 of four the first round and top3 of 6 in the second round. It'd take something monumental I suppose to fail on that


Also the top 8 teams in the World Cup get an Olympic berth
 
With most of NCAA teams finished until after Olympic Team announcement which College players are in the running for a roster spot ?
 
NUhockey said:
Honestly if I had it my way I would fill the roster with these guys. It could just be matter of who USA Hockey thinks is most ready to take on veteran players.
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Agree. The idea of filling it with former NHLers that couldn't hack it is very unappealing. I want the team to have that 1980 magic.
 
I just want a good mix of fast energetic young guys with only a very minimal addition of slower veteran guys.

I have no problem with guys who were fringe NHLers like Sexton and Blum but it's the ancient guys like Gionta who is nearly 40 that scare me. Not picking on him particularly because maybe he's ready but just that kinda player
 
Xokkeu said:
I just want a good mix of fast energetic young guys with only a very minimal addition of slower veteran guys.

I have no problem with guys who were fringe NHLers like Sexton and Blum but it's the ancient guys like Gionta who is nearly 40 that scare me. Not picking on him particularly because maybe he's ready but just that kinda player
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There is not a single reason for Blum to not be on the team or in the top 4.
 
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