Your 2014 United States men’s Olympic roster

[Steve Zissou]

Awesome breakdown of how players were (and weren't) selected:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2014/01/01/how-olympic-hockey-team-was-picked/4279829/


Little excerpt about Johnson from DL:

Some of the USA's top players had few reports filed on them, but most battling for spots had 15 to 20 reports written about them.

The most memorable scouting report was written by Lombardi, who had been asked by Poile to compare Jack Johnson, Yandle and Fowler.

It was a lengthy report. When the selection committee met at the Spanish Inn at Pebble Beach, Calif., on Dec. 9, some of the guys joked that the report was like reading Gone with the Wind or War and Peace.

But it was friendly banter, because Lombardi is highly respected for his cerebral, serious approach to his work. He is an insightful manager who is thorough in his preparation.

He couldn't make the California meeting because of a family issue, but he was on a speaker phone. He made a passionate argument for Yandle, calling him America's best offensive threat on the blue line.


Most notables left off the roster include Big Buff, Jack aka Captain American Johnson, Bobby Ryan, and Keith Yandle.


Roster:
Forwards (14): David Backes, Dustin Brown, Ryan Callahan, Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler, Phil Kessel, T.J. Oshie, Max Pacioretty, Zach Parise, Joe Pavelski, Paul Stastny, Derek Stepan, James van Riemsdyk, Blake Wheeler

Defensemen (8): John Carlson, Justin Faulk, Cam Fowler, Paul Martin, Ryan McDonagh, Brooks Orpik, Kevin Shattenkirk, Ryan Suter

Goalies (3): Jimmy Howard, Ryan Miller, Jonathan Quick

Click to read more...

 

[CNS]

Quick is likely the first player to play in the AHL and Olympics in same year, now that he's confirmed to get a rehab assignment.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Excited for Quick. He was 3rd string in 2010 behind Thomas and Miller. Now he's gonna be in the driver's seat with Miller right behind him.

 

[Muzzinga]

man, Lewis must have been right on the bubble

 

[Herby]

This roster is very sketchy.

TJ Oshie over Bobby Ryan? Why have Brown, Callahan and Oshie? Ryan cut when Parise isn't sure to be 100%.

The Pittsburgh defenders over Keith Yandle is equally pathetic.

No issue with Fowler being carried as the 8th defenseman for experience. But not sure if it came down to Fowler being chosen over Yandle or JJ.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Interesting quotes...

“There's something missing with Jack this year," Poile says.

"His gap is terrible right now. It's like he's got no confidence," Burke says.

"If he knew where he was on this board right now, it would kill him," Dean Lombardi adds.

Poile asks if they are being too hard on Jack Johnson, but no one rises to Johnson's rescue.

"He's having a bad year. He needs to get his s--- together," Dale Tallon says.

 

[Jason Lewis]

This roster is very sketchy.

TJ Oshie over Bobby Ryan? Why have Brown, Callahan and Oshie? Ryan cut when Parise isn't sure to be 100%.

The Pittsburgh defenders over Keith Yandle is equally pathetic.

No issue with Fowler being carried as the 8th defenseman for experience. But not sure if it came down to Fowler being chosen over Yandle or JJ.

Not sure I 100% agree with you on some of that.

Paul Martin has been a stud this year and he rightfully deserves that spot. Orpik is equally as effective shutdown defenseman and worlds ahead of Yandle in terms of the defensive aspect of the game. I think Fowler and Faulk are decent selections in injecting some young blood to this roster.

And Oshie, with the year he is having, deserves to be there.

I think Ryan should be on the team, but honestly you cut either Brown or Wheeler. Not Oshie.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

Reading the Burnside article, it sounds like Brown was a lock from the beginning and that never changed

 

[Reclamation Project]

Call me crazy, but I like this roster.

 

[CNS]

Call me crazy, but I like this roster.

The roster isn't terrible. Ryan being on it is. It's an outright travesty. One of the best offensive forwards. Deserves it over Brown this year. US has enough physicality and leaders without Brown.

I also disagree with Faulk making it over Yandle. Even Fowler over Yandle. But that's not as big of one as Faulk is good and Fowler is as well. Just Yandle is slightly better than both. And more of a vet.

 

[kingsholygrail]

The roster isn't terrible. Ryan being on it is. It's an outright travesty. One of the best offensive forwards. Deserves it over Brown this year. US has enough physicality and leaders without Brown.

I also disagree with Faulk making it over Yandle. Even Fowler over Yandle. But that's not as big of one as Faulk is good and Fowler is as well. Just Yandle is slightly better than both. And more of a vet.

You have a good shot at Brown being named captain.

Even if Ryan was on the team, he wouldn't be in the discussion for captain, so why people keep comparing to Brown making the roster doesn't make any sense.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Interesting quotes...

I think many have been reiterating what Tallon said about JJ for many years.

 

[CNS]

You have a good shot at Brown being named captain.

Even if Ryan was on the team, he wouldn't be in the discussion for captain, so why people keep comparing to Brown making the roster doesn't make any sense.

Because Brown has been bad this year. Look, I get that Brown is a leader and plays hard but the Olympics are a very short tournament. In something like that, you take the best players CURRENTLY. Brown has not played well at all this year while Ryan has been a bright spot on a struggling team and a consistent 30 goal scorer. The US doesn't lack leaders. Parise or Suter easily make great captains. I just don't think Brown deserves his spot because of his play this year.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Brown and Ryan aren't interchangeable. Ryan didn't miss out on a spot because of Brown.

I think many have been reiterating what Tallon said about JJ for many years.

Some people still say we lost that trade

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Awesome breakdown of how players were (and weren't) selected:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2014/01/01/how-olympic-hockey-team-was-picked/4279829/


Little excerpt about Johnson from DL:

Some of the USA's top players had few reports filed on them, but most battling for spots had 15 to 20 reports written about them.

The most memorable scouting report was written by Lombardi, who had been asked by Poile to compare Jack Johnson, Yandle and Fowler.

It was a lengthy report. When the selection committee met at the Spanish Inn at Pebble Beach, Calif., on Dec. 9, some of the guys joked that the report was like reading Gone with the Wind or War and Peace.

But it was friendly banter, because Lombardi is highly respected for his cerebral, serious approach to his work. He is an insightful manager who is thorough in his preparation.

He couldn't make the California meeting because of a family issue, but he was on a speaker phone. He made a passionate argument for Yandle, calling him America's best offensive threat on the blue line.


Most notables left off the roster include Big Buff, Jack aka Captain American Johnson, Bobby Ryan, and Keith Yandle.


Roster:
Forwards (14): David Backes, Dustin Brown, Ryan Callahan, Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler, Phil Kessel, T.J. Oshie, Max Pacioretty, Zach Parise, Joe Pavelski, Paul Stastny, Derek Stepan, James van Riemsdyk, Blake Wheeler

Defensemen (8): John Carlson, Justin Faulk, Cam Fowler, Paul Martin, Ryan McDonagh, Brooks Orpik, Kevin Shattenkirk, Ryan Suter

Goalies (3): Jimmy Howard, Ryan Miller, Jonathan Quick

My stab at what the lineup may look like:

Kane-Kesler-Kessel
Parise-Stastny-Pavelski
van Riemsdyk-Backes-Oshie
Brown/Pacioretty-Stepan-Callahan/Wheeler

Suter-Shattenkirk
McDonagh-Carlson
Orpik-Martin
Fowler-Faulk

Quick-Miller
Howard

 

[Muzzinga]

good quote in that espn article by Holgren, saying if they take Yandle, they need someone defensively responsible to counter the pick, like Jack Johnson.

HOLMGRENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

 

[Scottkmlps]

No, Ryan? Really?

 

[kingsholygrail]

Because Brown has been bad this year. Look, I get that Brown is a leader and plays hard but the Olympics are a very short tournament. In something like that, you take the best players CURRENTLY. Brown has not played well at all this year while Ryan has been a bright spot on a struggling team and a consistent 30 goal scorer. The US doesn't lack leaders. Parise or Suter easily make great captains. I just don't think Brown deserves his spot because of his play this year.

So why not just make a list of the highest scoring American players right now and stick them on your roster?

It's a good thing these guys consider more than just your fantasy hockey team when making these decisions.

 

[Herby]

So DL went to bat for Yandle over Fowler and Shattenkirk and they went the other way.

I wish they had listened to DL on that one.

As for Oshie, I just don't see it, never really have with him, like many energy type guys he gets overrated. And he stunk it up the last two playoffs vs. the Kings.

10 games, 2G, 0A, -6

No way do you bring him over Ryan, especially with ZP not at 100%.

This roster reminds me a lot of the joke Canada brought to Torino in 2006 and Nagano in 98.

 

[Live in the Now]

There are two omissions IMO, those being Ryan and Yandle. But I still like the roster. This team will be good.

Oshie has 33 points in 39 games. Your definition of energy player is certainly a lot different than mine.

 

[Herby]

And all things being equal USA Hockey is always going to bring a guy who came up through the NTDP and/or played college hockey. That may have hurt Yandle and Ryan.

Canada does the same thing, unless you are a superstar college player like Heatley or Cammalleri, you are going to have a hard time making their WJC roster.

Russian's used to do the same thing with players coming over to the CHL.

 

[Herby]

There are two omissions IMO, those being Ryan and Yandle. But I still like the roster. This team will be good.

Oshie has 33 points in 39 games. Your definition of energy player is certainly a lot different than mine.

Oshie has 6 goals, he isn't exactly on a 40 goal pace or anything. There is no way he and Blake Wheeler should on the team over Bobby Ryan, and considering they had Brown and Callahan as locks thats what it came down to, those two over Ryan.

 

[Tadite]

The ESPN article is amazing reading. DL shines as a thinker but the following quote is radically different then what I'd always thought.

"Burke recalls fighting with his scouts in Anaheim over whether to take Bobby Ryan or Jack Johnson at the 2005 draft.
The scouts won and the Ducks took Ryan.
"I should have taken Jack," Burke says. "No way he lets us down for 12 days.
"I know he's having a poor year, but I love everything about this kid.""

And

""I think we have to know what we're taking with Bobby," says Burke, who had him in Anaheim when the Ducks won the Stanley Cup in 2007.

"He's a passive guy," Burke says. And over 82 games, yes, Saad and or Pacioretty might be more attractive than Ryan. But Ryan's a game-breaker.

"He is not intense. That word is not in his vocabulary," Burke says. "It's never going to be in his vocabulary. He can't spell intense."

If he's not going to be put in a role in which he can score an important goal, use his skills as a sniper, he shouldn't go, Burke says."

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/10195703/how-us-hockey-team-bound-sochi-olympics-was-named

 

[CNS]

So why not just make a list of the highest scoring American players right now and stick them on your roster?

It's a good thing these guys consider more than just your fantasy hockey team when making these decisions.

Oh please. It goes much further than point totals. Brown has been invisible all year. He's been a non impact player. Ryan is. Ryan is a big body, will go to the net, is strong, and has tons of skill. He'd have easily been the 2nd line RW to me on a US team behind Kessel.

You can't argue that Brown has been better than Ryan. He hasn't. And it's abundantly clear. Brown was taken for his reputation and leadership when neither should warrant a spot on an Olympic team. Ryan is outplaying Brown in so many ways.

 

[Reclamation Project]

This team has tons of heart.