Olympics: 2014 - U.S. Roster Discussion
- Thread starter TheSituation
- Start date
- Status
What are the chances that Brandon Sutter makes the roster? He'll obviously get consideration. He's awesome defensively and with a full season with the Pens,
I could see his offensive numbers going up. He'd be a great addition to the fourth line and could be asked to shut down a line/player.
I could see his offensive numbers going up. He'd be a great addition to the fourth line and could be asked to shut down a line/player.
Brandon Sutter could score 100 goals and dish out 150 assists next season and he still would have no shot of making this team.
magic school bus
***********
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
I think the options at center are interesting. Kesler and Backes occupy those roles, but they should really be 3rd and 4th line guys (on this team). I think Stepan is putting himself in good position to make the team. Wilson is another possibility.
Cory Trevor
Smokes, Let's go
This. Stepan's making a serious case to be considered. Wilson gets an invite. Camp's going to be difficult to make decisions. If Wilson continues he's play he's a good option.
MattFromFranklin
Fire Sweeney and Neely
Wow, can't believe I didn't see this thread until now. Here's my team (as of now):
Forwards(13)
1. Patrick Kane
2. Zach Parise
3. Bobby Ryan
4. Joe Pvaleski
5. Ryan Callahan
6. Phil Kessel
7. Dustin Brown
8. David Backes
9. James van Riemsdyk
10. Max Pacioretty
11. Paul Stastny
12. Jason Pominville
13. Ryan Kesler
Other Forwards I'd invite to camp: Derek Stepan, Alex Galchenyuk, Blake Wheeler, T.J. Oshie
D-Men(7)
1. Ryan Suter
2. Keith Yandle
3. Kevin Shattenkirk
4. Tim Gleason
5. Brooks Orpik
6. Ryan McDonagh
7. Dustin Byfuglien
Other D-Men that I'd invite to camp: Jack Johnson, Alex Goligoski, John Carlson, Erik Johnson.
Goaltenders(3)
1. Jonathan Quick
2. Ryan Miller
3. Cory Schneider
Thoughts?
Forwards(13)
1. Patrick Kane
2. Zach Parise
3. Bobby Ryan
4. Joe Pvaleski
5. Ryan Callahan
6. Phil Kessel
7. Dustin Brown
8. David Backes
9. James van Riemsdyk
10. Max Pacioretty
11. Paul Stastny
12. Jason Pominville
13. Ryan Kesler
Other Forwards I'd invite to camp: Derek Stepan, Alex Galchenyuk, Blake Wheeler, T.J. Oshie
D-Men(7)
1. Ryan Suter
2. Keith Yandle
3. Kevin Shattenkirk
4. Tim Gleason
5. Brooks Orpik
6. Ryan McDonagh
7. Dustin Byfuglien
Other D-Men that I'd invite to camp: Jack Johnson, Alex Goligoski, John Carlson, Erik Johnson.
Goaltenders(3)
1. Jonathan Quick
2. Ryan Miller
3. Cory Schneider
Thoughts?
PaulieVegas
Registered User
You're joking, right?
Nothing against Sutter, he's a good player. But, you must be a member of the famed Sutter family if you think he should make this team.
PaulieVegas
Registered User
Forwards: Pretty much in line with what I expect.
Defense: Really, Gleason?
Goalies: That's the three I pick, but either Quick or Miller needs to step it up this season, or the door is open to the possibility that if Thomas plays in the Worlds and then tears it up the first half of next season, he may go in one of their places.
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
Cory Trevor
Smokes, Let's go
Forward core is solid however I have to think that Oshie makes this team. I could see them choosing Pominville instead but I really believe Oshie belongs on there. Yours is well structured and I think represents what most of us think. Maybe leave JVR off depending on his pace at that time.
As for your D Core, I think you are off. Gleason, Orpik and Byfuglien should all be left off. If any of them I'd say Orpik stays but I don't see it happening.
D Core more like:
Suter
Yandle
McDonagh
Shattdeuces22
Carlson
EJ
with JJ as the seventh.
3 RH, 3 LH
I got to agree with everybody else. Guys like Gleason are simply not going to have the same value on the big ice as they would on a small rink like in Vancouver. I'm taking puck movers and even the elite defensive guys I'm taking can all skate at elite levels and move the puck well, see Erik Johnson and Ryan McDonaugh.
Cory Trevor
Smokes, Let's go
Boom. This is why I definitely see Gleason getting left off. I think they will carry JJ for at least the seventh defensemen spot but I don't want to start sacrificing solely due to the fact that he's Mister America. What I care about is the result. I think they carry three lefties and three righties for the D core.
What are your thoughts on Justin Faulk? I really haven't gotten to see alot of him but it appears every Canes fan I talk to has been giving rave reviews. The puck movers is going to be the most difficult thing as far as I'm concerned with McDonagh being a solid shut down and Suter being the number one. Not playing together of course. I've heard Yandle's a liabilty in his own end which is a bit concerning. Suter, McDonagh, Yandle, Carlson are the four that make it for sure for me. As close to locks without being so as it gets. EJ, JJ, Shatty, and Faulk are all bucking up. But I think if they allow teams to carry eight, those are the ones they carry.
Last edited:
Justin Faulk is a budding superstar in my opinion. It's not even close between him and Carlson.
Cory Trevor
Smokes, Let's go
Really? I'll have to pay more attention. You aren't the only one singing his praises on these boards.
JackSlater
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2010
- 18,084
- 12,733
I'm a Canadian fan (disclaimer) but I have decided to take a stab at team USA for 2014. I will provide explanations for the lines below. I am interested in taking a look at teams other than Canada and USA is a good place to start as it is the team I would rather win should Canada lose, given certain criteria. This is what I would want to see if I was an American fan:
Parise Pavelski Kane
Brown Stastny Kessel
Ryan Kesler Backes
Pacioretty Stepan Callahan
Wheeler
Suter Martin
McDonagh Shattenkirk
Fowler E. Johnson
J. Johnson
Quick
Miller
Anderson
Line 1: USA's strength is at the wing, and the first line demonstrates that very clearly. Kane is an elite playmaker and should excel in international hockey. Whatever line he is on becomes the default first. Likewise, Parise is an elite LW, and fortunately his game should complement Kane well as he foreckecks furiously, dominates corners and finishes what Kane generates. Pavelski is not a conventional #1 centre choice, but this is USA's weakness so creativity is needed. Pavelski is a great glue player who can play any number of roles. He is competent defensively, which helps with Kane being required to play a completely defensive role, and like Parise is more than adept in the corners and in front of the net. Overall it's quite a strong line with no weakness at all.
Line 2: This is a boom or bust line, but the potential is there. Kessel is one of the most dangerous USA forwards, and his elite skating and shot are weapons that the other team always has to consider. Stastny has largely been a disappointment, but playmaking is lacking severely for USA and he is certainly a playmaker. Kessel was great with Marc Savard in Boston, and I see Stastny as a similar player. I am thinking that they could find some decent chemistry if givent he chance. His high hockey sense would be needed with this set of wingers. Brown is a strange choice for a second line, but I think he is the right player for the role. He complements Stastny and Kessel by being the defensive factor on the line and also the physical component. I'm not a big fan of Brown, but he could excel in such a simplified role, especially with the speed he brings. This line has a bit of everything once again.
Line 3: Kesler is an elite defensive centre when healthy, and an obvious choice for the third line centre spot. Backes is another great defensive player, has very good size and is a decent skater. His ability to play wing or centre is also valuable. Ryan brings additional physicality, and a boost to offensive ability. This line should be quite strong defensively, and in the offensive zone they should give teams fits if they can cycle down low. We know Ryan works in this role, and I suspect Kesler and Backes could pull off an imitation of Anaheim's top line.
Line 4: I don't understand why Stepan isn't the default choice here. Great skater, and already a very good centre who should be better by February 2014. Pacioretty is dominant when on his game, and he could realistically replace any LW ahead of him outside of Parise. Callahan is an elite defensive winger, should be invaluable on the PK and will ensure that this line is at the very least capable defensively. Though they don't play together regularly, Callahan and Stepan should have some familiarity from New York.
Overall: This group is very balanced. I tried to hide USA's weaknesses (centre, playmaking) while highlighting the strengths (goal scoring wingers, two way forwards) and I think each line would be a threat. The PP would probably focus on Kane and the defence, with no shortage of net presence. PK forwards include Kesler, Callahan, Brown, Backes or a few others as there are lots of options here. Wheeler is the 13th forward mainly because he's a player who can play almost any role.
Defence pair 1: Suter is one of the best defencemen in the world, so he is the easy pick on the first pairing. Martin is a strange pick, but I wanted to avoid one dimensional defenders and he is a pretty versatile player having quite a good season so far. He doesn't shoot right, but he's a quality skater, puck mover and positional defender. I think he complements Suter well enough and doesn't have a glaring weakness.
Defence pair 2: McDonagh is great defensively, while also being quite adept at moving the puck up the ice. Shattenkirk is elite offensively, but is not a defensive liability. I also like the players who came up in the NTDP when it comes to international hockey. A pretty well balanced pair, with both players being placed on their proper side.
Defence pair 3: Fowler, to me, is one of the most underrated defencemen in hockey. He looks very good for Anaheim, and his game is perfect for international hockey. E. Johnson is prone to bone headed decisions, but he has made some big strides in the last few years and can be a physical beast. If put in a situation where he only has to focus on making simple plays and defending, he could be extremely effective.
Overall: Looking for balance here. I didn't want Yandle of Byfuglien because I suspect they would be big liabilities on international ice. Orpik brings nothing in terms of offence, or even simple puck movement, and he's far too slow for this level at this point in his career. This group is very strong in terms of puck movement, speed, and each pair has good size. Once again no obvious weakness, and a few consistent strengths. Jack Johnson has enough international experience, and enthusiasm, that he has to make the team. He is a pretty good skater and has a hard shot that can be a PP weapon.
Goaltenders: Really, it depends who is hot. Quick was tremendous last year, but he seems slightly off this year. He has shown enough to be selected though. Miller hasn't touched his 2010 form lately, but he is still a very good goaltender. If Quick picks up his game to the form he displayed last year he gets the starting job, otherwise Miller gets it based on his play in 2010. I picked Anderson for third based only on his hot streak this year. Realistically there are a few contenders for this spot, and it could depend on who looks good weeks before the Olympics.
Coaching: No idea here really. If forced, I would lean toward Laviolette. He just seems like a coach that could get players to buy in for a short period, playing a simple but effective system based on pressure and defensive responsibility. I think Bylsma is a pretty weak coach, and Tortorella's personality and coaching style seems like a poor fit for international hockey.
Anyway, this is my team. Easily a gold medal contender, USA comes with obvious strengths/weaknesses. If they play an effective system, USA should be a team that frustrates opponents by stymieing their attacks through team speed, then sustaining possession in the offensive zone and activating the defence to keep the opposition off balance. Should be a uniquely composed team. Thanks for reading my novel on the subject.
Parise Pavelski Kane
Brown Stastny Kessel
Ryan Kesler Backes
Pacioretty Stepan Callahan
Wheeler
Suter Martin
McDonagh Shattenkirk
Fowler E. Johnson
J. Johnson
Quick
Miller
Anderson
Line 1: USA's strength is at the wing, and the first line demonstrates that very clearly. Kane is an elite playmaker and should excel in international hockey. Whatever line he is on becomes the default first. Likewise, Parise is an elite LW, and fortunately his game should complement Kane well as he foreckecks furiously, dominates corners and finishes what Kane generates. Pavelski is not a conventional #1 centre choice, but this is USA's weakness so creativity is needed. Pavelski is a great glue player who can play any number of roles. He is competent defensively, which helps with Kane being required to play a completely defensive role, and like Parise is more than adept in the corners and in front of the net. Overall it's quite a strong line with no weakness at all.
Line 2: This is a boom or bust line, but the potential is there. Kessel is one of the most dangerous USA forwards, and his elite skating and shot are weapons that the other team always has to consider. Stastny has largely been a disappointment, but playmaking is lacking severely for USA and he is certainly a playmaker. Kessel was great with Marc Savard in Boston, and I see Stastny as a similar player. I am thinking that they could find some decent chemistry if givent he chance. His high hockey sense would be needed with this set of wingers. Brown is a strange choice for a second line, but I think he is the right player for the role. He complements Stastny and Kessel by being the defensive factor on the line and also the physical component. I'm not a big fan of Brown, but he could excel in such a simplified role, especially with the speed he brings. This line has a bit of everything once again.
Line 3: Kesler is an elite defensive centre when healthy, and an obvious choice for the third line centre spot. Backes is another great defensive player, has very good size and is a decent skater. His ability to play wing or centre is also valuable. Ryan brings additional physicality, and a boost to offensive ability. This line should be quite strong defensively, and in the offensive zone they should give teams fits if they can cycle down low. We know Ryan works in this role, and I suspect Kesler and Backes could pull off an imitation of Anaheim's top line.
Line 4: I don't understand why Stepan isn't the default choice here. Great skater, and already a very good centre who should be better by February 2014. Pacioretty is dominant when on his game, and he could realistically replace any LW ahead of him outside of Parise. Callahan is an elite defensive winger, should be invaluable on the PK and will ensure that this line is at the very least capable defensively. Though they don't play together regularly, Callahan and Stepan should have some familiarity from New York.
Overall: This group is very balanced. I tried to hide USA's weaknesses (centre, playmaking) while highlighting the strengths (goal scoring wingers, two way forwards) and I think each line would be a threat. The PP would probably focus on Kane and the defence, with no shortage of net presence. PK forwards include Kesler, Callahan, Brown, Backes or a few others as there are lots of options here. Wheeler is the 13th forward mainly because he's a player who can play almost any role.
Defence pair 1: Suter is one of the best defencemen in the world, so he is the easy pick on the first pairing. Martin is a strange pick, but I wanted to avoid one dimensional defenders and he is a pretty versatile player having quite a good season so far. He doesn't shoot right, but he's a quality skater, puck mover and positional defender. I think he complements Suter well enough and doesn't have a glaring weakness.
Defence pair 2: McDonagh is great defensively, while also being quite adept at moving the puck up the ice. Shattenkirk is elite offensively, but is not a defensive liability. I also like the players who came up in the NTDP when it comes to international hockey. A pretty well balanced pair, with both players being placed on their proper side.
Defence pair 3: Fowler, to me, is one of the most underrated defencemen in hockey. He looks very good for Anaheim, and his game is perfect for international hockey. E. Johnson is prone to bone headed decisions, but he has made some big strides in the last few years and can be a physical beast. If put in a situation where he only has to focus on making simple plays and defending, he could be extremely effective.
Overall: Looking for balance here. I didn't want Yandle of Byfuglien because I suspect they would be big liabilities on international ice. Orpik brings nothing in terms of offence, or even simple puck movement, and he's far too slow for this level at this point in his career. This group is very strong in terms of puck movement, speed, and each pair has good size. Once again no obvious weakness, and a few consistent strengths. Jack Johnson has enough international experience, and enthusiasm, that he has to make the team. He is a pretty good skater and has a hard shot that can be a PP weapon.
Goaltenders: Really, it depends who is hot. Quick was tremendous last year, but he seems slightly off this year. He has shown enough to be selected though. Miller hasn't touched his 2010 form lately, but he is still a very good goaltender. If Quick picks up his game to the form he displayed last year he gets the starting job, otherwise Miller gets it based on his play in 2010. I picked Anderson for third based only on his hot streak this year. Realistically there are a few contenders for this spot, and it could depend on who looks good weeks before the Olympics.
Coaching: No idea here really. If forced, I would lean toward Laviolette. He just seems like a coach that could get players to buy in for a short period, playing a simple but effective system based on pressure and defensive responsibility. I think Bylsma is a pretty weak coach, and Tortorella's personality and coaching style seems like a poor fit for international hockey.
Anyway, this is my team. Easily a gold medal contender, USA comes with obvious strengths/weaknesses. If they play an effective system, USA should be a team that frustrates opponents by stymieing their attacks through team speed, then sustaining possession in the offensive zone and activating the defence to keep the opposition off balance. Should be a uniquely composed team. Thanks for reading my novel on the subject.
Last edited:
Cory Trevor
Smokes, Let's go
Great analysis. I agree with some of your assessment on certain aspects however I disagree with some of your arguments.
Though I'm a huge Pavelski supporter, making him our first line center even though it is our weakest position might be a bit of a stretch. Kane is going to be the real playermaker on that line so I guess the argument can be made for him that they don't need a legit number on in this position. He's far and away the most talented player the US has with the puck. With that said, I don't know if Pavelski will end up getting the nod as it's quite a step. He'd have to really step up his game in the next year to be considered for the spot. It really all comes down to chemistry though and the camp will be the biggest factor in determing the lines.
As good as a spot this might be for him, I have to think Kesler's going to have a more central role. He's our best center and our most responsible. Putting him with Ryan and Backes would be an extremely responsible role and lessen his need to be such an effective two-way player, especially with Backes who's not one to be scoffed at in his own end. I don't see the need for two shut down lines unless the US is playing Canada in which they need to roll all four and roll them well. There has to be a good chance that he maybe slides into the top spot. This is all of course, barring any major injuries or unforeseen circumstances. As such, I also would rather see Ryan on the second line. Although he doesn't have the scoring touch Kessel has, he's just as much of a threat in all other aspects of the game. If anything I think it's either Kesler or Stastny to center Kane and Parise. Pavelski playing with Kessel makes more sense to me.
I don't see why Martin makes this team. Yandle, though he has certain shortcomings probably gets a roster spot. He's too talented and on open ice can be lethal. Plus I don't think Martin would play with Suter as they are both lefthanded shots. I think USA Hockey chooses to go with three LHs and three RHs and if they did go with four lefties, I think they go with Suter, Fowler, Yandle and McDonagh.
Even though I think Bylsma gets more credit than he's due on here, I think USA Hockey chooses to go with him. Laviolette would be my second choice and I do give merit to the fact I think he could get a team ready in a short tournament like this. I just see Bylsma as being the front runner considering how the Penguins have been playing and will continue to do so later on this season.
Good stuff as always Jack
JackSlater
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2010
- 18,084
- 12,733
I'm not looking to predict the team, just to put forward what I would do. I think Pavelski is highly underrated, and he would work effectively in tandem with Parise while complementing Kane's game. As you say though, chemistry really should dictate matters when it comes to centres on this team.
If the Kesler of 2011 shows up, then I agree he needs a bigger role. His injury history of late makes me a big skeptical that he's going to show up. I seriously considered Ryan for the second line LW, but since I went with Stastny at centre the line needed s bit more defensive responsibility. If Pavelski was the pick at centre, Ryan makes more sense at LW.
Martin was an admittedly strange pick, but I think his style of play is suited to international hockey. Smart plays (this year anyway) that are simple, good skating and strong positional defence. Reminds me a bit of Rafalski, and he often enjoyed disproportionate success internationally. I tried to balance RH and LH, but I don't think one off pairing is a big deal when it comes to elite defencemen. Yandle is a guy that I hate watching at even strength, and I suspect would be a bit liability at the Olympic level. USA already has very capable puck movers, but I can see an argument being made for him based on PP work. I considered that but went with J. Johnson for a few intangible reasons.
I agree that Bylsma is the favourite, I just wouldn't want him as the coach.
I like your team jack. I'm not sold on the line combos but my only roster quibble is with stastny. If we have a healthy Kesler I'd rather roll Kesler, backes and pavelski, adding a player like tj oshie in stastnys place.
I also don't consider Martin a bad pick. I'm not sure I'd take him, but I understand the argument in his favor.
I also don't consider Martin a bad pick. I'm not sure I'd take him, but I understand the argument in his favor.
- Status
