Olympics: Team USA 2018 Roster Discussion

[MMC]

Yeah, it's early but I'd like to see a preview of who's likely going to make the team and get invited to try out.

LWs:
Zach Parise
Max Pacioretty
James Van Riemsdyk
Nick Foligno
Brandon Saad
Justin Abdelkader
Matt Hendricks
Pat Maroon
Trevor Lewis
Jimmy Vesey
Chris Kreider
Johnny Gaudreau
Sonny Milano
Drew Miller
Matt Nieto
Craig Smith
Frank Vatrano
Kieffer Bellows
Dustin Brown
Erik Condra
Kyle Connor
Christian Dvorak
Max Jones
Matthew Tkachuk
Kailer Yamamoto

Cs:
Joe Pavelski
Ryan Kesler
David Backes
Paul Stastny
Brandon Dubinsky
Colin Wilson
JT Compher
Tyler Johnson
Alex Galchenyuk
JT Miller
Brock Nelson
Clayton Keller
Logan Brown
Henrik Samuelsson
Nick Bonino
Charlie Coyle
Nate Thompson
Vincent Trochek
Stefan Matteau
Dylan Larkin
Anders Lee
Tommy Wingels
Brian Boyle
Tyler Pitlick
Jack Eichel
Auston Matthews
Colin White
Derek Stepan
Nick Bjugstad
Alex DeBrincat
Matt Cullen


RWs:
Phil Kessel
Jason Pominville
Patrick Kane
Bobby Ryan
Lee Stempniak
Ryan Callahan
Jason Zucker
Draw Stafford
Kevin Hayes
Blake Wheeler
Kyle Okposo
Emerson Etem
Justin Bailey
Patrick Eaves
Chris Wagner
Jared Boll
Jack Skille
TJ Oshie
Cam Atkinson
Alex Tuch
Ryan Hartman
Jimmy Hayes
Kyle Palmieri
Brian Gionta
Beau Bennett
Austin Watson
Michael McCarron
Brock Boeser


D:
Dustin Byfuglien
Keith Yandle
Ryan Suter
Jack Johnson
Erik Johnson
Alex Goligoski
John Carlson
Kevin Shattenkirk
Justin Faulk
Matt Niskanen
Paul Martin
Ron Hainsey
John-Michael Liles
Jon Merrill
Zach Bogosian
Ryan McDonagh
Nick Leddy
Cam Fowler
Rob Scuderi
Jamie McBain
Ben Lovejoy
Matt Greene
Torey Krug
Jake Gardiner
Derek Forbort
Jeff Petry
Jacob Trouba
Brett Pesce
Ian McCoshen
John Moore
Jake McCabe
Zach Trotman
Jarred Tinordi
Trevor van Riemsdyk
Brian Dumoulin
Andy Greene
Ian Cole
Chris Butler
Brooks Orpik
Jaccob Slavin
Mark Fayne
Seth Jones
Mark Stuart
Matt Hunwick
Connor Carrick
Justin Braun
Tom Gilbert
Danny DeKeyser
Shayne Gostisbehere
Stephen Johns
Noah Hanifin
Mike Reilly
Brady Skjei
Jordan Schmaltz
Anthony DeAngelo
Zach Werenski
Alec Martinez

Gs:
Jonathan Quick
Cory Schneider
Ben Bishop
John Gibson
Mike Condon
Connor Hellebuyck
Garrett Sparks
Anthony Stolarz
Brandon Halverson
Thatcher Demko
Jon Gillies
Jack Campbell
Alex Nedeljkovic

Click to read more...

 

[xxxx]

I am excited. This team will be very strong.

Hanifin, Jones, Gostisbehere, Reilly, or Werenski are very solid talents on the back-end. But the real gold is among forwards. Pavelski, Pacioretty, Kane, T.Johnson, or Kessel and Wheeler would already make a very solid top-six and they all will be back. But when you add Matthews, Eichel, Larkin, Gaudreau, Saad, maybe Tkachuk, that looks really incredible. All of those forwards have potential to be considered a star in the near future with Eichel's and Matthews' ceiling obviously even higher. Overall, I named 12 forwards. That's darn freaking good group. And we've not talked about Stepan, Galchenyuk, Kreider, Okposo, Bjugstad, K.Palmieri, Van Riemsdyk, Parise, P.Stastny, Trocheck, Atkinson, Coyle, Ryan, Backes, Kesler, Oshie - or other young talents like White, Milano, McCarron, Schmaltz, Dvorak...the depth is there. I have no doubt that the 2018 forward group for the US will be the best in a while. And it will be only getting better.

 

[MMC]

I am excited. This team will be very strong.

Hanifin, Jones, Gostisbehere, Reilly, or Werenski are very solid talents on the back-end. But the real gold is among forwards. Pavelski, Pacioretty, Kane, T.Johnson, or Kessel and Wheeler would already make a very solid top-six and they all will be back. But when you add Matthews, Eichel, Larkin, Gaudreau, Saad, maybe Tkachuk, that looks really incredible. All of those forwards have potential to be considered a star in the near future with Eichel's and Matthews' ceiling obviously even higher. Overall, I named 12 forwards. That's darn freaking good group. And we've not talked about Stepan, Galchenyuk, Kreider, Okposo, Bjugstad, K.Palmieri, Van Riemsdyk, Parise, P.Stastny, Trocheck, Atkinson, Coyle, Ryan, Backes, Kesler, Oshie - or other young talents like White, Milano, McCarron, Schmaltz, Dvorak...the depth is there. I have no doubt that the 2018 forward group for the US will be the best in a while. And it will be only getting better.

What do you think of our goalies? We have Quick, Gibson, Helle, McIntyre, Demko, Gillies, Schneider, Bishop, Sparks, Condon, and Stalock.

 

[MMC]

Forgot about Trouba, DeAngelo, Skjei on D. This is probably the most excited I've been about our team ever.

 

[1Gold Standard]

if there is an NHL Olympics in 2018, no doubt about it, the U.S. will be right up there with Team Canada as main contenders for gold. No other team or teams come close.

 

[MMC]

I've added to the OP a list of what our roster looks like right now. If anyone feels I left anyone major off, let me know and I'll edit it.

 

[AmericanDream]

in my opinion, outside of Matthews, if you aren't in the NHL this year, you likely have no shot at this team for 2018. Some of the younger guys would be rookies or barely in their second year, not sure that's enough time to impress with all the depth we have.

I cant predict the future unfortunately, but assuming some players rise/decline over the next few years, my team would be as follows:

Johnny Gaudreau - Jack Eichel - Patrick Kane
Max Pacioretty - Austin Matthews - Phil Kessel
Zach Parise - Dylan Larkin - Joe Pavelski
Brandon Saad - Tyler Johnson - Kyle Okposo
Derek Stepan

Ryan Suter
Ryan McDonagh
Justin Faulk
Kevin Shattenkirk
John Carlson
Noah Hanifin
Shayne Gostisbehere

Cory Schneider
John Gibson
Jon Quick

we will see how it plays out the next few years...

 

[xxxx]

What do you think of our goalies? We have Quick, Gibson, Helle, McIntyre, Demko, Gillies, Schneider, Bishop, Sparks, Condon, and Stalock.

It looks good for the future definitely a lot of talent, I have no doubts that some of the young goalies you mentioned will be a star sooner or later. For now, Schneider-Quick is goood enough.

 

[ChiHawk21]

in my opinion, outside of Matthews, if you aren't in the NHL this year, you likely have no shot at this team for 2018. Some of the younger guys would be rookies or barely in their second year, not sure that's enough time to impress with all the depth we have.

I cant predict the future unfortunately, but assuming some players rise/decline over the next few years, my team would be as follows:

Johnny Gaudreau - Jack Eichel - Patrick Kane
Max Pacioretty - Austin Matthews - Phil Kessel
Zach Parise - Dylan Larkin - Joe Pavelski
Brandon Saad - Tyler Johnson - Kyle Okposo
Derek Stepan

Ryan Suter
Ryan McDonagh
Justin Faulk
Kevin Shattenkirk
John Carlson
Noah Hanifin
Shayne Gostisbehere

Cory Schneider
John Gibson
Jon Quick

we will see how it plays out the next few years...

I dont mind this roster...i would add jones to that list i think he breaks out by then.
Also no okposo and add wheeler

 

[QJL]

Pacioretty - Eichel - Kane
Gaudreau - Pavelski - Wheeler
Parise - Johnson - Kessel
Saad - Larkin - Stepan
Matthews - Oshie

McDonagh - Faulk
Suter - Shattenkirk
Gostisbehere - Carlson
Hanifin - Fowler

Schneider
Quick
Gibson

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

We've improved up the middle with Eichel and Matthews, but besides our center play, we aren't much better compared to usual. Those bottom two lines could be a liability in a game against a team like Canada, as could the bottom defensive pair.

Patches-Eichel-Kane
Gaudreau-Matthews-JVR
Larkin-Pavelski-Wheeler
Parise-Stepan-Saad
Johnson

McD-Faulk
Suter-Carlson
Hanifin-Jones
Gostisbehere

Gibson
Schneider
Quick

 

[MMC]

I'm really hoping one of Jones, Werenski, or Hanifin really breaks out by then. Would be nice for a few more forwards to as well.

 

[Hardyvan123]

if there is an NHL Olympics in 2018, no doubt about it, the U.S. will be right up there with Team Canada as main contenders for gold. No other team or teams come close.

Sweden says hello.

Outstanding group of Dmen.

Not a dynamic group of forwards but very solid.

 

[Bear12Good]

Sweden says hello.

Outstanding group of Dmen.

Not a dynamic group of forwards but very solid.

But Russia can not win?

 

[Paxon]

in my opinion, outside of Matthews, if you aren't in the NHL this year, you likely have no shot at this team for 2018. Some of the younger guys would be rookies or barely in their second year, not sure that's enough time to impress with all the depth we have.

I cant predict the future unfortunately, but assuming some players rise/decline over the next few years, my team would be as follows:

Johnny Gaudreau - Jack Eichel - Patrick Kane
Max Pacioretty - Austin Matthews - Phil Kessel
Zach Parise - Dylan Larkin - Joe Pavelski
Brandon Saad - Tyler Johnson - Kyle Okposo
Derek Stepan

Ryan Suter
Ryan McDonagh
Justin Faulk
Kevin Shattenkirk
John Carlson
Noah Hanifin
Shayne Gostisbehere

Cory Schneider
John Gibson
Jon Quick

we will see how it plays out the next few years...

Gaudreau-Eichel-Kane might be one of the most amazing offensive lines in Team USA history... or it might require playing with 5 pucks I'd love to see that play out.

 

[Cowumbus]

Jones easily on the team before Ghost

 

[Don Corleone]

Keep in mind that if Dean Lombardi will be the GM there is no way team USA picks that many skill players. Got to have those grinders

 

[kingsfan28]

Keep in mind that if Dean Lombardi will be the GM there is no way team USA picks that many skill players. Got to have those grinders

I think this World Cup will tell a lot of how the Olympic team is set up. If the grind it out style works. look for more of it in 2018 [if they go , which is not a lock] . If they get blown out by speed and skill and look slow compared to everyone else, then you'll see a faster team.

 

[MMC]

Added a ton more players to the OP. If theres anyone that you feel that I'm missing (mainly prospects as I didn't do as thorough of a search with them as I did current players), let me know and I'll add them to the OP.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

Add Kyle Palimieri to the roster.

 

[MMC]

Add Kyle Palimieri to the roster.

He's there

 

[Rebels57]

Line 1: Johnny Gaudreau - Jack Eichel - Patrick Kane
Line 2: Max Pacioretty - Austin Matthews - Blake Wheeler
Line 3: Zach Parise - Dylan Larkin - Tyler Johnson
Line 4: Brandon Saad - Ryan Kesler - Joe Pavelski

Phil Kessel or Kyle Connor

 

[SupremeNachos]

Go Team 1/3 MN

 

[QJL]

Well...

Pacioretty - Matthews - Kane
Gaudreau - Eichel - Wheeler
Connor - Pavelski - Johnson
Saad - Stepan - Palmieri
Larkin - Kessel

McDonagh - Carlson
Hanifin - Faulk
Suter - Shattenkirk
Gostisbehere

Schneider
Quick
Gibson

 

[ecemleafs]

Well...

Pacioretty - Matthews - Kane
Gaudreau - Eichel - Wheeler
Connor - Pavelski - Johnson
Saad - Stepan - Palmieri
Larkin - Kessel

McDonagh - Carlson
Hanifin - Faulk
Suter - Shattenkirk
Gostisbehere

Schneider
Quick
Gibson

looks good for the most part. i think your projecting connor to be good too soon though. somehow i bet we end up with backes, kesler, and callahan getting big minutes...