With the NHL officially heading back to international best-on-best hockey, will Alex DeBrincat find his way onto what is poised to be the best men's Team USA roster ever?

The news that the NHL is set to return to international, best-on-best hockey comes at a great time for the United States.  As evidenced by Team USA's success at the World Junior and U-18 Worlds, there has perhaps never been more American talent available for a potential men's international tournament than there is right now.  Where once the U.S. seemed to suffer from a lack of depth down the middle, now Auston Matthews, Tage Thompson, and Jack Eichel combine to make it an obvious position of strenght.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin should be a lock for the American roster at the 2025 Four Nation Faceoff, but for his teammate and line mate Alex DeBrincat, that path is a bit less certain.

DeBrincat is a proven goal scorer, he plays with a feistiness that should endear him to any coach and locker room, and his chemistry with Larkin is only a benefit.  Still, because the U.S. is so talented and deep (to the point that it will surely have talented centers who end up playing down the wing), it will be tricky for any non-penalty killing winger to prove themselves indispensable.

On the most recent episode of The Silky Mitten State, my co-host Connor Earegood and I discussed DeBrincat's potential fit for Bill Guerin and Team USA, assessing his potential fit and role.  For a sample of that conversation, check out this clip:

You can find the full episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify:

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