Team USA has finally revealed its roster for the upcoming Olympics and as expect, Montreal Canadiens' Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson didn't make the cut.
Cole Caufield is on pace to have the best season of his career. The sniper, who turned 25 on Friday, saw his Olympic dream dashed when Team USA announced its roster on the NBC’s Today show.
With 20 goals in 40 games, the diminutive winger is on pace for a 41-goal season and has the fifth-most goals across American players. His 40 points make him the seventh-highest scoring American, tied with teammate Lane Hutson and Zach Werenski. Of the six players ahead of them, only, Matt Boldy, Kyle Connor, Jack Eichel, and Jake Guentzel have received their ticket for Milano-Cortina.
Unfortunately for Caufield, Bill Guerin’s selections weren’t just about scoring prowess. The Team USA GM has made it clear that he wanted to ice a physically imposing team that could ruffle some feathers for the Olympics. He was even quoted as saying that if a player couldn’t hit, he had no business on his roster.
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That’s an interesting strategy for an Olympic tournament, which has typically been less physical than NHL hockey. While the young Montreal Canadiens saw last spring how big a difference physicality could make in the playoffs with their first-round exit at the hands of the Washington Capitals, Team USA’s gritty strategy at the 4 Nations Face-Off didn’t pay off as they had to settle for second place.
Still, Guerin has decided to press on, prompting Canada to include Tom Wilson on its roster. The days of the Broad Street Bullies are long-gone,
Caufield wasn’t the only disappointed Hab on Friday morning as 21-year-old blueliner Hutson was also left off the American roster. The reigning Calder Trophy winner is the second-highest scoring defenseman in the league with 40 points in 40 games, five points behind Team Canada’s Cale Makar and tied with fellow American rearguard Werenski.
In his sophomore season, Hutson is set to improve on his rookie season, on pace for 82 points and 12 goals, the Holland, Michigan native had every right to hope for a place on Team USA’s roster, but just like Caufield, he’s not exactly known for his physical play. At 5-foot-9, he’s not exactly equipped to play a mean and punishing game, which ultimately cost him his invite.
Guerin did have room for new Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes on his roster, though, even though he’s just 5-foot-10. The rearguard has 30 points in 35 games this season, and while he was selected for the 4 Nations Face-Off, he didn’t play because of injuries, and he has missed some time this season as well. Should he not be healthy enough come February, Hutson may just get a call, but for now, he isn’t on the roster.
The roster announced by Guerin was as follows: in net, Connor Hellebuck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman all return after taking part in the 4 Nations. On the blueline, on top of the aforementioned Hughes, the American brass picked Brock Faber, Noah Hanifin, Charlie McAvoy, Jacob Slavin, Werenski, Seth Jones and Jake Sanderson. Up front, Buffalo Sabres’ Tage Thompson has won his gamble and secured an invite despite not playing in the 4 Nations. He will be joined by Boldy, Connor, Eichel, Guentzel, Jack Hughes, Clayton Keller, Dylan Larkin, Auston Matthews, J.T. Miller, Brock Nelson, Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, and Vincent Trochek.
In addition to Caufield and Hutson, Team USA has decided to go without Matthew Knies, Chris Kreider, Jason Robertson, Alex Tuch, John Carlson, Adam Fox, and Jackson Lacombe. If the Americans come up short, Guerin will have serious questions to answer.
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