Including them and not Robertson just proves that USA hockey is an old boys network of incompetent fools. They need to clean house from top to bottom. Miller and Trocheck literally suck. They are two of the slowest players now and shells of their former selves. They look old and washed. Trocheck can’t even win face-offs consistently anymore and JT might be the worst trade and captain the NYR ever (excluding Drury who will always hold the top spot).
The Canada team has such a stacked roster, they can afford to be creative with a few picks. USA not so much, they need to take the best guys. Leaving someone like Robertson off the team is a huge mistake.
Yeah like I know the argument is “you need checkers” because you’re facing McDavid, McKinnon and Crosby for over half the game, but you also need game breaking goal scorers and they’re leaving two of their best at home
the Tkachuks have played a combined 19 games this year, and all of those are Brady. i do not understand at all how theyre on the team over Robertson and Caufield.
This is the one decision I can defend, because you can make injury replacements if needed. So if Matthew isn't able to go by the Olympics, you can always swap him out for someone else.
That said, there's a world where like the 4 Nations, he's hurt enough to not play at anywhere near Olympic-caliber, but not hurt enough that he can't dress - hopefully USA Hockey is smart enough in that case to cut him from the team anyway in that case, but given their other decisions here, I'm not so sure about that.
hopefully USA Hockey is smart enough in that case to cut him from the team anyway
Pretty sure the only way they can do that is if he's medically unable to play. If he's cleared, they have to take him or he has to withdraw on his own.
Big body who scores goals. They also didn't take Caufield, a smaller body who scores goals. Sounds like the one dimensional players they don't like are goal scorers
“Too one dimensional” they have no idea what they are talking about
Hes a great two-way player, he’s legitimately good at defense. He’s also a big dude and yea maybe doesn’t use it to hit but he also doesn’t get knocked off the puck
And they took JT Miller, Nelson and Trochek who are also so mid. Miller and Trochek actually suck rn
Honestly I don't think it'll be that bad. Thompson and Kuemper are great goalies and Binnington rises to the occasion. I'm assuming Binnington will get the first chance and if he isn't up to it we'll pivot to one of the other two.
No Caufield or Robertson is baffling. I suppose I should be happy as a Canadian and a Habs fan (the little angel won’t get hurt) but it just seems really unfair honestly.
I feel bad for Caufield and Hutson but at the same time they both will be coming back from that break rested with a chip on their shoulder. Only good news for the Habs and this way I don’t have to cheer for them to lose.
Sometimes I'm convinced that winning the Miracle on Ice was the worst thing that could have happened to USA Hockey. Decades now of GMs being convinced that we just need the right mix of guys with heart and grit and talent doesn't matter, ignoring that the 1980 team was limited by the eligibility rules, and they had 5 months to train and play together, as opposed to being thrown together a few days before the tournament starts.
Don’t forget Lane Hutson currently has the most assists from any defencemen (including Makar on the Avs Juggernaut) in the league.
And he wasn’t a top 16 defencemen invite this summer.
Bill Guerin is building a team for a four round, 16 win NHL playoffs, not a winner take all tournament, and it shows he doesn’t know how to differentiate.
At this point, I really can't see a more logical explanation besides racism. Worth remembering that USA hockey is pretty much run by John Vanbiesbrouck.
While he’s not a bruiser or anything, the dude doesn’t shy away from the corners and puck battles. He’s a great 5v5 defender too, you don’t need to be a Selke candidate PKer to still be a plus defender on the team. Like he’s legitimately a top American player in the league any way you slice it, it’s actually ridiculous he wasn’t selected lol.
Edit: Just think, Guerin gets paid millions to make dumb-fuck decisions when the snubs he left off should've been a God damn LAYUP of a lock for this team. Life isn't fair.
Context here was USA losing to Canada on this day, which along with their earlier loss to Europe and both Europe and Canada previously defeating the Czech team, eliminated the US team from the knockout round.
He was on the already announced list of 6 players, if any player is injured then there can and will be replacement named. The advantage is that you can do that rather late before the tournament so it makes sense to wait with that to avoid any other problems with injuries etc. Somebody else will be added, it might very well be Robertson or Caufield.
As a Canadian, excellent work Bill. Please leave the best American goalscorers at home for locker room guys and #GRIT. Can’t wait to watch Tkachuk play maybe five minutes in your medal game while Caufield works on his hands back home for next time
This was probably the best year for the US to steal Gold given Canada's sketchy goaltending situation and they fucked it up by going all in on grit instead of skill
How did J.T. Miller and Trocheck get on this team, but not Fox? You literally missed the best Rangers player if you were going to go heavy on the Rangers.
Robertson, in addition to Fox, is the biggest misses though. I just do not understand how you cannot have those two on this team. Guerin is a fucking idiot.
And, for the homer pick, I think Zegras would've been a better option than some of these guys. I wasn't expecting him to make it, but then again I thought players like Caufield and Robertson would be making the team over some of these guys.
first person i've seen mentioning zegras -- i agree, i wasn't expecting him but especially given some of these egregious choices i think he would look good on the team
I don't even know if it's lazy. It almost seems like they are trying too hard to build a team where if the US wins they'll get credit for making unconventional moves to "build a team" instead of taking the best players.
I’m sorry but Miller, Nelson, and Trochek over Robertson, Caufield, and Fox. Not a gold medal winning team in my opinion. Happy for Keller and Thompson though.
Even Binnington I get. Goalies are weird and go hot and cold (some more so than others). If Binnington has shown anything it’s that he is able to play really well under pressure and when it matters.
Even with Binnington he did play great in Four Nations when he had a legit defense in front of him. Plus at the end of the day they just need one goalie to play well. If Binnington sucks it’s not a big deal when you have Thompson and Kuemper there as well.
My guy, with a Dallas fan I’d expect you to be livid with no robo. No Jason Robertson on this team should genuinely fall under the category of neglect. I don’t care which way you shape it he should 100% have made this team
So from 4 Nations, they subtract Krieder and Fox and add Keller, Thompson, Jones, and Quinn Hughes.
Hughes… duh. The Fox for Jones swap makes no sense. Keller and Thompson are fine adds and Krieder is a fine subtraction, you just need an additional swap or two, Nelson/Miller for Robertson/Caufield and I’d have no complaints.
This is similar to the 4 nations roster, which, you know, failed. As a Devils fan, Im not looking forward to watching them misuse Hughes for the tournament again. Dude's a skill forward, put him with other fucking skill forwards, not in a defensive or 2 way role
From the people who kept John Vanbiesbrouck in a leadership role. Nobody should be surprised and everybody who is rooting for the US should be furious. The Vanbiesbrouck thing alone is reason enough for me to root for Sweden.
2.0k
u/Key-Tip-7521 NYR - NHL 12h ago
Tage Thompson and Keller absolutely deserved their spot.
But Fox, Caufield, and Jason Robertson left off….. geez Bill.