FORWARDS (14)
Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild
Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets
Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights*
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning
Clayton Keller, Utah Mammoth
Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs*
J.T. Miller, New York Rangers
Patrick Kane, Detroit Red Wings
Matthew Knies, Toronto Maple Leafs
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators*
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers*
Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres
The United States doesn’t need to make many changes after taking Canada to overtime in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game. The core will remain the same. But the U.S. needs to find an edge to get over the hump, and it has two more roster spots than it had at 4 Nations, giving us another forward to include. Using the 4 Nations roster as a starting point, Chris Kreider (Anaheim Ducks), Brock Nelson (Colorado Avalanche) and Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers) are out up front. Connor was a healthy scratch in the 4 Nations championship game, so we wonder what the brass thinks, but we feel he’s far too potent of a scorer to leave home when goals are at a premium. We’re adding Kane, Keller and Thompson, after debating whether include Cole Caufield (Montreal Canadiens). We’ll keep an eye on him over the next two months. Kane is the most interesting choice; he’s perhaps the greatest American player ever and a veteran of two Olympic Games. When he got off to a bad start last season and didn’t make the 4 Nations roster, general manager Bill Guerin flew to Detroit to tell him in person. But he had a strong second half last season and has looked sharp when healthy this season. The 37-year-old could add leadership and playmaking ability, especially on the power play. Maybe he can help the United States find that extra goal it needs. — Cotsonika
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