Quote:
Originally Posted by Flamenspiel
Hmm lets see: Goudreau, Eichel, Mathews, Larkin, Saad, Jones, Gotisbiere. Unless your making a team based on career stats rather then current form, those 7 would look quite good on team USA.
Just looking through the roster alphabetocally the three top names on the US team were plugs like Abdelkader, Backes, and Dubinsky, look further down and you have Palmeri, Kesler and the Johnson(s) on defence.
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Gaudreau makes the team.
Oustside of that, you've named two rookies with 56 points and 45 points in the NHL, a player who hasn't played in the NHL and Jones who is no where near as talented as Faulk or Shattenkirk. Saad wouldn't displace Gaudreau, Pacioretty or Parise so at the very best he's a fourth liner. Gostisbehere, another rookie but in an area of weakness for the team so maybe a longshot. Realistically none of them make it. To argue that they would be top players for team USA I don't think holds much water.
If you're looking at Abdelkader, that doesn't mean much because he was taken in favour of Kessel, Johnson, and Okposo. All three of those guys are, today, better than Matthews and Eichel. You're calling Palmieri a plug, but he outscored every American on U23 except for Gaudreau.
It's unusual for team USA to bring rookies to any best on best. You think that a Torts coached team would be willing to have 3 or 4 of them on the roster? Team USA could have been better, but not because of team North America...simply taking Kessel (if not injured), Faulk and Johnson would have made them better.