Rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off are due Dec. 2 and will be unveiled two days later. In other words, the clock's ticking louder by the day for management groups in Canada, Sweden, Finland, and the U.S.
Each nation must select 23 players - 20 skaters and three goalies. Six picks were announced in June, which means 17 spots remain unfilled.
Here, theScore's Josh Wegman and John Matisz debate the toughest decisions for Team USA general manager Bill Guerin and his staff ahead of the February tournament. (Read our Team Canada rundown here.)
Forwards
Already on roster: Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk
Near locks: Jack Hughes, J.T. Miller, Jason Robertson, Brady Tkachuk
6 spots left for: Brock Boeser, Matt Boldy, Cole Caufield, Kyle Connor, Alex DeBrincat, Jake Guentzel, Patrick Kane, Clayton Keller, Chris Kreider, Dylan Larkin, Brock Nelson, Tage Thompson, Vincent Trocheck, Alex Tuch
Wegman's picks: Boldy, Connor, Guentzel, Kreider, Larkin, Thompson
Team USA is so stacked up front that at least a handful of omissions will raise eyebrows. With all due respect to Caufield, Keller was my toughest cut.
To me, Boldy could play on any type of line with his size-speed combo, Connor's earned a spot with his scorching-hot start, and Guentzel's playoff resume gives him the tiebreaker over Keller. On a team lacking veteran leaders, Kreider was an important pick for me - plus he still brings size and a nose for the net. Larkin and Thompson were the two easiest picks as true centers, which would give head coach Mike Sullivan the option to play Miller and Hughes on the wings.
Miller's game is better suited for the wing, and Hughes is a faceoff liability. Imagine Hughes, one of the game's best puck carriers and playmakers, on the wing setting up the sport's best goal-scorer in Matthews? Ample center depth means endless lineup possibilities.
Matisz's picks: Boldy, Connor, Guentzel, Kreider, Thompson, Trocheck
The countries participating in this event aren't simply picking the 23 most talented players. They're building a functional team with a host of roles.
Trocheck's a highly competitive and versatile right-handed center who could slot in nicely on the fourth line, kill penalties, and potentially, assume the "bumper" spot on the power play. Someone like Caufield, on the other hand, provides little value beyond his goals. The U.S. has no shortage of elite snipers, anyway - including Connor, who's second in goals by an American since 2017-18, and Thompson, whose imposing frame, silky hands, game-breaking ability, and defensive chops combine for a tantalizing package.
Boldy's power game and flair for the dramatic make him extremely appealing, Guentzel can play either wing on any forward line and not miss a beat, and Kreider's veteran presence, power-play utility, and size give him the final spot.
Keller - a personal favorite - and Larkin were by far the toughest cuts.
Defense
Already on roster: Adam Fox, Quinn Hughes, Charlie McAvoy
Near locks: Brock Faber, Jake Sanderson, Jaccob Slavin
1 spot left for: John Carlson, Noah Hanifin, Seth Jones, Brett Pesce, Jacob Trouba, Zach Werenski
Wegman's pick: Werenski
USA's top six defensemen are quite clear, in my opinion. The seventh might come down to whether Guerin prefers a righty or lefty. I thought long and hard about Jones, who's played well this year in a bad situation and would bring some size and penalty-killing chops, but I landed on Werenski for a couple of reasons.
If the Americans were to make a lineup change on D, it would likely be Slavin or Sanderson dropping out, not any of the righties. That makes Werenski an easier plug-and-play guy. Werenski, like Jones, has also played well in some tough circumstances, and I'd be intrigued to see what he can do with more talent around him.
Matisz's pick: Werenski
Carlson gave me slight pause, but, really, Werenski was the easy choice here.
He's one of the NHL's best at retrieving a loose puck in the defensive zone and immediately jump-starting a scoring chance the other way. The Blue Jackets alternate captain is a play-driver with plenty of international experience.
The U.S. blue line, which is led by two of the top five defensemen on the planet in Hughes and Fox, has the best one-through-seven depth in the tournament. Werenski's far from a throw-in. He could be a difference-maker.
Goaltending
Already on roster: None
Near locks: Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger
1 spot left for: Joey Daccord, Thatcher Demko, Charlie Lindgren, Anthony Stolarz, Jeremy Swayman
Wegman's pick: Stolarz
Swayman may be the "safer" pick, but there's no denying who's been the better netminder this year. Stolarz is among the league leaders in virtually every important metric. I'd want the more in-form goalie playing should something happen to Hellebuyck and/or Oettinger. And if Stolarz can handle the pressure of playing in Toronto, who's to say he wouldn't be up to the task of playing in a star-studded tournament like this?
Matisz's pick: Swayman
Don't get me wrong, the Stolarz argument is persuasive. He's unexpectedly in the Vezina Trophy conversation with almost a quarter of the season over.
Yet, given the volatile nature of the position, I think Guerin would much rather tap the proven guy in Swayman. Rosters are due two-plus months before the tournament. There should and will be some projecting involved.
I'm fully confident Swayman will close the gap between him and Stolarz in categories like save percentage, goals saved above expected, quality starts, and steals. The U.S. is better off with a playoff-tested third-string netminder.
