It appears Cole Caufield's blazing-hot start to the season likely won't be enough to secure him a spot on USA's 4 Nations Face-Off roster.
While no final decisions have been made, the Montreal Canadiens sniper is currently on the outside looking in to make the team, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Caufield enters Thursday tied for the NHL lead with 12 goals on the campaign. However, he has only one assist and his defensive metrics are poor. He's posted minus-2.4 expected defensive goals above replacement this season, a bottom-10 mark among NHL forwards, per Evolving-Hockey.
The 4 Nations Face-Off rosters must be named by Dec. 2 before they're announced Dec. 4. The tournament begins Feb. 12 and also includes Canada, Sweden, and Finland.
The Americans have an embarrassment of riches up front, leaving tough decisions for the management group led by general manager Bill Guerin.
The United States and Canada lobbied to expand the rosters from 23 players to 25, but to no avail, LeBrun added.
