Predicting the US Olympic Roster

Tim Thomas could be the difference maker in Team USA's medal hopes.

The 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia begin on February 12, 2010. With just under 3 months to go until the torch is lit, USA Hockey has begun final preparations for the 2010 US Olympic Team. The following is an educated guess as to General Manager Brian Burke’s roster will shake out.

Forwards

Team USA doesn’t have the depth up front that Canada or Sweden will possess in droves, and they don’t have the All-World game-breakers that Russia will present, but nonetheless, this is a formidable, and perhaps underrated, group of skaters.

Leading the charge will be New Jersey Devils star Zach Parise, who broke out in a big way in 2008-09, leading the Devils with 45 goals and 94 points. He is unequivocally the top American skater on the planet, and is the closest thing Team USA has to a world class superstar. 

Look for Colorado Avalanche forward Paul Stastny to center Parise on the first line, as the cerebral pivot is off to a good start this year for the upstart Avs, with 4 goals and 14 helpers in 20 games. Defensively responsible, much like Parise, these two could shine together. 

Riding shotgun with the two-way talents of Parise and Stastny should be Maple Leafs winger Phil Kessel, who is one of the purest snipers in the NHL. Kessel is blessed with world class skating ability and has one of the best releases in the league, and his defensive shortcomings will be lessened playing on this line. 

With Stastny ingrained as Team USA’s #1 center, the picture down the middle becomes a bit blurry on lines 2 through 4. Look for the 2nd line to be centered by Buffalo’s Tim Connolly, the oft-injured but supremely-talented pivot with 15 points in 17 games this season. 

To Connolly’s left should be Anaheim’s Bobby Ryan. Ryan is a rare breed of forward in today’s NHL; big and skilled. He doesn’t possess his nasty streak, but a good comparison for Ryan at his best is Todd Bertuzzi. 

Look for Chicago’s Patrick Kane to be slotted in at right wing on the 2nd line. The young wing has done nothing but score since his arrival to the NHL in 2007-08, and he’s continued his fine play this year, with 19 points in 19 games.

The third line for Team USA should be one of the better checking lines in the tournament, as they’ll be led by one of the premier two-way centers in hockey in Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler. An underrated offensive player (as evidenced by his 19 points in 21 games this year), Kesler also brings a defensive game few can match.

On Kesler’s left could be LA Kings captain Dustin Brown, one of the only true power forwards in the game today. Brown has 17 points in 21 games this season, and is one of the most physical, punishing checkers in the NHL. 

Slotted in at right wing should be Tampa Bay’s Ryan Malone. Never mistaken for teammates Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh, the hard-working Malone has nevertheless blossomed into an offensive role in Tampa Bay, with 12 goals and 17 points to his credit thus far. Malone also possesses a strong two-way game, and should help round out Team USA’s third line nicely.

The fourth line in tournaments such as these are usually populated by high-risk/high-reward type players, and the story will be no different here. I envision Burke opting to go with Dallas’ Mike Modano, the United States’ all-time leading scorer. Modano still possesses an excellent two-way game, and he’s put up 4 points in 6 games since returning from injury. Further, his experience and leadership could prove invaluable to the relatively young American squad.

To his right could be Jamie Langenbrunner, another veteran with international experience. Langenbrunner has experienced a nice start to the season, with 15 points in 18 games for New Jersey. 

Rounding out the fourth line, look for Philadelphia’s young James VanRiemsdyk to slot in on the left side. The hugely talented winger has 15 points in 13 games this year, and could see himself slotted in on any of the four lines if his stellar play continues.

The “Taxi Squad” should consist of Chicago’s Dustin Byfuglien and San Jose’s Joe Pavelski, two guys who could step in and play on any of the four lines in a moment’s notice.

Defense

Burke’s toughest task when assembling this team will lie with the blue line, no doubt. There are many deserving candidates, but not too many players stand out as sure bets to make the squad. Still, I’ll give it a shot.

On the first pairing, I like the duo of Detroit’s Brian Rafalski and Pittsburgh’s Brooks Orpik. The offensive-minded Rafalski should complement the hard-hitting, stay at home style of Orpik, who is one of the most feared body checkers in the NHL.

The 2nd pairing could consist of Nashville’s Ryan Suter and St. Louis’ Erik Johnson. Suter is a fine two-way defenseman, and not many players in the league possess Johnson’s ability from the back end. The first overall pick in the 2006 draft, Johnson is off to a fine start in St. Louis this season, with 12 points in 18 games.

The third pairing could be a combination of New Jersey’s Paul Martin and Atlanta’s Zach Bogosian. Martin is an underrated defender with a ton of offensive ability, and the young Bogosian’s 8 goals in 17 games for the upstart Thrashers speaks for itself.

If Team USA opts to go with 8 defenseman, look for LA’s Jack Johnson and Carolina’s Tim Gleason to slot in here. If they opt for 7, Gleason may be the odd man out.

Goalies

If Team USA has a leg up on the competition in any area, it might be this one. Simply put, they’re stacked between the pipes.

Coming into this season, Boston’s 2008-09 Vezina winner Tim Thomas appeared to have the starting job on lock down. Thanks to a fast start from Buffalo’s Ryan Miller that may be in question, but there’s no doubt Thomas will be donning the red, white and blue come February. The affable netminder from Michigan is capable of stealing games literally by himself, and history has shown hot goaltenders can be the difference in international tournaments such as these (Mike Richter anyone?). 

As mentioned, Miller is also a lock in this spot, as the Michigan native is off to an unbelievable start, sporting a 12-2-1 record with a .939 save percentage and a 1.77 GAA. Much like Thomas, he could prove to be the difference maker in this tournament.

The third spot appears to be Colorado’s Craig Anderson’s to lose. The 28 year old Anderson has an 11-5-3 mark for the Avs, along with a .926 save percentage and 2.42 GAA.

Overall

Although Team USA’s final roster won’t be announced until January 1st (at the NHL’s annual Winter Classic in Boston, MA), it’s safe to say the majority of the roster spots have been filled. Although a bit thin on the back end and lacking big name stars up front, it’s arguable that Team USA might have the strongest goaltending in the tournament.  More than anything else, goalies can make the difference in tournaments such as these. If the trio of Thomas, Miller, and Anderson can play up their level, medaling is certainly not out of the question, and gold may even be attainable.

Nonetheless, it will be exciting to watch an American entry at the Olympics which can contend with the best in the world, something we haven’t seen since 2002’s Silver Medal winning squad.