Team USA roster projection for 2016 World Cup of Hockey – CBSSports.com

Things are winding down in the NHL offseason, as are the days of meaningful hockey conversations — for a few months, at least. But there is one topic that is ripe for examination and debates that could last from now through next season and deep into next summer. And with this being the Fourth of July in the United States of America, there’s really no better time to kick this conversation off.

The 2016 World Cup of Hockey is still over a year away, but Hockey Canada has already named the management team for its entry and USA Hockey will be unveiling its own at the beginning of August. So the roster conversations have pretty much already begun anyway.

Since it’s America’s birthday and since most of the top-quality free agents have already been signed, here’s our first (of many, I’m sure) projected roster for Team USA’s World Cup of Hockey entry.

One of the things to keep in mind: Because the NHL, in its infinite wisdom, decided there should be an all-star team of 23-and-under players from North America, several players are going to be too young to play for Team USA by next season (Brandon Saad, Johnny Gaudreau, Seth Jones, Jacob Trouba and Jack Eichel, for instance). At this point, it is not known when the age cutoff will be, so there’s still a chance Saad would be eligible for Team USA.

Also, it is unclear how many roster spots each team will have to fill, so I’m building out a 25-player roster similar to that of the Olympics.

Here’s an attempt to pick the US squad if the tournament started tomorrow.

Forwards

Next in line: Chris Kreider, T.J. Oshie, Bobby Ryan, Paul Stastny

This group isn’t going to look a lot different than what it did in the 2014 Olympics. Despite the underachievement in Sochi, this is still the best group of forwards the country has to offer.

The biggest addition would be Tyler Johnson of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s a perfect fit for the high-pace style the US typically wants to play, and could be looked to on both the power play and penalty kill. Adding Johnson to the mix boosts the speed level of an already quick forward unit. As far as Olympic replacements, Johnson’s presence likely nudges out Paul Stastny.

The center position shouldn’t change too much otherwise from the Olympics, with an interesting potential for a battle between Stastny and Derek Stepan.

Right wing could raise some interesting debates for the management team. Kane and Kessel are obviously locks, while there’s more debate to be had among T.J. Oshie, Blake Wheeler, Ryan Callahan and Bobby Ryan. All had productive seasons in 2014-15, and all have great potential offensively.

In hindsight, Callahan was miscast in Sochi as his game didn’t really translate to the big surface. It would be better on the big surface and he did just have a 55-point season. Additionally, I was critical of Team USA’s brass for leaving Bobby Ryan off the roster, but he didn’t prove them wrong and still hasn’t. Blake Wheeler could be a lot more than a 13th forward as he was at the Olympics as his size and speed could be better served in a top-nine role.

There’s another name to throw in the mix, though, on the right side: New York Islanders winger Kyle Okposo. His past two seasons are going to make him tough to leave off as he could even edge out Olympic hero T.J. Oshie. The depth down the wings is certainly a huge plus for Team USA.

Left wing has a lot more intrigue in terms of decision-making. Zach Parise and Max Pacioretty are locks for top-six roles. James van Riemsdyk was on the Olympic team and it will be tempting to reunite him with now former Maple Leafs teammate Phil Kessel. It seems likely he’ll be back.

From there it gets a little tougher.

Nick Foligno was the top American-born scorer in the NHL last season, which still is weird to write even if it is true. He had never had 47 points before busting out for 73 last season. If the tournament was tomorrow, he would probably be on the team. Since the tournament’s next September, Foligno will have to prove his impressive 2014-15 campaign was no fluke. Since we’re picking if it started tomorrow, he’s in.

I think you have to throw Chris Kreider of the Rangers into the mix as well as a potential option. His style of play would fit right in with this group. If he were old enough, it’s not hard to imagine Johnny Gaudreau on the team either, but he will be one of the stars of the U23 squad.

Defense

Next in line: Cam Fowler, Brooks Orpik, Paul Martin, Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson

There are the guys we know will be there for sure like Ryan Suter and Ryan McDonagh, who were both Olympians in 2014 and remain among the best US-born defensemen in the game today.

You also have to expect John Carlson, Justin Faulk and Kevin Shattenkirk to be near-certain returnees from the Olympics squad.

From there it gets trickier.

Cam Fowler could be a good option with his Olympic experience and going through a long playoff run with the Ducks, but he has a lot of company when it comes to quality puck-movers.

For instance, Dustin Byfuglien and Keith Yandle missed the cut at the Olympics despite being two of the most productive defensemen in the NHL. At least one of those two will have to be on the team this time. That’s especially true if Dean Lombardi, who is rumored to be the pick as Team USA GM, is at the helm. Lombardi was pushing Yandle for an Olympic spot.

Then there are a variety of combinations to fill out the depth. Nick Leddy took a big step last season with the New York Islanders and could be strongly considered for inclusion. Erik Johnson enjoyed a bounce-back season with the Avalanche after not making the Olympic cut, but the right side is tougher to crack than the left.

Brooks Orpik is a two-time Olympian, but it might be tough to carry him with the number of younger guys in the mix. The same goes for Paul Martin, whose injury in Sochi was the beginning of the end for Team USA’s chances considering the role he played.

It’s all about finding the right balance on the back end. If Team USA wants to be a high-pace team, it’s going to have to start with the defense, where puck-movers will be the priority. They have plenty of those with this mix.

Goaltending

1. Cory Schneider, New Jersey Devils

2. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings

3. Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning

Here’s where things could look completely different from Sochi. Jonathan Quick is the incumbent starter, but his regular-season struggles over the past three years are beyond concerning. He has been a top playoff performer and played reasonably well in the Olympics (until the bronze medal game), so he’ll still have an edge when it comes time to pick the team.

That said, I think Cory Schneider will finally get his moment with Team USA. He had a .925 save percentage in a bad situation last season with the Devils. On top of that, since 2010-11, Schneider’s .927 save percentage is best among goalies with at least 100 appearances.

The third goaltender is a little more difficult to pick, but based on more recent performances, you have to think Ben Bishop is in the lead to be on the team. After his Vezina finalist performance in 2013-14 and helping the Lightning reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2015, he’s trending the right way.

Coach

Here’s a look at three top candidates…

Todd Richards, Columbus Blue Jackets: After the Americans’ surprise bronze medal at the 2015 World Championship, USA Hockey brass had to come away impressed with Richards’ work with a young team. He was in a really rough situation last season with all the injuries in Columbus, but is poised to take a leap forward with a new roster. He’s probably the front-runner at this point.

Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning: Though he was born in Canada, Cooper’s entire coaching career before making the jump to the pros was within USA Hockey’s system. He led a few international squads for USA Hockey earlier in his career and is a rising star in the coaching profession. There’s no better candidate for the “Young Stars” team, though, if not USA.

Peter Laviolette, Nashville Predators: A Jack Adams finalist last season, Laviolette has coached national teams many times before, including at the 2006 Olympics and multiple World Championships. He was also an assistant on the last Olympic team. As a former Olympic team captain, Laviolette remains one of the most respected coaches in USA Hockey.