Written by Chris Peters at CBSSports.com
Though the NHL trade deadline just passed and the playoff races are heating up, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey is at the forefront of the hockey world Wednesday as each of the eight teams competing are releasing their 16-player preliminary rosters one-by-one. Each team will eventually have 23 players (20 skaters and three goalies), so more additions will be unveiled at a later date.
Team USA may still be trying to shake off the sting of leaving Sochi without a medal after dropping the semifinal to Canada, 1-0, and dropping the ball in the bronze-medal game against Finland. The 2016 World Cup of Hockey, which will be held 20 years after the last major title won by Team USA’s men at a best-on-best tournament (the 1996 World Cup of Hockey), may give this club a chance to finally exorcise those demons.
Kings GM Dean Lombardi was charged with building the roster and John Tortorella will serve as the head coach. Here are the first 16 players chosen to represent the United States at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey:
Goalies
Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning
Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings
Cory Schneider, New Jersey Devils
Defensemen
Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg Jets
John Carlson, Washington Capitals
Ryan McDonagh, New York Rangers
Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild
Forwards
Justin Abdelkader, Detroit Red Wings
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
Ryan Kesler, Anaheim Ducks
T.J. Oshie, Washington Capitals
Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens
Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild
Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks
Derek Stepan, New York Rangers
Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets
Here are five things to know about Team USA, including which players are worth watching that didn’t make the club yet.
1. Justin Abdelkader is a huge, huge surprise to make the roster
There are a lot of names that you expect on this roster. Twelve of these players were on the Sochi roster. The one name that wasn’t going to be found on any roster projections for this team: Justin Abdelkader of the Detroit Red Wings.
He is a high-energy player, plays a big role for the Red Wings and has speed. But in a best-on-best tournament? It’s a head-scratcher based on who else was available, especially when you’re only naming 16 players to start.
Abdelkader very well could end up having a career year this year, but he has a career points-per-game average of 0.36. USA apparently wants to go with a full on checking line, which to me actively takes away their depth of scoring. In tournaments like these, it is so hard to score and as many guys that the U.S. has that can do it, we even saw last time around, they couldn’t score enough.
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