2016 World Cup of Hockey: Predicting The Teams

2016 World Cup of Hockey Roster Predictions: United States

Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The United States likely won’t be quite as deep as Canada, but they’ll still field an extremely good team at the 2016 World Cup.

FORWARDS: Tyler Johnson, Patrick Kane, Phil Kessel, Joe Pavelski, Max Pacioretty, Ryan Kesler, Derek Stepan, Zach Parise, Kyle Okposo, Bobby Ryan, Nick Bjugstad, Nick Foligno, Ryan Callahan

That’s not quite as impressive as Canada’s forward lines, but that’s still pretty darn impressive. The United States will have a plethora of options at the 2016 World Cup. Brock Nelson, T.J. Oshie, Blake Wheeler, and Jason Pominville will all compete for spots.

DEFENSEMEN: John Carlson, Dustin Byfuglien, Ryan Suter, Kevin Shattenkirk, Ryan McDonagh, Keith Yandle, Cam Fowler

This group of blue liners is a lot better than you think. It just might be able to hang in there with Canada’s in the 2016 World Cup. They probably have better puck movers than Canada. Who the heck of these guys do you use on the power play? No fewer than four of them are strong power play QBs. I’d go with Shattenkirk and Byfuglien, but man, you can’t go wrong with any of these guys.

GOALIES: Jonathan Quick, Ben Bishop, Cory Schneider

Again, I’d go with the strategy of letting Schneider start out of pity. He deserves to know what it’s like to play for a good team that would actually score goals for him. He deserves so much better than the Devils. Quick and Bishop would be awesome backups.

America’s optimal lineup at the 2016 World Cup would compete with anyone.

Parise – Pavelski – Kane
Pacioretty – Johnson – Kessel
Foligno – Kesler – Callahan
Bjugstad – Stepan – Ryan
Okposo

Suter – Carlson
McDonagh – Byfuglien
Yandle/Fowler – Shattenkirk

Schneider

Let me put this in perspective: the guy who is second in the NHL in points among defenseman would likely be a third pairing defenseman on this team. Is that good?