In the upcoming weeks, teams will be completing their rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament, which will be held in Boston and Montreal in only three months. Given the level of skill available today, several surprising names may be left out of this best-on-best tournament, especially for Team USA.
Each of the four teams has formally revealed six players for their rosters thus far, and there is mounting conjecture that Cole Caufield of the Montreal Canadiens may not make Team USA.
Although it’s difficult to accept that a player with Caufield’s level of scoring isn’t guaranteed to make it, this is what has been claimed thus far.
The only person below Caufield in the NHL goal scoring standings this season is Sam Reinhart. Despite playing for a team in last place, the Montreal Canadiens forward has been scoring goals on a regular basis. Caufield is shown why he was selected by Montreal in the 2019 NHL Draft by establishing himself as one of the game’s top finishers with 12 goals in 17 games.
But Caufield might not be able to make the USA squad because of its depth. Forwards Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Eichel, and Auston Matthews have already been chosen for the Americans. There is still a lot of skill, size, and center-playing ability among the players in the pool that has not yet been chosen. These factors led to the exclusion of diminutive wingers like Cole Caufield and Alex DeBrincat from Team USA, even though the latter had a strong season debut.
Pierre Lebrun stated on TSN’s Insider Trading this Thursday that Caufield is not expected to make the squad. The NHL insider clarified, “No final decisions have been made, but my understanding is that despite a really great offensive start to the season, Caufield is on the outside looking in for that 23-man roster.” “I was informed today that it truly depends on what transpires during the last two weeks here, but he might yet make it. In order to select a 23-man roster, Team USA must make four or five final judgments.
This claim demonstrates the strength of the American people during the last ten years. The selection committee will probably choose forwards who are more suited for a position in the bottom six.