Sochi 2014 Discussion

[Kobalt]

With US rosters released, time for this thread.

Spoiler

Forwards

David Backes
Dustin Brown
Ryan Callahan
Patrick Kane
Ryan Kesler
Phil Kessel
T.J. Oshie
Max Pacioretty
Zach Parise
Joe Pavelski
Paul Stastny
Derek Stepan
James van Riemsdyk
Blake Wheeler

Defensemen

John Carlson
Cam Fowler
Justin Faulk
Paul Martin
Ryan McDonagh
Brooks Orpik
Kevin Shattenkirk
Ryan Suter

Goaltenders

Jimmy Howard
Ryan Miller

Jonathan Quick

No Bobby Ryan What is US thinking by omitting the 2nd best goal scorer behind Kessel. I have no clue how Stepan is on the team, why Ryan isn't. Even Okposo would have been a better fit.

On defense, no Yandle nor Erik Johnson while Orpik, Shattenkirk, Faulk, Carlson, Martin makes it..... that makes sense.

No problems with goalies, Miller should start.

Fun read on selection http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/10...pics-was-named

[jyoung]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kobalt

No Bobby Ryan What is US thinking by omitting the 2nd best goal scorer behind Kessel. I have no clue how Stepan is on the team, why Ryan isn't. Even Okposo would have been a better fit.

Bobby Ryan was also in Vancouver and has been the most consistent of U.S.-born scorers, having tallied 30 or more goals four times for Anaheim before being dealt to Ottawa in the offseason. And yet there is surprising resistance to simply penciling him into a spot on the wing.

The issue is where he fits. If he's not a top-six forward, his skating doesn't really lend itself to him being a third-line checker. He cannot kill penalties, and while in Anaheim, he was not on the team's top power-play unit.

"I think he's sleepy. I think he skates sleepy," offers one member of the selection committee.

No one questioned Bobby Ryan's talent, but he made the U.S. decision-makers nervous.
Poile asks for a show of hands: "Are guys nervous about Bobby Ryan?" A flurry of hands go up in the air.

"That's a lot of guys," Poile notes.

And so Ryan, unbeknownst to him, finds himself in a battle for a place on The Board with wingers like Max Pacioretty, James van Riemsdyk, Blake Wheeler and T.J. Oshie before Ryan has set one skate on the ice.

[rdnk]

I'm very confused about Orpik making the team, but hopefully he'll be stapled to the bench. I would have taken Jack Johnson instead. I'm actually a big fan of Stepan, so I'm happy he made the team. Ryan got snubbed but the US has a pretty good group of forwards regardless.

[Sandman42]

Can't believe Orpik and Carlson were taken, and that Jack Johnson was considered, over the likes of Byfuglien, Yandle, or Andy Greene. Johnson has been getting torched when he's been on the ice for the past few years.

And yeah, not picking Bobby Ryan is criminal.

[jb12780]

I think the whole hockey community agrees not picking Bobby Ryan was absurd.

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[Madman55]

Glad to see Wheeler make the US team. Hopefully this selection along with the December he just had gives him a confidence boost going forward. But as everybody else has said, I'm shocked Bobby Ryan wasn't selected. The starting job should be Miller's to lose. I doubt there is anyway that he arrives in Sochi in any other role.

[Cletus]

I don't disagree much with Bobby Ryan being left off. There's only so many spots for good players. Bobby Ryan doesn't strike me as a great two way player and just at looking at players it's either him or Parise for big time minutes and I'm a bigger fan of Parise.

Orpik, however, ugh. I hate Orpik, I guess he'll be pretty good if the Czechs counter with Darius Kaspiritis, but does the USA need a guy that dirty in the Olympics?

[gopher_guy]

It's too bad Quick is hurt and not in the form he has been in for the last couple seasons.