The United States is hoping to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its title in the first World Cup of Hockey with another triumphant performance in the 2016 tournament.
This year's edition of the American squad may not prevail like their 1996 brethren, but the versatile, experienced group should be competitive.
Here's how we envision the lines shaping up for the United States:
Forwards
Phil Kessel's absence will be felt no matter how deep the U.S. is on the right wing.
The Pittsburgh Penguins sniper's snub was shocking, considering he ranks second among all American-born scorers and point producers over the last six seasons.
Related: Phil Kessel's omission from Team USA makes zero sense
Kyle Palmieri steps in for the injured Ryan Callahan, which is a significant upgrade, but it will still be tough to replace Kessel's speed and scoring touch.
This projected top line is scary good and there's no denying the talent on the top three units, but if the forward group does have a weakness, it's a little thin on the left side.
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Max Pacioretty | Joe Pavelski | Patrick Kane |
| Zach Parise | Ryan Kesler | Kyle Palmieri |
| James van Riemsdyk | Derek Stepan | Blake Wheeler |
| Justin Abdelkader | David Backes | T.J. Oshie |
| Brandon Dubinsky |
Defensemen
Ryan Suter and Dustin Byfuglien give the U.S. a durable, intimidating top pairing capable of logging heavy minutes and controlling play at both ends.
Two Washington Capitals crack our top six, with John Carlson providing some offensive punch on the second pairing and Matt Niskanen plying his trade as a solid shutdown blue-liner on the third unit.
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Ryan Suter | Dustin Byfuglien |
| Ryan McDonagh | John Carlson |
| Jack Johnson | Matt Niskanen |
| Erik Johnson |
Goaltenders
Ben Bishop could get the first crack at the crease, but the American squad might be better served with Cory Schneider as the No. 1 netminder for the tournament - he's outplayed Bishop and Jonathan Quick at five-on-five over the last three seasons, and he's done so with much less in front of him.
Related: Devils' Schneider deserves to start for USA at World Cup
Bishop will need to prove that he's fully recovered from the injury that forced him to leave Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final on a stretcher. Quick can still steal a game, but he's too inconsistent at this point in his career to be the No. 1.
| G |
|---|
| Ben Bishop |
| Cory Schneider |
| Jonathan Quick |
Power Play
Parise clicked with Patrick Kane on the man advantage in at the last best-on-best international tournament in Sochi and the two dynamic wingers have a long history together in the U.S. program, so the Minnesota Wild forward should receive PP1 minutes to begin the tournament.
| Unit | LW | C | RW | LD | RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parise | Pavelski | Kane | Suter | Byfuglien |
| 2 | Pacioretty | Kesler | Palmieri | McDonagh | Carlson |
Penalty Kill
Ryan Kesler contributes to both aspects of special teams for the Anaheim Ducks, and he'll be counted on to replicate that versatility in this tourney.
The U.S. penalty killers will be a physical group that thrives on getting under the skin of opponents.
| Unit | C | F | LD | RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kesler | Abdelkader | McDonagh | Niskanen |
| 2 | Dubinsky | Backes | J. Johnson | E. Johnson |
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