Sweden 🇸🇪/Finland 🇫🇮 | Canada 🇨🇦 | United States 🇺🇸

With a four-team, NHL-sanctioned international hockey tournament expected to take place in February 2025, theScore is choosing rosters for all nations set to partake.

For Canada and the United States, there are a lot of quality players to choose from. Opinions on who should make the rosters vary depending on who you ask, so we tasked five members of our hockey editorial team - Kayla Douglas, Josh Gold-Smith, Sean O'Leary, John Matisz, and Josh Wegman - with selecting their own squads.

Below, we dive into each editor's Team USA and the most pressing question surrounding their roster:

Kayla Douglas 👇

Biggest question: You're the only one who didn't tap Hellebuyck as the starter. USA is loaded in net, but can you explain your lack of faith in the experienced, three-time Vezina finalist?

The United States can't go wrong with any of these three options in the crease. It's an embarrassment of riches and, as a Canadian, I'm jealous.

I don't have a lack of faith in Hellebuyck. He's outstanding. It's just that he's currently 30 and is constantly one of the most overworked goalies in the league (he paced all netminders in shots faced for four straight seasons from 2018-22). With this event expected to be held in February 2025, Hellebuyck has one more year to get through. Wear and tear starts to add up.

Demko, meanwhile, is two years younger and excelling after a down year. By the time this tournament rolls around, he might have the same number of Vezina Trophies (one) as Hellebuyck. - Douglas

Josh Gold-Smith 👇

Biggest question: You're the only editor to omit Tage Thompson. Why do you feel the 47-goal scorer from a season ago isn't worthy of a spot on the team?

It's not that Thompson isn't gifted or hasn't proven himself in the past. That 47-goal, 94-point campaign was remarkable. But this season has been a different story. Yes, he missed nine games with an injury but, even when healthy, he hasn't consistently been that dominant player we saw in 2022-23.

Let's start with the counting stats. Thompson's per-game offensive output is down to about half of what it was last campaign. Sure, the Sabres have disappointed as a team, but Thompson's also been underwhelming individually.

The 26-year-old's underlying numbers have been pedestrian this season. His five-on-five expected goals for percentage is hovering around 50%, and his individual expected goals per 60 minutes rate ranks about 200th in the league. He still possesses a rare combination of size, speed, and skill, but he hasn't been the dynamic game-changer he was over the last two campaigns. - Gold-Smith

John Matisz 👇

Biggest question: Caufield made only two of the five teams, and you're the only one to have him in your top-12 forwards. Amid a disappointing season, what makes you believe the diminutive sniper should make it?

For this exercise, I put a huge emphasis on filling the lineup with different player archetypes. After all, we're building a real team, not picking favorites for the All-Star Game. I placed value on growth potential, too, since younger players can level up multiple times between Dec. 2023 and Feb. 2025.

That brings us to Caufield.

He may not be producing at a high rate right now, but the 22-year-old is an elite finisher, full stop. I tabbed Caufield over fellow shooters Brock Boeser and Alex DeBrincat largely because of his history with Jack Hughes. The duo was electric for two years at the U.S. National Team Development Program. Their skill sets complement each other perfectly, while the third member of my "second" USA line, J.T. Miller, can do the dirty work. - Matisz

Sean O'Leary 👇

Biggest question: You took only two right-handed defensemen and have them playing together on the top pair. Are you worried that having three blue-liners playing their off side could pose issues against some of the world's best players?

To quote Billy Beane's character in "Moneyball," I don't care about righty-lefty. Short tournaments force players out of their usual positions all the time, and these are some of the most talented players in the world. They're fully capable of making adjustments.

I also think Fox and McAvoy are USA's top two horses, and their history of being international teammates dates back to the 2017 world juniors. Both players have the mobility and puck-moving prowess to be effective on either side of the ice and, on the off chance it goes terribly, management can shake up the pairings before elimination games begin. Placing these stalwarts on the same unit also created the opportunity for an all-Hughes pairing which, for the sake of fun, factored into my decision. - O'Leary

Josh Wegman 👇

Biggest question: You're the only one who took both Tuch and Kreider. What makes them deserving of roster spots over the likes of Boeser, Caufield, DeBrincat, Keller and others?

Tuch and Kreider are big, fast, north-south wingers who can get in on the forecheck and wreak havoc. While both players can put the puck in the net, they can affect the game positively in other ways - and in limited minutes - even if they're not contributing offensively. That's important in a bottom-six role on a star-studded team. To me, the same can't be said for Boeser, Caufield, DeBrincat, and Keller. - Wegman

(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey)

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