Team USA revealed its men's Olympic hockey squad Thursday for the upcoming 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.

With NHL players no longer attending the international competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States' lineup is a mix of prospects and journeymen. Sixteen of the 25 players are 23 years old or younger, while six of the remaining nine are 30 or over.

Here's the full 25-man roster:

Forwards

Beniers, drafted second overall in 2021, and Brisson, selected 29th overall in 2020, are the most highly touted forwards on the team. Knies, a second-rounder in 2021, has impressed in his freshman year at Minnesota and is a name to watch.

Shore is the most experienced ex-NHLer of the group, having played in 299 career games with the Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets.

Defensemen

Despite their age, Faber and Sanderson could log heavy minutes for this blue line. Sanderson, the No. 5 pick in 2020, won a world junior gold with the U.S. in 2021 and was the captain for this year's team before the tournament was canceled. Faber, a second-rounder in 2020, was also a returning member of Team USA's world junior squad.

Kampfer (231 NHL games) is the most seasoned member of the blue line and will be counted on for experience.

Goalies

It's hard to project who might get the call between the pipes to open the tournament, but Mann has posted a .930 save percentage in Sweden this year following a stellar NCAA career at Michigan.

The last time NHL players attended the Olympics was in the 2014 Sochi Games, where the United States took fourth place after falling to Finland in the bronze-medal game. Team USA failed to reach the podium again in 2018.

The United States' men's team hasn't captured a medal since winning silver during the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

Team USA will hit the ice for the first time at the Olympics in a preliminary-round clash against China on Feb. 10.

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Montreal Canadiens defenseman Chris Wideman has been suspended one game for headbutting Boston Bruins forward Erik Haula during Wednesday night's contest, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Thursday.

The incident occurred in the middle of a scrum during the third period. Haula entered the fray and grabbed Wideman from behind. In the ensuing scuffle, Wideman thrust his head against Haula's.

The Department of Player Safety ruled that Wideman's contact was intentional and direct.

He received two minor penalties for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct.

This is the first time that Wideman has been fined or suspended by the league in his 204-game NHL career.

The 32-year-old will forfeit $3,750 in salary as a result of the suspension.

Boston won the contest 5-1.

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Our shot props have gone a little cold over the last couple days. Even so, we're still having a fantastic season. Our record sits at 110-90 for +15.31 units.

Let's dive into a couple of my favorite props as we look to get back on track.

Elias Lindholm over 2.5 shots on goal (-120)

Elias Lindholm is one of those guys with extreme home and away splits. On home soil, his shot volume is remarkably consistent. He's averaged 3.45 shots on goal and five shot attempts per game in Calgary. That's led to great success with his shot props, as he's gone over the number (2.5) in eight of 11 contests and fallen just one shot shy in two of the other three.

Beyond the Saddledome, it's a drastically different story. He's hit three shots in just eight of 22 away games, recording one shot or fewer eight different times. That's no coincidence, since he's averaged just 3.54 attempts per game on the road. The shot volume is not even in the same stratosphere.

Luckily for us, Lindholm is back at home and finds himself in a very juicy spot. The Ottawa Senators rank last in shot suppression on the road, and not just at five-on-five: They also allow shot attempts at a higher rate on the penalty kill than any other team.

They are a defensive mess. Tonight, they should be rusty as well; they're playing just their second game since Dec. 18.

I expect the Flames to dictate play and pile up the shots. Lindholm, their No. 1 pivot, should be at the forefront of the fun.

Patrick Kane over 3.5 shots on goal (-115)

Patrick Kane is a volume shooter and one of the best offensive talents in the NHL, and Thursday night, he's drawing the best matchup you could hope for.

The Montreal Canadiens are a horrendous team that's missing a plethora of players due to injuries and COVID-19. As such, they're getting railroaded on a regular basis - and bleeding shots in the process.

Over the last 10 games, the Canadiens rank last in shots on goal against per 60 minutes across all game states. Thursday's visit to the Chicago Blackhawks is the latter half of a road back-to-back, so there's not much reason to expect improvement.

Look for Kane to take advantage.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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NHL veteran Eric Staal signed a professional tryout contract with the Minnesota Wild's AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild announced Thursday.

The 37-year-old Staal plans to see where he's at physically with Iowa in hopes of playing for Team Canada at the Beijing Olympics, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo.

NHL players won't compete in the international tournament this year due to COVID-19 issues.

Staal, who was an unrestricted free agent, spent four seasons with Minnesota from 2016-20. He last played for the Montreal Canadiens during their Stanley Cup Final run, registering eight points in 21 games while averaging 11:31 of ice time per contest.

The forward has represented Canada at the Olympic Games before, winning a gold medal in 2010 in Vancouver.

Staal hasn't played in an AHL game since 2005 when he put up 77 points in 77 contests for the now-defunct Lowell Lock Monsters. He's set to play Friday when Iowa squares off against the Chicago Wolves, per Russo.

The Ontario native was drafted second overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2003. He has 441 goals and 593 assists in 1,293 career NHL games.

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With a jam-packed 11-game slate on the docket, let's get right into our best bets.

Blue Jackets (+220) @ Hurricanes (-260)

I've been attacking the Columbus Blue Jackets a lot of late and the returns have been very strong. I'm going right back to the well Thursday with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Columbus is playing very poor hockey right now. The team controlled just 43% of the expected goals at five-on-five over the last 10 games.

By comparison, the Hurricanes rank first in the NHL during that time with a 60.73 xGF% at five-on-five. They should dominate the run of play and pile up chances, especially considering their star power and the ability to get advantageous matchups with last change.

I think the Hurricanes will take care of business with relative ease, especially if Columbus is missing important players. Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen mentioned a few things are up in the air - including the status of Jakub Voracek.

Bet: Hurricanes -1.5 (-110)

Kraken (+175) @ Blues (-210)

The Seattle Kraken are not a good hockey team. Their goaltending, surprisingly, has turned out to be the worst in the NHL, and they don't have nearly enough offensive firepower to compensate.

Even so, I think this line is a little extreme. The St. Louis Blues are a playoff-level squad, but they're not at their best right now. At five-on-five, they've controlled around 49% of the expected goals over the last 10 games. That's about average - certainly not anything to write home about.

Vladimir Tarasenko is not expected to play, and neither are David Perron and Brayden Schenn. That's a lot of top-six-caliber forwards out at one time.

Seattle's goaltending is unreliable, but the Kraken are not giving up much despite the consistently large goal totals. Wednesday night, for example, they conceded five goals to the Dallas Stars despite allowing only 25 shots and 2.32 expected goals.

In terms of goals saved above expectation, Chris Driedger is ahead of Philipp Grubauer by half a puck per game. He's more likely to keep the Kraken in the mix if they deserve to be. With this many key forwards out for the Blues, I think Seattle will be able to keep things close.

Bet: Kraken +1.5 (-135)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid addressed rumors of Evander Kane joining the club on Wednesday.

Kane has been heavily linked to the team in recent days after becoming a free agent. He became eligible to sign with any club after his deal with the San Jose Sharks was terminated for breach of contract and violation of the AHL's COVID-19 protocol.

"Right now, it's all speculation," McDavid told reporters. "Obviously, Evander is an amazing player and he's had lots of success over the last couple of years. Whatever else is going on, it's not something I look into much."

Kane has been the subject of multiple NHL investigations over the past year. The league cleared him in one case after his wife, Anna, claimed Kane gambled on NHL games. Kane was later suspended 21 games for violating the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. He was also investigated for allegations he abused Anna, which the league stated "could not be substantiated."

"I’m not really here to discuss optics issues," said McDavid. "If fans don’t like it and media doesn’t like it, I think it is what it is. I think there are a lot of things that go on the ice and whatnot that fans don’t like and we don’t necessarily have to discuss that up here with you guys."

McDavid added: "I think Evander is a great player and can help us a lot on the ice and that’s first and foremost."

Oilers general manager Ken Holland confirmed Tuesday he's spoken to Kane's agent, but it appears unlikely Kane signs anytime soon. Teams were recently notified that the NHL is investigating Kane for crossing the U.S.-Canada border in December eight days after testing positive for COVID, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported.

Kane, 30, played five games for the AHL's San Jose Barracuda this season, notching eight points. He had a career year for the Sharks in 2020-21, registering a team-leading 49 points across 56 contests.

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Kingston Frontenacs forward Shane Wright tops Central Scouting's midseason North American skater rankings leading up to the 2022 NHL Draft.

The latest lists for North American and international players were released Wednesday.

Here are the top 10 for each pool.

North American skaters

Wright has dominated the OHL, registering 11 goals and 19 assists in 22 games. That production is par for the course for the young star, who put up 66 points in 58 games during his rookie year.

The 18-year-old added one assist in two games during the short-lived 2022 World Junior Championship, which was canceled due to COVID-19 issues.

International skaters

The 2022 NHL Draft will take place from July 7-8.

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The NHL has informed teams that it is investigating Evander Kane for crossing the U.S.-Canada border eight days after he tested positive for COVID-19 in December, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The development will likely prevent the free-agent forward from signing a deal in the short term as teams await the investigation's results, Friedman added.

Kane reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 21 and flew to Vancouver on Dec. 29, according to Friedman. The San Jose Sharks apparently say that Kane didn't have medical clearance to do so.

The Sharks placed Kane on unconditional waivers Saturday for the purpose of terminating his contract, citing a "breach of his NHL Standard Player Contract and for violation of the AHL COVID-19 protocols."

The 30-year-old cleared waivers Sunday and is an unrestricted free agent. The NHLPA reportedly filed a grievance Sunday night to challenge the voiding of his contract.

Kane is free to sign elsewhere while awaiting the results of the grievance, sources told TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Despite the controversies surrounding Kane, some teams are still showing interest.

Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland confirmed Tuesday that he's spoken to Kane's agent, Dan Milstein, and said he believes in "second chances."

This isn't the first time Kane has been at the center of a league investigation.

The NHL cleared Kane in a September investigation focused on allegations from his estranged wife, Anna, that he gambled on NHL games.

Two subsequent league probes looked into Kane's alleged use of a fake vaccination card and allegations that he'd abused Anna. He was suspended 21 games for violating the NHL's COVID-19 protocol in October, while the league said the domestic abuse investigation "could not be substantiated."

Kane cleared waivers in late November before reporting to the AHL's San Jose Barracuda, where he put up eight points in five games.

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