Early 2024 World Cup roster projection: USA

Take a second to process how long it’s been since we saw true best-on-best hockey between national teams comprised of all their best NHL players. By the time a potential World Cup of Hockey happens in 2024, we will be 10 years removed from the 2014 Sochi Games.

So how do we know, then, if Canada remains the planet’s supreme men’s hockey nation? It certainly has a star-studded lineup, as we projected in this story last week. But one look at the projected rosters for Team USA in 2024, comprised by me and Frank Seravalli, should give you pause. The Americans are STACKED at every position, and their forward depth is so great that it led to some astonishing snubs.

Behold, two possible versions of the team I believe is the favorite to win the 2024 World Cup: Team USA.

FORWARDS – Matt Larkin’s picks

Johnny Gaudreau	Auston Matthews	Matthew Tkachuk
Jason Robertson	Jack Hughes	Patrick Kane
Kyle Connor	Jack Eichel	Cole Caufield
Brady Tkachuk	Dylan Larkin	Tage Thompson
	Trevor Zegras

The Americans’ top line is a juggernaut, icing the perfect blend of playmaker-shooter-digger. Johnny Gaudreau can put all-world sniper Auston Matthews in countless deadly scoring positions, while Tkachuk brings the right mix of skill and physicality. He also has some old chemistry with Matthews dating back to their days as U.S. NTDP linemates.

The second line has some shifty skill from Patrick Kane and Jack Hughes, and Jason Robertson has deceptive size to accompany his smooth hands. This is a versatile line in that all three players can carry the puck and all three players have goal-scoring ability, so defenders can’t key on any one threat expecting a shot.

The third line, anchored by a resurgent Jack Eichel, has blinding speed on each wing. Connor and Caufield can fly and finish.

I was oh-so tempted to carry over Tage Thompson’s Buffalo chemistry with Alex Tuch and make a towering trio with them and Brady Tkachuk on the fourth line, but I was galaxy braining things a bit. Larkin’s speed and versatility make him a handier piece that can move all around the lineup and play in all situations. My 13^th forward, Zegras, is waiting to provide a park of dynamic creativity if needed.

Also considered: Alex Tuch, Jake Guentzel, Alex DeBrincat, Troy Terry, Chris Kreider, Bryan Rust, Brock Nelson, Matt Boldy, Anders Lee, J.T. Miller, Clayton Keller, Joe Pavelski, Vincent Trocheck, Matty Beniers, Ryan Hartman, Brock Boeser, Josh Norris, Mac Pacioretty

FORWARDS – Frank Seravalli’s picks

Matthew Tkachuk	Auston Matthews	Patrick Kane
Kyle Connor	Jack Eichel	Jake Guentzel
Johnny Gaudreau	Jack Hughes	Chris Kreider
Jason Robertson	Dylan Larkin	Brady Tkachuk
	Josh Norris

As an American and someone who has been proselytizing the game in the U.S. for the better part of 15 years, putting together this roster makes me hate the fact that NHL players didn’t skate in the Beijing 2022 Olympics. This is a loaded roster from top to bottom. As with our Team Canada entry, I took a little bit of a different approach and didn’t worry so much about chemistry or positions, but more focused on role and who was going to do what work based on their playing style. Our Daily Faceoff Archetype Rankings were really helpful for that.

The Americans have three franchise players (Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk and Patrick Kane), four shooters (Kyle Connor, Jack Eichel, Jake Guentzel, Josh Norris), one clutch player (Dylan Larkin), two distributors (Johnny Gaudreau and Jack Hughes), one power forward (Brady Tkachuk) and the best net-front scorer in the game (Chris Kreider).

The toughest decision was leaving off Joe Pavelski, who has aged like a fine wine. I’m also curious to see whether it will be possible for the U.S. to deny someone like Trevor Zegras, whose game has grown by leaps and bounds.

Also considered: Joe Pavelski, Tage Thompson, Trevor Zegras, Shane Pinto, Cole Caufield, J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Max Pacioretty, Vincent Trocheck

DEFENSE – Matt Larkin’s picks

Quinn Hughes	Charlie McAvoy
Jaccob Slavin	Adam Fox
Zach Werenski	John Carlson
	Jacob Trouba

The Americans’ defensive depth isn’t anywhere near as strong as their forward depth if we go more than nine or 10 names deep, so I didn’t have a difficult time picking my seven blueliners here, but the seven that do make my team form an impressive group.

Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy make a formidable top pair, with Hughes serving as the primary puck rusher while McAvoy, plenty capable as a play-driver in his own right, can handle heavy minutes and two-way responsibility.

There isn’t a huge dropoff in play quality from pair 1 to pair 2, where Adam Fox is every bit as capable a puck-mover as Hughes, while Jaccob Slavin operates in a two-way, shutdown role. Zach Werenski and John Carlson are horses by third-pair standards. Carlson’s big shot could be a boon on the power play, too. And if the Americans need more of a blunt instrument? Enter Jacob Trouba, the closest thing our generation has to Scott Stevens in terms of blending skill with devastating open-ice hitting ability.

Also considered: Seth Jones, Torey Krug, Justin Faulk, Jake Sanderson, K’Andre Miller, Noah Hanifin

DEFENSE – Frank Seravalli’s picks

Jaccob Slavin	Charlie McAvoy
Quinn Hughes	Adam Fox
Zach Werenski	Seth Jones
Noah Hanifin

Leaving off John Carlson was heartbreaking, but right now, I’m leaning toward Hanifin being the seventh defenseman and that is definitely not something I would have envisioned a year ago. His game grew in such a big way last season under Darryl Sutter. Scouts will tell you that by and large, the player you are at age 22 is who you are, but Hanifin seems to be an exception to that rule. At 25, last year was his best season by a mile. He’s got the range that makes him so attractive in a situation like this.

And Carlson is no slouch in his own end, but he’s probably not taking power play time away from Fox or Hughes, and it will be a fascinating decision.

Also considered: John Carlson, Jacob Trouba, Cam Fowler, Jake Sanderson, K’Andre Miller

GOALTENDERS – Matt Larkin’s picks

Connor Hellebuyck

Jake Oettinger

Thatcher Demko

If the Russians don’t participate due to the conflict in Ukraine, the Americans should have the best goaltending battery in the tournament, no matter who starts. I’ve gone with Hellebuyck in the top spot because he has the most established track record, including a Vezina Trophy, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the alpha talent Oettinger usurps him by next winter.

Also considered: Jeremy Swayman, Spencer Knight, Jack Campbell

GOALTENDERS – Frank Seravalli’s picks

Connor Hellebuyck

Jake Oettinger

Thatcher Demko

Oh my. By the time 2024 rolls around, this could be one of the best goaltending trios that has ever been assembled by a North American entry in best-on-best competition. That North American caveat is extremely important since all eyes will be on potential Russian participation, since they could go with a three-headed monster in Andrei Vasilevskiy, Igor Shesterkin and Ilya Sorokin. That’s truly scary. But there’s been a big pushback from the international hockey community in having Russian-born players participate at all. If they don’t, goaltending is not only the Americans’ clear and undisputed advantage over Team Canada, but perhaps over the rest of the World Cup at large.

Also considered: Spencer Knight

Teams at a Glance

TEAM LARKIN

Gaudreau-Matthews-M. Tkachuk
Robertson-J. Hughes-Kane
Connor-Eichel-Caufield
B. Tkachuk-Larkin-Thompson
Zegras

Q. Hughes-McAvoy
Slavin-Fox
Werenski-Carlson
Trouba

Hellebuyck
Oettinger
Demko

TEAM SERAVALLI

M. Tkachuk-Matthews-Kane
Connor-Eichel-Guentzel
Gaudreau-J. Hughes-Kreider
Robertson-Larkin-B. Tkachuk
Norris

Slavin-McAvoy
Q. Hughes-Fox
Werenski-Jones
Hanifin