One of the major storylines before the Olympics kick off is Team USA’s hockey roster construction. Not so much who made the team, but who was left off. As of the writing of this article, the top two American goal scorers–Cole Caufield and Jason Robertson–are not on the team. One of the top-two defensemen–Adam Fox–is also not on the roster, though he is on LTIR right now. Team USA, which has Chris Drury, Mike Sullivan, and David Quinn as part of the roster selection team, is choosing grit over skill.

When you look at the logic used by Bill Guerin and the three members of the Rangers brain trust, it seems rooted in nearly 50 year old ideologies and, at best, outdated. They wanted to use the 1980 US Miracle On Ice as the framework, but learned the wrong lessons from that team. Aside from it being *forty-six* years ago, that team had a ton of speed and skill in addition to their work ethic. Team USA’s 2026 roster has some speed and skill, but emphasized the grit factor far too much.

Leaving three of America’s top-ten skaters off the roster was a choice that supported their emphasis on grit. Bill Guerin could not be swayed by anyone to include Fox, a far superior defenseman to everyone on that roster except Quinn Hughes. We don’t know why both Robertson and Caufield were left off while both JT Miller and Vincent Trocheck were included.

Initially the sound byte was “pace of play.” But if that were true, then neither Miller nor Trocheck would be on the roster. Both are slowing down and have been downright slow and bad for the Rangers this season, especially Miller. if they were included for leadership, then wouldn’t their recent track record with the Rangers overshadow past accolades?

Team USA’s roster impacts the Rangers plans

We can write off the Fox snub as Guerin being foolish and stubborn, which he is. However we can’t write off Caufield’s and Robertson’s snubs, as there was no logical reason to omit them. Leadership? Both Miller and Trocheck have been under fire by Rangers fans for how this season has gone, specifically Miller.

Defense? It’s not like Miller and Trocheck have been good defensively this year, even with Mike Sullivan at the helm. Meanwhile Robertson is a solid two-way, three zone player who has apparently been mislabeled as a “purely offensive” type of player. Kind of like how Jacob Trouba has been mislabeled as a shut down defenseman.

Caufield’s issue? He’s 5’8, that’s it.

Team USA is focusing on an approach that doesn’t include “pure skill.” If you’re reading that the way I am, then you know how ridiculous it sounds.

Guerin will be the face of Team USA when it falls flat on its face due to this lack of skill, especially with the inclusion of an injured Miller and a declining Trocheck. But outside of Fox, the Rangers trio was most certainly involved in these decisions. If that’s how they want to build the Rangers, then this retool is over long before it started.

It’s not 1980 anymore

The biggest gripe is the appearance of putting together a team that plays like the 1980 Miracle On ice team. Problem is that was nearly *half a century* ago, and the NHL has changed, as have the Olympics. Hockey is faster, much faster than in the 1980’s. Players are stronger, faster, and better. Equipment has evolved. Everything has changed, and the thought process needs to evolve with it.

If this approach carries over to the Rangers, then it’s safe to assume they won’t be actively engaged on Jason Robertson, Shane Wright, or any other players viewed as “pure skill” or “high risk.” It is the polar opposite of the approach the Washington Capitals approach, which was to take risks on skill players in bad situations.

If the Rangers aren’t willing to take risks on high ceiling players, then they will never get better. Hockey is a skill game. it’s not about the grit, it’s about finding players who are willing to put in the work and fit within the system. It’s ok to assemble a team that doesn’t play up in pace, but they need to be able to hit that extra gear against faster opponents.

Team USA won’t be able to do that. If the Rangers follow that model, then neither will the Rangers, and we will be back here in less than 5 years.

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