Much like the Canadians, the Americans also had an embarrassment of riches to choose from when formulating their Olympic roster. Inevitably, that had US fans divided about some of the final selections for the team. Bill Guerin and company had a very difficult task when picking this roster and it’s hard to argue any of his choices don’t deserve to be there, but the reality is, only 25 players get to go to Milan. That meant heartbreak for some who thought they did enough in the first half of the year to warrant a spot on the team, but now won’t be going unless there’s an opportunity as an injury replacement.
The Americans were the runners up from the 4 Nations Face-Off so it’s understandable they wouldn’t want to tinker with the roster too much, but there were a few eyebrow-raising omissions from their squad who are having excellent seasons in 2025-26.
Here are the four biggest snubs from the US team:
This one has to be up there for biggest head scratchers when it comes to Olympic snubs. Robertson is eighth in league scoring and first in points among American skaters with 48. Plus, there hasn’t been many players hotter in the past two months. Since November 1st, the Stars forward has 39 points in his past 30 games playing on the second-best team in the NHL. He’s also ranks second in power-play goals among Americans and could really help out the US squad on the man advantage. Robertson wasn’t included in the US 4 Nations roster, but he should have proven he’s more than worthy to be included this time around.
Trying to come up with reasons why Robertson shouldn’t be included is a difficult task. He isn’t the best two-way forward out there, but that’s really nitpicking. Not every forward is excellent defensively and Robertson’s offensive exploits should more than make up for it. He’s a player that’s had a 109-point season to his credit, is averaging well over a point per game for his career and is playing incredible hockey right now. There’s no way there are 14 better American forwards than Robertson.
Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens
Only five American skaters have more goals than Caufield this season, as the Canadiens forward is on pace for a career high 40 at the moment. A dynamic forward, Caufield brings an element of shiftiness to the offensive zone with his ability to move in and out of coverage and work his way open for high-danger opportunities. Perhaps the most significant attribute Caufield brings to the table, though, is clutch scoring. The 25-year-old has five game-winning goals this season which is tied for second in the NHL and no one has more overtime winners than Caufield with three. The Americans also could’ve benefited from Caufield’s ability in the shootout if things came to that in Milan. He’s four-for-six this year, tying him with Troy Terry for the most shootout goals this season.
Caufield would’ve also given the US team another right shot up front, as the Americans only named three of them to their roster at forward. Tage Thompson is someone that can fire it from the half boards on his off wing on the power play and Caufield could’ve provided the US another similar option for a second unit with the man advantage. It’s a small thing, but having more left/right balance can create more cross-seam offensive opportunities in the offensive zone, whether on the power play or at even strength, which could ultimately lead to a timely or difference-making goal.
The inclusion of Seth Jones on the American Olympic team seems to have come at the expense of Fox, likely leading to some awkward future conversations with US and New York head coach Mike Sullivan. The Rangers defenceman won’t be returning from the 4 Nations despite bringing some very unique tools to the table. Fox is a great power-play quarterback and after Quinn Hughes, he might be the best American blue-liner for that job. He’s also an excellent puck distributor and would really help the US Team create offence from the back end. Fox has tallied 28 points in 28 games this season, putting him on pace for a career high in points.
What likely was working against Fox was an injury he suffered back in November that forced him to miss a month of action. Even though there’s still plenty of time for Fox to get back up to speed, others have emerged with strong seasons in the meantime. Jones is having a great year on a banged-up Florida Panthers squad, averaging more than 24 minutes a night. Not to mention the role he played in another Panthers Cup last spring. Jake Sanderson is also establishing himself as high quality blue-liner that can play in almost any situation. Still, special teams are going to be critical at this tournament and not having some power-play quarterback insurance with Fox is going to be missed for Team USA.
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Matthew Knies, Toronto Maple Leafs
The Americans do have Brady and Matthew Tkachuk to bring an added element of physicality, but Matthew Knies is a unicorn. Few players have the blend of size and skill Knies possesses and he would’ve made the US team even tougher to handle. The Maple Leafs forward has taken his game to another level season, trending towards an 80-point campaign while wreaking havoc against opposing defences in front of the net. At six-foot-three and more than 230 pounds, Knies can lean on defenders and use his strength to create scoring opportunities that others can’t.
What’s also interesting about Knies is he would’ve been one of the few Americans that actually has Olympic experience. The 23-year-old participated in the 2022 tournament when the NHL didn’t send players because of the pandemic. Plus, Knies has plenty of reps playing next to Auston Matthews on Toronto’s top line, so you know the duo already would’ve had some built-in chemistry heading into the tournament. Perhaps the US management team felt Knies was too young to bring to Milan, but he had no problem jumping into the Stanley Cup playoffs after just three games of NHL experience. Knies has proven during his career the moment isn’t too big for him and he would’ve been a worthy selection.
