Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/106685
Ryan Kesler Joe Pavelski Jack Johnson Age: 28 Vancouver Canucks Livonia, Mich. Age: 28 San Jose Sharks Plover, Wis. Age: 26 Columbus Blue Jackets Indianapolis Our Take: Slowed by wrist and shoulder injuries last season, a healthy Kesler for the 2014 Olympics would give the U.S. another talented two-way center with the knack for setting up his line mates. Bobby Ryan Age: 25 Anaheim Ducks Cherry Hill, N.J. Our Take: Ryan has registered 30 or more goals in four straight seasons and had a team-high five goals in last year's World Championship. Dustin Brown Age: 28 Los Angeles Kings Ithaca, N.Y. Our Take: What can Brown do for you? What can't he do? Skill, leadership, grit, Brown will be counted on to follow his Stanley Cup run in L.A., with a goldmedal in Sochi. Our Take: Pavelski led all American- born centers with 31 goals and 30 assists last year and has been a pivotal part of the San Jose Sharks offense. T.J. Oshie Age: 26 St. Louis Blues Mt. Vernon, Wash. Dustin Byfuglien Our Take: Coming off a career-high 35 assists last season, Oshie will be counted on to generate opportunities for his teammates. Blake Wheeler Age: 26 Winnipeg Jets Robbinsdale, Minn. Winnipeg, this former top-five draft pick is finally coming into his own. Defensemen Ryan Suter Age: 27 New York Rangers Rochester, N.Y. Age: 28 Minnesota Wild Madison, Wis. Our Take: Callahan led all Americans in the NHL with 13 power-play goals and should be a fixture on Team USA's power-play squad. Clutch scoring and leadership make him a must-have on the U.S. roster. Max Pacioretty Age: 24 Montreal Canadiens New Canaan, Conn. Our Take: After scoring a career-high 33 goals last season, Pacioretty kept up the scoring tear by leading Team USA with two goals and 10 assists at the World Championships. Derek Stepan Age: 22 New York Rangers Hastings, Minn. Our Take: Stepan will get his first taste of Olympic action after leading the goldmedal winning U.S. squad in scoring at the 2010 World Junior Championship. Age: 27 Winnipeg Jets Minneapolis Our Take: Team USA is going to need some size in Sochi and at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds Byfuglien brings just that. He is also versatile, with the ability to jump up front to play a forward position. Brooks Orpik Our Take: Coming off a career year in Ryan Callahan Our Take: Captain America returns to lead the U.S. back to the gold-medal game with another four years under his belt. Few have answered their country's call as often as this tough-as-nails blue liner. Age: 32 Pittsburgh Penguins San Francisco Our Take: Every team needs a grizzled veteran and the physical blue liner. Orpik will fill that role perfectly for the Americans. John Carlson Age: 23 Washington Capitals Natick, Mass. Our Take: As steady as they come, Suter has blossomed into one of the best American D-men in the NHL. Now it's time for him to join his father Bob on the top rung of the Olympic podium. Keith Yandle Our Take: Team USA's youngest defenseman will also provide the red, white and blue with a presence along the blue line. The 6-foot-3 Carlson is one of the league's up and coming defensemen. Kevin Shattenkirk Age: 26 Phoenix Coyotes Boston Our Take: If a star rises in the Arizona desert and nobody knows it, is he really a star? In Yandle's case the answer is a definitive "YES!" Many feel he should have made the 2010 Olympic squad. Look for him to ignite the American rush in his first Olympic appearance. Age: 24 St. Louis Blues Greenwich, Conn. Our Take: Shattenkirk was tied for the American-lead with five power-play goals last year for the Blues and can possibly team with Jack Johnson to form a talented duo on Team USA's blue line on the power play. N Go to USA Hockey Magazine's Facebook page to let us know your choices for the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team. USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM What DO YOU THINK? February. 2013 25