Pre-Olympic tournament gives sad glimpse into Team USA men’s hockey without the NHL

USA Hockey could’ve iced a potential juggernaut at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Auston Matthews, Patrick Kane, Jack Eichel, Johnny Gaudreau, Zach Werenski, Justin Faulk, Seth Jones, Cory Schneider ... the list goes on with top players who could’ve given the Americans a fighting chance in Pyeongchang.

But without the NHL’s participation, the talent level at the upcoming Olympic tournament will plummet. This became all the more obvious seeing the Americans’ lineup for the opener of the 2017 Deutschland Cup in Germany. Don’t feel bad if you haven’t heard of most of these guys:

Yes, that sinking feeling was you realizing that Team Russia is more or less guaranteed to win this tournament as long as the KHL doesn’t pull participation. The lineup above isn’t the exact team the Americans will take to Pyeongchang, but it’s not terribly far off either. And even as someone who writes about hockey all the time, I’ve heard of only a few of these players.

Brian Gionta, a 15-year NHL veteran, is the most obvious name. He was the Buffalo Sabres captain for the past three seasons and will likely play a leadership role for the Americans in February. He’ll be 39 years old by then, but coming off a 35-point season with the Sabres, he can still play.

There’s also Mark Arcobello, who became well-known in North America as a guy who dominated the AHL but couldn’t crack the NHL. He’s playing in Switzerland for SC Bern now, where he’s recorded 22 points in 19 games this season. Move over, Matthews and Eichel — the Americans got Arcobello, No. 1 center, now.

It’s even worse on defense. Who is Matt Donovan? A 2008 draft pick by the Islanders currently playing in Sweden. Who is Matt Gilroy? Another washed-out NHL player who has spent the past four seasons in the KHL. The most notable name is Jonathan Blum, a 2007 first-round pick by Nashville who has been in the KHL after failing to make the leap from the AHL.

If we’re looking for a silver lining here, it’s that the Americans will be able to take other players to Pyeongchang. Namely, there are top NCAA prospects that USA Hockey could conceivably bring into the fold.

Those potential prospects include Boston University’s Jordan Greenway, a Wild prospect, and Denver’s Troy Terry, a Ducks prospect. Terry might be familiar to you after starring for the Americans at the 2017 World Juniors, where the team won gold.

Adding young talents like Greenway and Terry could go a long way toward making the Americans more palatable to watch in February, even if it pales in comparison to having the chance to watch a Gaudreau-Matthews-Kane line.

But as this roster shows, the Americans are going to have a tough time putting together an impressive team for the 2018 Olympics. If anything, we’ll have to hope for Miracle on Ice, Part 2.