USA Hockey Training Camp: Possibilities

The 2010 USA Hockey team was an underdog. NO ONE expected them to do anything in that Olympics, but they took Canada to the brink before that villain sidney crosby robbed what turned out to be the best team in that entire tournament in overtime.

Still, as the USA invites the players who expect to make it to the USA team in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, there is a big expectation for this team going into their orientation camp. There won't be any skating in this camp, it will only be a way for the players to get orientated and do some work-outs. The team will be decided over the course of the early NHL season and the team will be announced on News Years Day after the Winter Classic.

This is not a so-called "transitional" period for the USA hockey team. They expect to win Gold. Leading that effort is new USA Hockey General Manager David Poile, whose main job is the GM of the Nashville Predators. Just like Brian Burke, who brought together a surprising team in the 2010 Olympics, Poile must find the right players for 2014.

Starting in net, there may be a change. Ryan Miller was the unquestioned star of the 2010 Olympics, where he was named the tournament's MVP. However, Miller's been dealing with inconsistency as of late, so Poile may have to look at LA Kings netminder Jonathan Quick. The man has been incredible during the playoffs these past two years, and was the 2012 Conn-Smythe Trophy winner as playoffs MVP during the Kings' Stanley Cup run that year. I expect Quick to be named the starting goalie while Miller might be named the back-up goalie.

The USA Today reports that Poile might take a slightly different approach that Brian Burke, but they say it's "mostly out of necessity". European hockey uses a wider rink than the NHL does, so the USA will have to use speed and maneuverability, which the USA Today article says Poile will do. At the same time, much like how Brian Burke did and Herb Brooks did before him, Poile will have to assemble a team, not a group of all-stars.

There are obvious names like Patrick Kane and Zach Parise who have been mentioned as being no-brainers for this team. Other names that have been dropped include Brandon Saad, a Calder Cup (NHL Rookie of the Year) finalist. Poile will be using a group of GMs from around the NHL to pick the team. This approach was also used by Brian Burke. The USA will have good wingers and defensemen, but the center might be a bit of a problem.

To put it simply, Poile has his work cut out for him. The Russian team is an easy favorite, since they're playing in their home country. The Canadians are always a threat and there's the little matter that no North American team has won a Gold Medal in a Winter Olympics held outside of North America. I expect a fast team with strong defense and goaltending that, if possible, could break the dry spell.