3 Surprising Names Expected To Be Snubbed From Team USA Olympic Roster
Team USA roster season is basically here, and the early buzz is already getting uncomfortable for some fans.
Michael Russo of The Athletic is expecting three names, having excellent seasons, to be on the outside looking in for the 2026 Olympics, with Cole Caufield, Jason Robertson, and John Carlson all trending toward a surprise snub.
Why Cole Caufield and Jason Robertson might miss out
The wild part with Caufield is it’s not about talent (obviously), it’s about the team's fit and the way the staff is building the forward group, like we saw with Team USA's 4 Nations roster.
This season, the 25-year-old has racked up 18 goals and 36 points across 37 games played, while piling up five game-winning goals and 103 shots.
If Team USA leans into more two way balance and matchup security, a pure finisher can end up fighting for one of the last spots instead of being penciled in.
After starting off slow in the 2024-2025 season because he was coming off foot surgery, Jason Robertson has 52G-55A-107P in 91GP.
— Mike Bartner (@MikeBartner) December 23, 2025
Oh and he also had a 46G-63A-109P season at 23 years old.
Oh and he’s also developed into a good defensive wing.
Don’t overthink this @usahockey pic.twitter.com/BvCmolDq70
Robertson feels even crazier because he can absolutely take over games, but Olympic rosters get tight fast. Last year when he didn't make the 4 Nations roster, it was widely attributed to the fact he had recently come back from injury and might not be fully ready.
This year, it would be a stunning omission again, as he's been one of the top goalscorers thus far, behind only Morgan Geekie and Nathan Mackinnon.
Robertson has 23 goals and 45 points over just 38 games played this year. Over the past five seasons, the 26-year-old has racked up 174 goals over 358 games played.
However, once the staff commits to certain roles, even a star can get squeezed if they decide the lineup already has enough scoring and they want a different style in those final forward slots.
John Carlson Among Leaders for American Defenseman
Carlson feels like the most guaranteed one here to not make the team. He’s not even in the pre tournament testing pool, so that all but rules him off of the team. This one is not as surprising, considering the USA has a wide pool of talent on defense to choose from, but the veteran defenseman is sneakily having a fantastic season.
Not just about points, obviously, John Carlson is third in points (28) and third in assists (21) among U.S. born defensemen behind only Zach Werenski (40 points, 26 assists) and Lane Hutson (43 points, 27 assists).
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) December 21, 2025
He's also tied with Jake Sanderson for third in goals with 7.
In 33 games played, the 36-year-old has recorded eight goals, 29 points, a +8 plus/minus rating, 43 blocked shots, and averaging 22:39 time on ice per game.
His eight goals are third among American defenseman, and his 29 points are behind only Lane Hutson and Zach Werenski among American defenders. Hutson is also not expected to make the team.
Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
