In a few months’ time, the Olympic Games will be held in Milan-Cortina, Italy. And for hockey fans, it will also be the first time in 12 years that NHL players will be taking part in the Olympics.
The last time we saw NHL players at the Games, Martin St-Louis was there… as a player.
And since the players from the Bettman circuit will be there, it’s interesting to wonder which Habs players will be there. We already know that Juraj Slafkovský will be representing Slovakia, but for the others, nothing has yet been confirmed.
In recent days, Nick Suzuki and Samuel Montembeault(but not Noah Dobson) have been put forward as names to watch for Team Canadiens. But south of the border, Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson are guys who will also be considered.
And in a piece for the NHL website, Tom Gulitti had some fun making a projected line-up for Team USA… and what we notice is that Caufield is there, but Hutson isn’t.
Remember that this time, unlike the 4 Nations Confrontation, teams can bring 25 players instead of 23. This means there are more positions available, and Caufield is one of those who, according to Gulitti, could benefit from this
Note that according to this line-up, guys like Chris Kreider, Brock Nelson and Vincent Trocheck, who were at the 4 Nations Confrontation, would not be returning. That, too, would help Caufield’s bid.
We do know, however, that what could work against the Habs forward is the fact that it’s difficult to project him into a supporting role. If he’s not a top-6 (or, at the very least, a top-9), he’s not a team’s most valuable player. And it makes you wonder whether he’ll be an extra forward if he’s selected.
In Lane Hutson’s case, his path to the tournament is likely to be even more complex. At the moment, it’s hard to see a world in which he would pack Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski, Jaccob Slavin and Jake Sanderson, the four left-handers selected by Gulitti.
And much like Caufield, the Habs defenseman’s biggest selling point is his offensive game. If he’s not in such a role, it’ll be hard for him to shine… and that’s why we have to wonder if his only chance to participate would be in the event that Hughes or Werenski, two guys who are going to play on the powerplay, can’t take part in the tournament for whatever reason.
We’ll be keeping an eye on everything over the coming months, but both Caufield and Hutson will have something to prove in the first half of the season. And if that motivation can make them even better for the Habs, the club won’t say no.
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