The US trios have been announced, and Cole Caufield should have been in a specific spot

Maxime Truman
The US trios have been announced, and Cole Caufield should have been in a specific spot
Credit: Getty Images

I'm starting to wonder what I'm going to do with my evenings, with the NHL on hiatus until February 25. Yes, the Olympic tournament kicks off on Wednesday morning in Italy, but the games will be played at 6:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 3:00 p.m. That's not going to fill my winter evenings…

Except don't look for me on Wednesday morning; I'll be comfortably settled in front of my TV AND my laptop, teleworking like a good Canadian.

Need I remind you that Canada will start its tournament against its nemesis, the Czech Republic?

The next day, the Americans will take the stage, and they'll probably have an easier time against the Latvians. Although the Latvians always prove to be tough opponents in international tournaments.

There was a lot of talk yesterday about Canada's defensive trios and pairs— particularly Nick Suzuki's role —but as of a few hours ago, we now know the American defensive trios and pairs.

What was the first question that came to mind when I saw this lineup? Where would Cole Caufield fit among these 14 forwards?

Forget the first line; Mike Sullivan has brought together three proud Americans who will combine talent with attitude, toughness, character, and arrogance. Caufield couldn't have taken the place of any of those three guys.

On the second line? Auston Matthews plays center, and Matthew Boldy is currently a more complete player than Caufield. He scores, he gets assists, he's 6'2″, and he can play defense, especially in his own zone. As for Jake Guentzel, he gets more assists than goals, which is useful when you're playing with Matthews and Boldy. You need someone who looks for the pass rather than the shot…

I'm not a big fan of Guentzel, but his 60 points in 55 games in Tampa this season, as well as the identity of the other two players on that line, make me say no, Cole Caufield would not have fit on that second line.

On the third line? Since Dylan Larkin plays center (Caufield can't replace him) and is flanked by Kyle Connor and Tage Thompson, I'm not convinced that Caufield would have fit in alongside Larkin. Maybe in place of Connor, but even then…

However, Caufield could easily have replaced J.T. Miller on the left wing of the fourth line. Not Nelson or Trocheck, since they play center, and not Jack Hughes (he's a complete player who's useful in all kinds of situations), but Miller, yes…

“Come on, Max, Miller brings what you want as a coach on your fourth line!” – Someone

Let's say I buy into your argument, there's still one position that Cole Caufield could have filled perfectly: the 13th forward.

In international hockey, coaches have to dress two extra players per game, usually a 13th forward and a seventh defenseman. Honestly, I can't think of a better candidate than Cole Caufield for that role.

Why? Because if you're ahead, you don't have to give him a lot of minutes…

If the game is extremely physical—which I doubt will be the case at the Olympics—you keep him on the bench…

But if you're playing catch-up hockey and chasing a goal, you can easily call on Cole Caufield to replace a forward who's not having a good game, who's carrying an injury, or who's there for his defensive (or physical) play.

I'm already looking forward to tweeting about the Americans' lack of offense over the next few weeks, reminding American fans that they could have really used Cole Caufield.

However, that won't be our problem, dear Canadiens. I don't know about you, but I don't really give a damn about the American team in the end. In fact, seeing them fail would bring a little smile to my face…

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