Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson attending US Olympic Team orientation camp

[LGR4GM]

 

 

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

 

 

Would've been shocked if either didn't get invited.  And honestly expect both to make the team/play if they're healthy when the Olympic break hits.

[LGR4GM]

 

 

[Demoted]

Will be good for these guys to see what it feels like to be a winner.

[shrader]

A few of the young guys they sprinkled in are interesting choices.

[That Aud Smell]

Tuch on the national team's 4th (3rd?) line would make a ton of sense. Dude can PK as well, obviously.

[SwampD]

21 hours ago, Demoted said:

Will be good for these guys to see what it feels like to be a winner.

Didn’t Tage score the championship winning goal in the IHF tournament?

[JP51]

Good for them.. good to be with talent and some winners. 

[Pimlach]

Would love to see Tage and Tuch make the team and get GOLD!  

[French Collection]

Just now, Pimlach said:

Would love to see Tage and Tuch make the team and get GOLD!  

I would be OK with them getting silver.

[xzy89c1]

Tage needs to show a commitment to a 200-foot game and play the wing all year or he will not make it. Tuch is a candidate for fourth line but would have to be playing unreal to make it. Tuch needs to show an aggressiveness he rarely does to make it. The games against Canada are mean nasty affairs. 

[Pimlach]

19 hours ago, xzy89c1 said:

Tage needs to show a commitment to a 200-foot game and play the wing all year or he will not make it. Tuch is a candidate for fourth line but would have to be playing unreal to make it. Tuch needs to show an aggressiveness he rarely does to make it. The games against Canada are mean nasty affairs. 

Last 4 seasons - Top US Goals scorers:

                         GP     G        NHL Rank 

Mathews         295   202            1 

Thompson      303   158              11

Conner           308   153            13 

Robertson       320   151            14

Kreider            310    149           15

Guentzel         301    147           16 

 

It's time to say goodbye Kreider and hello Tage.  He can play wing or center in the NHL.  The guy has proven he can score goals playing with Tuch, Skinner, Benson, Peterka, Kulich.   He will make the team if healthy and scoring.  

 

Edited August 21 by Pimlach

[GASabresIUFAN]

Tuch has an uphill battle to make the team while Thompson has a reasonable chance.

4 forwards have already been selected - Eichel, Matthews and the Tkachuk brothers.

I think there are another 4 locks for the roster in Jack Hughes, Conner, Robertson and Boldy.

That leaves 5 slots.  Guys like Keller, Guentzel, Thompson, Caufield, Debrincat, Cooley, Larkin, Tuch and Knies competing for those slots.  I think Guentzel and Thomspon lead for slots 9 & 10.

[dudacek]

9 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Tuch has an uphill battle to make the team while Thompson has a reasonable chance.

4 forwards have already been selected - Eichel, Matthews and the Tkachuk brothers.

I think there are another 4 locks for the roster in Jack Hughes, Conner, Robertson and Boldy.

That leaves 5 slots.  Guys like Keller, Guentzel, Thompson, Caufield, Debrincat, Cooley, Larkin, Tuch and Knies competing for those slots.  I think Guentzel and Thomspon lead for slots 9 & 10.

It will be interesting.

Debrincat wasn’t invited, Robertson wasn’t on the 4 Nations team and Conner was benched 4 nations, so USAHockey may like those guys less than you do.

I think Tage is U.S.A.’s 2nd best scorer and Tuch exactly the type I’d want in my bottom 6 so they’d be on my team🤷

But Ill be rooting for Canada so more Chris Kreisler please.

[Pimlach]

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

It will be interesting.

Debrincat wasn’t invited, Robertson wasn’t on the 4 Nations team and Conner was benched 4 nations, so USAHockey may like those guys less than you do.

I think Tage is U.S.A.’s 2nd best scorer and Tuch exactly the type I’d want in my bottom 6 so they’d be on my team🤷

But Ill be rooting for Canada so more Chris Kreisler please.

Agree.  Look at my list of top US born goal scorers. Thompson is right up there.  

Is Thompson's 2 way game any worse than Conner or Robertson or Debrincat?   I say no to that.  

Tuch and a center like Larkin would make very good bottom 6 players for the USA.   They need the right balance of top skill and gritty two way play. 

USA v Canada will be an amazing game.  

[xzy89c1]

5 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Agree.  Look at my list of top US born goal scorers. Thompson is right up there.  

Is Thompson's 2 way game any worse than Conner or Robertson or Debrincat?   I say no to that.  

Tuch and a center like Larkin would make very good bottom 6 players for the USA.   They need the right balance of top skill and gritty two way play. 

USA v Canada will be an amazing game.  

Tuch is not a gritty two-way player. Thompson's success has been mostly as a center on an awful team. He needs to prove himself as a 200-foot winger who can still score. How he plays without the puck is the biggest question with him. 

[kas23]

As long as they don’t get hurt, they can do whatever they want. 

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, xzy89c1 said:

Tuch is not a gritty two-way player. Thompson's success has been mostly as a center on an awful team. He needs to prove himself as a 200-foot winger who can still score. How he plays without the puck is the biggest question with him. 

Tuch is a two way player, he had good defensive stats and he led the league in blocked shots last season.  He scored 36 goals last season, 94 in the past  3 seasons.  He is certainly gritty enough for an Olympic All Star team.  Why are you so negative on Tuch?  He was 1 of 44 players invited for a shot at the Olympics, that alone puts him in a category that deserves more respect.  

[pi2000]

Tuch is a long shot to make the team.

Tage's golden goal and the worlds locked up his spot.