About the only bad part for Minnesota Wild president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin also holding the GM role for the United States men’s hockey team is watching every NHLer who dreams of representing the red, white and blue in Milan put on a show against the Wild.

We’ve seen everybody from Tage Thompson to Clayton Keller to Zach Werenski to, most recently, Brock Nelson use their games against Minnesota as an audition.

Nelson scored a goal and two assists and did all those little things that Guerin and the coaching staff, led by Mike Sullivan, value during Sunday night’s 5-1 Colorado Avalanche win over the Wild.

After the game, Nelson even admitted that Guerin being in the building did cross his mind.

“Maybe a little bit,” Nelson, with a wink and a grin, told The Athletic. “I mean, Billy’s a great guy and he’s got a big job ahead of him, a tough one. I want to be there, but whoever ends up going over there, the Americans, I feel like we have a deep squad and can win gold.”

Nelson’s big game came with his uncle Dave Christian, who won gold the last time the United States won it all, in 1980 in Lake Placid, in the arena with his son. Nelson’s grandfather Bill Christian was also part of the 1960 gold-medal-winning United States team, as was his great uncle Roger Christian. Nelson’s great uncle Gordon Christian won a silver medal at the 1956 Olympics.

“It’d be incredible,” Nelson said. “Every time I let my mind slip to that, I get a little emotional just thinking about my family history. My grandfather, I mean, he’s been one of my biggest fans. And my uncle’s here today. To have those guys be not just role models but family members that are big fans, it would mean a lot to have another generation of our family be an Olympian.”

Brock Nelson put on a show for U.S. Olympic men’s hockey general manager Bill Guerin. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

On Sunday, during the World Juniors in the Twin Cities, Guerin’s staff — which includes NHL GMs Stan Bowman, Chris Drury, Tom Fitzgerald and Bill Zito, as well as Wild assistant GM Chris Kelleher and USA Hockey execs Pat Kelleher and John Vanbiesbrouck — will arrive in Minnesota to meet for the final time in selecting the U.S. roster of 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goalies.

The U.S. came up one goal short against Canada in this year’s 4 Nations Face-Off. The coaches and brass loved the style of hockey the team played and the camaraderie within the group. So there are not expected to be massive changes. Maybe only a handful, in fact.

The biggest thing Guerin and his staff will have to monitor is injuries.

Werenski, the New York Rangers’ J.T. Miller, the Carolina Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin and the Vegas Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel are the latest Americans to be sidelined by injuries. The Rangers’ Adam Fox has been sidelined since Nov. 29, and the Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk has yet to play this season, though his return sounds close as he’s been skating since Nov. 21. And Jack Hughes just returned to the New Jersey Devils’ lineup Sunday.

As of now, the reports that USA Hockey has received indicate that none of the injured players will have their Olympics impacted should they be named to the roster Dec. 31. The roster is scheduled to be announced Jan. 2 on NBC’s “Today” show.

If a player named to the team is unable to play, the United States can adjust its roster until Feb. 10, the day before the Feb. 11-22 tournament starts. The Americans will have backup plans.

What will the roster look like? Based on conversations with league sources, here’s The Athletic’s projection of who’s in, who’s out and what decisions remain heading into Sunday’s meetings.

Forwards

Already named to the roster (4): Anticipated captain Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk and Jack Eichel

Other shoo-ins (7): Matt Boldy, Kyle Connor, Jake Guentzel, Jack Hughes, Dylan Larkin, J.T. Miller and Tage Thompson

Of the 11 players above, Thompson is the only one who was not part of the 4 Nations roster, although he was nice enough to come to Boston late in the tournament in case there was an emergency — despite being stung that he was snubbed. Thompson went to the World Championship and scored in overtime to deliver the United States its first gold since 1933 in the event.

Connor was scratched in the 4 Nations championship game, but it’s hard to imagine them leaving the goal scorer off the roster. And while Miller hasn’t had a great season with the Rangers, it’s likely the Americans will look at his body of work as a reason for him to make the team.

Likely (1): Brock Nelson

Guerin has insisted that you have to be able to check and be trusted in defensive situations if you’re going to make this team. It’s not an All-Star team. The coaches may riot if Nelson’s not a part of it. That’s how much he’s respected by the staff of Sullivan, John Hynes, John Tortorella and David Quinn.

“They have tough decisions,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Sunday night. “Brock is a guy that does a little bit of everything, and he does it all well, too. I think he’s definitely going to be in the conversation. I really hope he gets the opportunity.”

What that leaves: Two spots for players such as Clayton Keller, Jason Robertson, Cole Caufield, Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, Matthew Knies, Vincent Trocheck and Alex Tuch.

If the first 12 above are correct, it will be a difficult choice for the final two.

Best guess is that Keller, who wasn’t on the 4 Nations team, gets one of the nods. He impressed during the spring’s World Championship, and those were tight-checking games. He’s also excellent on the power play from the right circle. If the Americans suffer an injury or need an infusion of speed, Keller can fit many roles.

“I understand every country will have tough decisions to make, and it’s easy to debate,” Utah coach André Tourigny told us in October. “But no doubt he should be on the radar.”

And the last spot?

Robertson has 20 goals in 21 games since Nov. 11 — tops in the NHL. He’s also 10 for 15 the past three years in the shootout.

For a team that was a goal short, how do you leave him home?

Caufield is one of the most electrifying goal scorers in the NHL and is lights out in overtime (11 OT goals since 2020-21) and the shootout (11-for-23 the past three years).

For a team that was a goal short, how do you leave him home?

Cole Caufield has 17 goals and 35 points in 36 games this season. (Joe Sargent / Getty Images)

But hard as it is, the projection here is that the brass will leave both home, picking Trocheck over Robertson, Caufield and others.

The Americans really wanted Knies to play himself onto the roster, but he hasn’t. And when it comes to Trocheck, the coaches love his ability to check, take and win key faceoffs and play the penalty kill. So the bet is he’ll be the last forward.

If indeed that’s the case, the only 4 Nations forward not to make the Olympic roster will be Chris Kreider.

Defensemen

Already named to the roster (2): Quinn Hughes, Charlie McAvoy

Other shoo-ins (4): Brock Faber, Jake Sanderson, Jaccob Slavin, Zach Werenski

These six are likely already written in pen, with Hughes and Werenski quarterbacking the two power-play units and Slavin and Faber being a shutdown line — unless Hughes and Faber’s chemistry with the Minnesota Wild makes coaches want them together.

Likely (1): Seth Jones

Jones wasn’t part of the 4 Nations roster, but after winning the Stanley Cup and logging huge minutes in all situations for the Panthers, the big right-shot defenseman has done enough to impress the U.S. staff and earn a spot.

What that leaves: One spot for Adam Fox, Noah Hanifin, Lane Hutson, Jackson LaCombe and others.

Again, if this projection is right, this will be a tough choice.

Fox and Hanifin both made the 4 Nations, so one could be out barring injury. Fox is hurt right now and seemed to be affected by the pace of the 4 Nations, but he’s had a much-improved season for the Rangers and is now coached there by Sullivan. Could that push him over the top?

Hanifin is steady and can play big minutes, and Hutson is an offensive dynamo who could fill in if the team loses a power-play defenseman. And the American brass really respects the up-and-coming LaCombe.

But where it seemed before the season as if Fox was in trouble, the best guess now is that he’s grabbing that eighth D spot.

Interesting comments here from #NYR Mike Sullivan about Adam Fox.

(via @RussoHockey, H/T @DaveyUpper)

I think Sullivan’s comments echo how a majority of #NYR fans feel going into this season. pic.twitter.com/1T1hiM6PPw

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) September 7, 2025

Goaltenders

Shoo-ins (2): Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger

Hellebuyck was great at the 4 Nations and has won three Vezinas and a Hart. And Oettinger, who was also on the 4 Nations, has been one of the NHL’s best goalies this season. Both money goaltenders will be in Milan.

Likely (1): Jeremy Swayman

Swayman, who was also on the 4 Nations roster, might have seemed in danger of falling off after a tough 2024-25 season. But he has bounced back this season and proven he belongs on the team.

What that leaves: Spencer Knight has had a great season and Thatcher Demko has had healthy stretches, but Hellebuyck, Oettinger and Swayman are incumbents on the roster and are all deserving Olympians, so there’s just no room left.