The Stanley Cup playoffs have helped transform both the roster and the expectations for Team North America in the World Cup of Hockey. Remember when goaltending was an issue? Matt Murray's impressive postseason play for the Pittsburgh Penguins has alleviated that concern. The more these young players play, the more dangerous the North America squad becomes.
Team North America general managers Peter Chiarelli and Stan Bowman have until May 27 to name their final seven roster players, and their final decisions haven't gotten any easier. Here's one final projection for the U-24 Team North America roster, with my final seven in bold:
Forwards
This will be the best skating forward group in the tournament. Among the late additions, Mark Scheifele is a lock to make the team. He was strong down the stretch for the Winnipeg Jets; he scored 29 goals in 71 games. Then he went to Russia and won a gold medal with Team Canada at the world championships, where he had nine points in nine games. He's in.
The playoff performances of Tampa Bay's Jonathan Drouin and St. Louis' Robby Fabbri have definitely caught the eye of Team North America management and put them firmly on the radar. It helps the cause for both players that they play on the wing, since the team is center-heavy. Fabbri has been fearless on the big stage for the Blues in the playoffs and would add skill and feistiness to the lineup.
Nobody has reworked his image more since the initial roster announcements than Drouin. He's a big reason the Lightning are closing in on another trip to the Stanley Cup finals, thanks to his 12 points in 15 games, and is the kind of player through whom coach Todd McLellan could run his power play at the World Cup.
The final spot at forward is a tough call. I went with prospect Auston Matthews because of his elite skill and impressive play at the world championships, a performance that was noticed by management. Chiarelli had indicated that he's leaning toward experience with this team, and he wanted to see how Matthews fared against NHL-caliber players. The 18-year-old made a good impression at the worlds, finishing with six goals and three assists in 10 games.
Defensemen
The young guns are loaded on the right side, and a very good defenseman with a right-handed shot is going to be left off the roster. I'm putting Hamilton on the final pair because of his size and experience. The 22-year-old has played 260 regular-season games in the NHL and 19 playoff games.
The players at the bottom of the lineup must offer versatility or a very special skill set, and Gostisbehere's ability on the power play puts him on this team. Eight of his 17 goals this season came on the Flyers' power play.
Parayko has a big shot and is gaining invaluable experience during the Blues' playoff run. He has played like a veteran for most of the postseason and would add size (at 6-foot-6 and 226 pounds) to Team North America's back end.
The team's brass is also taking a close look at lefty defensemen Jake McCabe and Jaccob Slavin. McCabe, a standout at Wisconsin, played in 77 games this season for the Buffalo Sabres and another eight games for Team USA at the world championships. Slavin quietly had a strong season for the Carolina Hurricanes, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he makes the final roster.
Goaltenders
This list remains unchanged from the original roster announcement except for the order. Murray's standout play during the postseason has earned him a shot at the No. 1 goalie position, previously held by John Gibson. During the first 13 playoff games of his career, Murray went 9-4 with a .923 save percentage for the Penguins.
Goaltending has evolved from a huge question for this team to a positive, considering that none of these three players was even in the NHL when the World Cup was announced. Now, thanks to Murray's emergence, it could be an area of strength for Team North America.