There's no doubt that Team USA will miss the services of rugged Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan, who will sit out September's World Cup of Hockey after undergoing surgery to repair a labral tear in his right hip.
Callahan is a two-time U.S. Olympian who epitomizes the kind of hard-nosed, glue guy the U.S. selection committee was looking for when it assembled the 23-man roster that will try to wrest international hockey dominance away from Canada and outlast the six other teams taking part in the tournament.
But the immediate question is: Who will take his place on the roster?
The choice will be closely watched by hockey observers for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is to see if general manager Dean Lombardi and his management team -- which includes former Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, Calgary Flames president Brian Burke (who was the GM of the U.S. team that won an Olympic silver in Vancouver in 2010) and longtime USA Hockey executive Jim Johannson -- will hold to the pattern of naming a roster very much blue collar in nature.
In selecting gritty guys such as Justin Abdelkader, Brandon Dubinsky, Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson and Callahan, Team USA excluded higher-skilled players like Kevin Shattenkirk, Justin Faulk, Tyler Johnson and, of course, Phil Kessel, another two-time U.S. Olympian.
So who will take Callahan's place? A decision on a replacement may not come until August, but here's an early look at the top four candidates.
Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins
Let's start with the sniper who led the Penguins in both playoff points ( 22) and goals (10) during their Stanley Cup championship run. Kessel was a surprise snub by the U.S. team, but will his playoff performance -- which included a somewhat surprising attention to defensive detail under Penguins coach Mike Sullivan -- be enough to open the door to a replacement roster spot?
It's hard to assess this one. Kessel has connections to most of the coaching staff, which includes head coach John Tortorella, an assistant in Vancouver in 2010; Scott Gordon, who was an assistant coach in Toronto when Kessel was a with the Maple Leafs; and, of course, Sullivan. Kessel, like Callahan, is a right-handed shot, but if he wasn't part of the plan in March when the initial 16 players were named and still wasn't in the mix when the final seven players were named less than a month ago, our guess is it's not going to happen for Kessel.
Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning
No, Johnson is not a winger. But I was surprised when Johnson wasn't named to Team USA given how he has proved himself to be a big-game performer. Perhaps it was because of the lingering injury issues that dogged Johnson throughout the regular season after a stellar turn during the Lightning's run to the 2015 Stanley Cup finals. But during the 2016 playoffs, Johnson was once again a gamer, contributing 17 points in 17 games for Tampa Bay -- including three game-winners -- as the Lightning, sans captain Steven Stamkos, advanced to the Eastern Conference finals before falling to Pittsburgh in seven games.
You can never have enough centers, and adding Johnson would allow Tortorella to move Joe Pavelski to the wing, where the San Jose Sharks captain played for most of the season. My guess is that Lombardi et al already have considered this and are comfortable with their depth down the middle, which includes Pavelski, Ryan Kesler, Derek Stepan, David Backes and Dubinsky -- and thus there will not be room for Johnson.
Kyle Okposo, New York Islanders
Okposo is about to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent and, for my money, is the second-most important free agent available after Stamkos (assuming that Stamkos does indeed go to market). Okposo is a big right-handed shot who has the skill set to play among the top nine for Team USA and enough sand and grit to fit in with the identity that Lombardi wants this team to embrace.
He also has quiet leadership abilities and has earned high praise in that regard from longtime friend and teammate John Tavares, the Islanders captain. I spoke with Okposo at midseason about the potential of playing on Team USA and it was clear that he yearns for the opportunity. No question, he would be a highly motivated player if the U.S. management group decides to offer him an invite. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the direction management goes.
Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils
If Team USA is looking for versatility -- and that seems to be a requirement, given the roster as it's constituted -- Palmieri would be an excellent fit. Among U.S.-born players available to Team USA (i.e. not counting the young guns selected for Team North America), Palmieri's 30 goals were tied for third behind Patrick Kane and Pavelski. The 25-year-old can kill penalties. He can play anywhere in the four forward groups and is considered a strong dressing-room presence. If it's not Okposo, I would have to consider Palmieri as the next most likely candidate to replace Callahan.