New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes was unsurprisingly added to the Team USA preliminary Olympics roster this month. The team named 16 defensemen, including fellow Devils defenseman Brett Pesce, to a camp to showcase their skills ahead of the Olympics roster analysis.
Team USA is looking to secure a better end than they saw at the 4 Nations Face-Off when they lost to Team Canada in the final game. They might be looking at different names on this roster than that one to secure a better finish.
Luke Hughes didn’t make that roster, but his brother Jack Hughes was there, and he didn’t impress like many thought he would. It didn’t stop him from getting invited to camp, too. All three Hughes brothers will have a chance to compete for a sport to wear the red,white, and blue in Milan next February.
The biggest snub of the camp rosters was that of Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson. The reigning Calder Trophy winner was not one of the 16 American defensemen named ot the roster. While many are connecting Hughes and Hutson, as they have for years already, some are using this moment to throw jabs at the youngest Hughes brother.
A source told RG that the emphasis on size might be impacting Hutson’s place on the roster. Then, he took an unnecessary shot at Hughes.
“You look at the Four Nations roster and the heavy emphasis on size and being physical, and USA just didn’t want to overload on smaller players on the back end,” the source said. “Of course, one could argue there’s a strong case that they’re better off with Hutson than Luke Hughes, and I get that. But the only other small defenseman, Quinn Hughes, is arguably their best defenseman — at least offensively — and they’re not bumping him, obviously.”
We’re going to see this a lot. The Luke Hughes-Lane Hutson conversation has been going on since both of them were still in college. Now that they are competing for opportunities to play in the Olympics, the perceived competition will be even higher.
We will see people who are looking to pit them against each other, when in reality, after these Olympics, Team USA is probably building around these two. Obviously, Quinn Hughes, Zack Werenski, Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy, and Jaccob Slavin seem like locks to make the team. That only leaves two or three spots for the other 11 defensemen to make the roster, and that would be 12 defensemen competing when Hutson is added.
The competition is stiff, but if both Hutson and Hughes pick up from where they left off last season, they might both make the roster. They were incredible to end the year, and the Americans are looking to bring the best of the best to Italy.