Team USA’s GM is clear: if you don’t hit, you don’t belong in the Olympics

Dose
Crédit: MONTREAL, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 23: Cole Caufield #13 and Lane Hutson #48 of the Montreal Canadiens stand during the anthems prior to a preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Bell Centre. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Cole Caufield is really enjoying his 2025-26 season. The CH forward, who has 13 goals and 22 points in 21 games, has really found a new gear this season.

His 200-foot game is truly impressive, and he’s more dominant than ever.

All this means that, with the 2026 Olympics just around the corner, his name is the talk of the town for a position with the United States. And it’s clear that he’s making things difficult for Team USA…

But obviously, Bill Guerin continues to talk like someone who has no interest in Caufield (or Lane Hutson). Pierre LeBrun, who chatted to him recently, reported this quote from Guerin during tonight’s Insider Trading segment:

If you don’t hit, the Olympics probably isn’t the tournament for you. – Bill Guerin

Guerin admits that guys like Caufield make his job harder these days. These guys shine on the ice, and Guerin is the first to admit it.

Having said that, it’s clear that what happened at the 4 Nations Confrontation really made an impression on Team USA‘s management. We know that the duels against Canada were physically intense matches, and we can sense that Bill Guerin isn’t really interested in letting himself be stepped on.

There are a few exceptions, of course (Quinn Hughes, for example), but Guerin doesn’t seem to want many of these guys in his line-up.

We know that in recent weeks, LeBrun reported that Caufield was closing in on a job, but that he would probably have been left out of the U.S. lineup if the decision had been made then. And a few weeks later, even though Caufield is keeping pace, it’s clear that his status hasn’t really changed.

Maybe Jack Hughes’ injury will open a door for him… but as things stand, Caufield seems to have two strikes against him.

Overtime

– Classic.

– Juraj Slafkovský on the power play: what do you think?

– Love this.

– Too bad.

– Hehe.