Tage Thompson has made it clear he wants to play for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in February, but could a Buffalo Sabres teammate be heading to Italy instead? It's possible.
Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report provided his latest United States men's hockey roster projection on Thursday and it featured Sabres winger Alex Tuch, not Thompson, as one of the U.S. forwards.
Yerdon explained the well-rounded Tuch represented a better fit alongside J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck on the Americans' predicted fourth line.
The B/R NHL analyst noted the 29-year-old Syracuse native has showcased "not only can he score goals in bunches, but he's proven to be an outstanding penalty killer and shorthanded threat over the past couple seasons."
Final rosters for the 2026 Winter Games will likely be announced in January.
Could Alex Tuch usurp Buffalo Sabres teammate Tage Thompson for a spot on the 2026 Team USA Olympic roster?
Thompson was perhaps the biggest snub from the U.S. roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off last season. He still accepted a spot on the American squad for the 2025 IIHF World Championship in May, and he scored the Gold Medal-winning overtime goal in a 1-0 win over Switzerland.
The 6-foot-6 Sabres superstar was a force throughout the World Championship tournament. He tallied nine points (six goals and three assists) in 10 games as Team USA finished atop the podium in the event for the first time since 1960.
Although Tage probably deserves a place among the U.S. forward group for the Olympics, there are a limited number of spots available and the competition for a scoring-line role is intense.
Ultimately, Tuch's emergence as one of the NHL's best penalty killers and his ability to play a checking-line role could help tip the scales in his favor.
The Buffalo winger, who scored eight points (five goals and three assists) for Team USA at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, admitted the shot at making the Olympic roster provided motivation.
"That's a big goal for me this year, to try to make that team," Tuch told reporters in September. "That's something that really would mean a lot."
It's worth noting the outlook could change significantly between now and when the puck drops in Italy. That's especially true when you consider the potential injury impact.
The Tkachuk brothers (Brady and Matthew) along with Trocheck are all members of Yerdon's projected forward lines who are currently on injured reserve. That's three spots that may need to get filled, and more injuries may pop up in the coming months.
So, if Thompson and Tuch both stay healthy and play well for the Sabres, it's possible their time as teammates will extend into the Olympic Games.
If the best American players are all healthy, however, it's fair to argue Tuch may hold the advantage over Thompson simply because of his more versatile skill set.
The United States is scheduled to open the Olympic tournament Feb. 12 against Latvia. Those countries are joined by Denmark and Germany in Group C.