When the USA announced their roster for the upcoming winter Olympic games in Milan, notable snubs like Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars, and Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens were the first two names that were plastered over all social media platforms, but among many notable omissions, the Carolina Hurricanes' Shayne Gostisbehere is a guy who should be given more time of day when it comes to talking about the biggest roster snubs.
Out of all the nations competing in the Olympic games, the United States were probably the team with the toughest blue line decisions to make ahead of the roster declarations due to their exceptional defensive depth, and Gostisbehere was one of the omissions who were extremely unlucky not to make the team. The 32-year-old Florida native was never somebody that was talked about often when it came to the United States roster selection, but his stats talk for themselves, and what he could offer has really been pushed under the rug when it should've really been taken with careful consideration.
Prior to the roster selction, Gostisbehere was one of only three NHL defensemen who were averaging a point per game, the other two, Cale Makar and Zach Werenski. His offensive talents have been highlighted with his 29 points in 30 games, including 25 assists and a +/- of +10. For the Hurricanes he has stepped up to be a very competent two way defenseman, and with his dream of representing his nation off the cards for this years Olympics, it seems he isn't being talked about enough as a massive snub.
The roster selection showed that it was the Florida Panthers' Seth Jones who made the cut, leaving the likes of Lane Hutson, Adam Fox and Shayne Gostisbehere out of the roster, and for what Gostisbehere can contribute as a kind of wildcard pick, the US my be missing out on a lot of positive attributes.
Sure, he is never going to be that top pairing, elite D-man such as Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy, but for an international tournament, you want your beast guys out there, your guys who are in form, playing their best hockey, and players who offer much more than what is seen on paper. Gostisbehere may not be the talk of the town on why he didn't make the roster, but the stats don't lie, and he could be a big miss come February for the US.