United States projected lines for Olympics by NHL.com

The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 men's hockey tournament starts Wednesday.

The tournament, the first with NHL players since the 2014 Sochi Olympics, will feature all 12 teams playing three preliminary games in their respective groups, then all 12 moving on to a single-elimination playoff that will conclude with the gold medal game Feb. 22.

Team USA, which is in Group C, will open against Team Latvia on Thursday (3:10 p.m. ET: Peacock, USA, CBC Gem, SN, CBC), then play Team Denmark on Feb. 14 and Team Germany on Feb. 15.

Though the United States announced its roster Jan. 2, NHL.com is taking it a step further, taking our shot at what some countries' forward lines, defense pairs and goalie depth chart should look like.

Today, NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen and columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika play coach of Team USA with their projected lines:

FORWARDS

Brady Tkachuk -- Jack Eichel -- Matthew Tkachuk

Clayton Keller -- Auston Matthews -- Jake Guentzel

Matt Boldy -- Tage Thompson -- Kyle Connor

Dylan Larkin -- Brock Nelson -- J.T. Miller

Jack Hughes

Vincent Trocheck

Eichel played with the Tkachuk brothers at the 4 Nations Face-Off. They had obvious chemistry, so it makes sense to run that back and see if it can work again. Matthews played with Guentzel at the 4 Nations too. Hughes was on that line last year, but Keller fits as a natural left wing and a setup man for Matthews and Guentzel, who are elite goal-scorers. This could be the Team USA's highest-scoring line. Thompson has played well at center for the Buffalo Sabres and having his 6-foot-6 frame going up and down the middle of the ice will create problems for the opposition. Boldy is dogged on the puck and scores. Connor's speed and shot would play well with Thompson's net-front presence and Boldy's ability to operate in tight spaces. The fourth line has speed, a strong defensive conscience and elite offensive ability. The U.S. will get quality shifts from that group every time they go over the boards. Hughes' injury situation with the New Jersey Devils makes him the 13th forward for now, but he can be a power-play specialist. Trocheck is waiting in the wings, a touch-every-part-of-the-game center who can play any role. -- Rosen

DEFENSEMEN

Quinn Hughes -- Brock Faber

Zach Werenski -- Charlie McAvoy

Jaccob Slavin -- Jake Sanderson

Noah Hanifin

Jackson LaCombe

Hughes and Faber have been the top pair for the Minnesota Wild, so it makes sense to keep them together, although Faber also easily could play with Slavin, his partner at 4 Nations. Werenski and Seth Jones would have been a logical pair because they once played together with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Because Jones is out for the Olympics with an upper-body injury, we'll put Werenski with McAvoy. That leaves only left-handed shots Slavin, Sanderson, Hanifin and LaCombe, who replaced Jones. Considering Sanderson made a breakout pass with Ottawa Senators teammate Michael Amadio's right-handed stick after his stick broke against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 18, we think he can adjust to the right side to play with Slavin. -- Cotsonika

GOALIES

Connor Hellebuyck

Jake Oettinger

Jeremy Swayman

None of these goalies has been outstanding lately. Since Jan. 1, Swayman is 7-2-1, but he has a 3.14 goals-against average and .901 save percentage. Hellebuyck is 4-6-4 with a 3.22 GAA and .889 save percentage. Oettinger is 7-4-1 with a 3.23 GAA and .864 save percentage. The benefit of the doubt remains with Hellebuyck, the No. 1 goalie at 4 Nations, even though he didn't win the tournament and has struggled in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Winnipeg Jets the past three years. He won the Hart Trophy voted as the NHL most valuable player last season, plus the Vezina Trophy as best goalie for the third time. -- Cotsonika