2010 U.S. Olympic Team: Locks & Contenders

Although the U.S. Olympic hockey team will not be announced until Jan. 1 at the Winter Classic, general manager Brian Burke believes the roster could be set by next week. That's when his six-man selection committee will meet in person at the Board of Governors meetings in Pebble Beach.

There are fewer slam-dunk candidates than you might imagine. Here's the FanHouse breakdown of the locks and the contenders.

Goaltenders (3 spots)

Lock:
Ryan Miller, Buffalo

Contenders:
Craig Anderson, Colorado
Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles
Tim Thomas, Boston

Notes: Among the contenders, Thomas is having the inferior season, but he's still the most likely to come to Vancouver as the sage veteran and the No. 2. The final spot should come down to Anderson and Quick, both deserving. While Anderson is having a breakout season with the Avalanche, his selection is not the no-brainer many believe it to be.

Defensemen (8 spots)

Locks:
Erik Johnson, St. Louis
Paul Martin, New Jersey
Brian Rafalski, Detroit
Ryan Suter, Nashville
Ryan Whitney, Anaheim

Contenders:
Zach Bogosian, Atlanta
Matt Carle, Philadelphia
Andy Greene, New Jersey
Alex Goligoski, Pittsburgh
Ron Hainsey, Atlanta
Jack Johnson, Los Angeles
John-Michael Liles, Colorado
Brooks Orpik, Pittsburgh

Notes: The Devils' Martin is injured, but will return in a month and is a lock to make the squad. Team USA loves Suter, not just for his work in Nashville but at the World Championships. Bogosian is a standout rookie but at 19 may be too young for this pressure-packed assignment. Goligoski, second in scoring this season among American defensemen, still may be a long shot. The final roster spots on D will come down to preferences for puck-movers or stay-at-homers. Of the contenders, New Jersey's Greene is a favorite.

Forwards (12 spots)

Locks:
Dustin Brown, Los Angeles
Patrick Kane, Chicago
Ryan Kesler, Vancouver

Phil Kessel, Toronto

Jamie Langenbrunner, New Jersey
Ryan Malone, Tampa Bay
Zach Parise, New Jersey
Paul Stastny, Colorado

Contenders:
David Backes, St. Louis
Jason Blake, Toronto
Dustin Byfuglien, Chicago
Ryan Callahan, Rangers
Erik Cole, Carolina
Tim Connolly, Buffalo
Paul Gaustad, Buffalo
Brian Gionta, Montreal
Kyle Okposo, Islanders
Joe Pavelski, San Jose
Brian Rolston, New Jersey
Bobby Ryan, Anaheim
R.J. Umberger, Columbus
Blake Wheeler, Boston

Notes: David Booth's Olympic dream appears to have ended when he suffered a serious concussion after absorbing Mike Richards' head shot last month. With only nine points each on the struggling Rangers, Ryan Callahan, Chris Higgins and incumbent Chris Drury have not had strong candidacies. Callahan is the most deserving.

The torch looks like it will be passed down from longtime Olympians Bill Guerin, Mike Modano and Keith Tkachuk. Thought to be a lock two years ago, Scott Gomez may have played himself off the Olympic team. Players such as Rolston and Connolly have good shots because of their versatility. Not all the top point-producers will make it; Team USA is in great need of effective role players like Gaustad.

One Final Note: if your favorite player or one of your top candidates is not listed here, it is probably not by error. Several good players are not going to make it to Vancouver.