The 2016 World Cup of Hockey gets underway this afternoon as the United States take on Team Europe in the tournament opener.
The New Jersey Devils have just two representatives on World Cup rosters - only Ottawa (1) has fewer - but we won't be seeing them today. Kyle Palmieri and Cory Schneider, along with Dustin Byfuglien, will be healthy scratches.
Palmieri, Byfuglien and Schneider will sit today for Team USA.
— Irfaan Gaffar (@sportsnetirf) September 17, 2016
Palmieri and Schneider sitting out was to be expected based off their usage in pre-tournament games (Palmieri averaged 10 minutes while Schneider only played once) but that doesn't mean USA's coaching staff was right to sit them.
Palmieri isn't necessarily a big name player but he enjoyed a breakout season with the Devils last year and potted 30 goals. Only three American born players, one of whom plays for Team North America, scored more goals than Palmieri in 2015-16. To make matters worse only seven American players, three of whom aren't on the roster, recorded more points than Palmieri last season. He's not good enough to play, though.
Meanwhile Schneider is 2nd in the NHL in save percentage (behind Carey Price) since becoming a Devil and he can't even get into the lineup as a backup.
This is good news for the Devils - I'm sure they're content with their stars resting rather than risking injury - but certainly not for USA's chances of winning.
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