Every day seems to bring with it more consternation about whether we are actually going to finally get to watch NHLers at the Olympic Games for the first time in eight years. Postponements, new variants, and rising concerns from owners have cast a shadow on what would be one of the most anticipated events in the sport in the past 20 years.

But there's no point in worrying over something you have no control over. Unless it's who the selection committees are going to choose to play, in which case debate away. 

The first six weeks of the NHL season have been exciting and surprising, with several breakout players grabbing the attention of fans with unexpected and brilliant performances. Meanwhile, many have also struggled and potentially jeopardized their ticket to Beijing. 

As I did with Team Canada last week, I'm going to assess how the early going of the 2021-22 season might have affected the chances of several players on the fringe of the United States roster and predict who I believe will ultimately make the team.

Helping me will be two polls I conducted of over 2000 fans, one in September and one in late November. The major differences in results between the teams chosen by the former and latter groups help illustrate how some players have improved their lot and others have fallen off.