Jason Robertson is doing what elite goal scorers do - putting the puck in the net with relentless consistency. And with every goal, he’s making the decision to leave him off Team USA’s Olympic roster look more questionable by the day.
On Friday night, Robertson hit the 30-goal mark for the season. That’s not just a nice round number - it’s elite company.
He’s now the third player in the NHL to reach that plateau this year, trailing only Canadian superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid. That’s the kind of company you want your top offensive players keeping if you’re building a team for gold-medal contention.
But somehow, Robertson didn’t make the cut.
Team USA opted for a more physical, grind-it-out roster, leaning heavily on the group that finished runner-up at the 4 Nations Face-Off - a group that, notably, didn’t include Robertson. The omission has raised eyebrows around the league, especially considering what Robertson’s doing on the ice night after night.
His head coach in Dallas, Glen Gulutzan, didn’t mince words after Friday’s game.
“I still don't know why he's not on the team,” Gulutzan said.
It’s a fair question. Robertson now sits at 60 points on the season, second among all American-born skaters - just one behind Jack Eichel, who has 61. He’s not just scoring goals; he’s driving offense, making plays, and showing the kind of scoring touch that’s tailor-made for the big stage.
Robertson himself has handled the snub with class, but you can tell the fire’s there.
“I thought that this year was different from last year,” he said earlier this month. “Obviously last year, I didn’t think I was good enough.
Now, I think I did. It’s their choice and their decision, and that’s it.”
That’s a mature response, but it doesn’t change the reality: Team USA left one of its most productive forwards at home. And if this team finds itself in a tight semifinal or gold medal game, struggling to find that one goal to push them over the top, the absence of a proven scorer like Robertson is going to loom large.
For now, all Robertson can do is keep scoring - and he’s doing that better than almost anyone in the league. The rest of the hockey world will be watching to see if Team USA’s gamble pays off.