Trevor Connelly, United States
Now, numerous factors hinge on this happening. The first-round draft pick in the NHL Draft must crack the Vegas Golden Knights roster first. That means moving on from his controversial past and developing into a superstar. Trevor Connelly has the skill set to do this. It's a matter of executing and being the playmaker he's destined to be. Otherwise, he'll become a similar bust to Alexandre Daigle.
However, there are many reasons why he could be representing the Stars and Stripes during the winter competition. For one, he was a marvelous amateur player, putting up monster numbers during his tenure. Take your pick from the different seasons, whether it was last year (31 goals, 47 assists in 52 games with the USHL's Tri-City Storm) or 2019-20 in a 14U AA league (87 goals and 50 assists in 67 games with the San Diego Saints).
Jack Eichel was deemed problematic before he came to Las Vegas, with fans saying he was too immature. Lo and behold, he becomes a Golden Knights star and wins a Stanley Cup, earning a 4 Nations Face-Off nod in the process. That could be the same fate for Trevor Connelly, who can make the most of a second chance with Vegas. That could even lead to an Olympics invitation, where he can show the world his boundless talent.