TORONTO — No Phil Kessel. No P.K. Subban.
Let the debates begin.
After the eight World Cup of Hockey squads each submitted their first 16-man rosters on Wednesday, it could be argued Kessel and Subban were the two most notable names omitted.
With teams filling out the remainder of their 23-man squads by June 1, the debate really will heat up if either of those players — perhaps both — is not included.
While an argument could be made that Kessel was, until recently, having a moribund season with the Penguins, the fact that Justin Abdelkader of the Detroit Red Wings made the cut for Team USA made the snubbing of Phil The Thrill that much more intriguing.