Senators' Brady Tkachuk would love to chase gold with teammates Jake Sanderson and Shane Pinto

Brady Tkachuk has given officials with Team USA his two cents.

Even if nobody asked the Ottawa Senators’ captain for his opinion on who should wear the red, white and blue for the Americans at the Winter Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina, Italy next month, Tkachuk has already given his backing to defenceman Jake Sanderson and centre Shane Pinto.

Tkachuk was one of six players already named, with his brother, Matthew of the Florida Panthers, Jack Eichel (Vegas), Auston Matthews (Toronto), Quinn Hughes (Minnesota), and Charlie McAvoy (Boston). The final 25-man roster will be announced on Jan. 2 during The Today Show on NBC.

Sanderson and Pinto will have to wait until then to find out if they’ll be headed for Italy when American general manager Bill Guerin confirms the club’s final selections for the roster.

“I have no sway,” Tkachuk told the Ottawa Citizen with a smile before the club’s 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday. “Those guys are amazing players, and I think they’re among the best American players in the country.

“If it works out that they make it, they’re unbelievable players. I’ve got no sway, and I’ve been no help in the decision-making, but I think their play speaks for itself. Of course, you want to go to Milan with two of your close buddies, and I think they’re guys who are deserving

“That would be cool to see.”

Sanderson is a lock to make the roster. He put himself on the radar screen when he was called to replace an injured Hughes at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal and Boston last February.

The 23-year-old Sanderson has put himself in the Norris Trophy conversation as one of the National Hockey League’s top defencemen with the role he has played in Ottawa, with seven goals and 26 points in 26 games this season.

Sanderson is ranked No. 5 in the league with an average time on ice of 25 minutes and 11 seconds per-game. Hughes, who was recently dealt from Vancouver to Minnesota, is the only American-born defender ahead of Sanderson at 27:34.

Decision will be be made by Bill Guerin

Guerin will likely name seven defencemen.

“We all know here how phenomenal a player he is,” Tkachuk said of Sanderson. “I thought it was nice to show the whole world how great a player he is (at the 4 Nations), and he was able to show what we’ve seen every day here.”

Tkachuk believes that Sanderson’s performance with the Senators should put him in the Norris discussion with players such as Hughes and Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche.

“I think I said it early on in his career. I think it’s going to be a no-brainer that he’s going to be one of the best defencemen in the NHL,” Tkachuk said. “I just don’t see another defenceman who plays like him in the NHL.

“You’ve got the top two with Hughes and Mark, who are just so gifted, and they’re so game-changing. I think (Sanderson) is right up there with them.”

Pinto is in a different spot. He suffered a lower-body injury that has kept him out for more than three weeks, beginning on Dec. 2 against the New York Rangers. That was tough timing because Team USA coach Mike Sullivan was behind the New York bench when the injury occurred.

Sullivan told reporters before the game that he’d take a closer look at players like Sanderson and Pinto when he reviewed the tape the next morning. Naturally, Sullivan wasn’t afforded that opportunity, and Pinto hasn’t played since, but has now resumed skating.

The Senators will return to work on Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada with a Battle of Ontario against the Toronto Maple Leafs after a three-day holiday break at Scotiabank Arena, but it’s doubtful Pinto will play. He has yet to take part in any of the club’s full skates.

The expectation is he will either face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday at home or Jan. 1 against the Washington Capitals. Pinto was on a roll with 12 goals and 18 points in 27 games when he suffered the ailment, but he did help Team USA win gold at the IIHF world championships last spring.

Bad break for Pinto

The 25-year-old was invited to the Orientation Camp in the summer.

“I still think he put himself in such a great spot when he was playing, and showed the impact that he had on our team,” said Tkachuk. “To even have his name on the radar shows how great a player he is.

“He’s a good person, and of course, injuries are unfortunate, but I know he definitely left a good taste with everybody about how impactful that he is, and how important now he can be, and how important he is to our group every single day.”

bgarrioch@postmedia.com