By now, everyone has had time to weigh in on the Americans’ struggles in Turin. Following a disappointing 1-4-1 finish that evoked memories of what went wrong in Nagano in 1998 (though we thankfully did not see a repeat of the notorious hotel-trashing incident involving U.S. players), Team USA has one silver medal and two early exits in the three Olympic Games featuring NHL players.

But while the news from Turin wasn’t great, it wasn’t terrible, either. Despite the blustery commentary to the contrary, the U.S. hockey program actually made a competent showing for itself given the circumstances.

For one thing, it outperformed Team Canada, a team that appeared to be superior in every conceivable fashion.

The Canadians struggled badly in every matchup with top-notch opponents and were shut out in 11 of their final 12 periods of play, an embarrassing showing from what should have been one of the tournament’s strongest teams. But where the Canadians were shut out 2-0 by Finland in group play, the Americans scored three times against the Finns in the quarterfinals and came within a last-second goal-mouth scrum of sending the game into overtime.

Of course, it’s easy to point out that Canada might have performed better had young stars like Sidney Crosby and Eric Staal been given the opportunity to play. But the reality is that a team featuring the likes of Jarome Iginla, Rick Nash, and Joe Thornton really shouldn’t have needed Crosby and Staal. The Canadians boasted plenty of offensive firepower, and their star-studded lineup simply didn’t deliver on expectations.

Meanwhile, the only real controversy surrounding the Americans’ selection process was the exclusion of Buffalo Sabres rookie goaltender Ryan Miller. Miller was injured when Team USA GM Don Waddell made his roster selections, and with Martin Biron in the midst of a 13-game winning streak in Buffalo, it seemed a safe bet that the rookie wouldn’t see much ice time in the season’s second half.

Of course, that’s not to say that Waddell assembled the best possible roster for Turin. He should have taken the opportunity to ice a much more youthful roster, giving America’s finest young players the chance to start developing some chemistry. But by balancing the desire to win a medal with the need to inject the roster with youth, he ultimately failed on both counts.

When news came out of Turin that veteran forward Mike Modano had skipped Team USA’s final meeting, it provided the perfect bookend to his highly critical comments following the 4-3 quarterfinal loss to Sweden.

“A lot of guys have been there for many years and maybe we need some new blood in there to run things a little differently,” Modano, who has represented the United States in 11 international competitions, said. “It’s probably time some things changed.”

To that point, he’s absolutely correct, and although his comments were directed at the team’s management, they apply just as well to the roster. From the beginning, there was little reason to believe the American team could compete for a medal. And while Russia had 2004 first-round picks Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin playing huge roles, the United States was instead paying homage to its past.

One play in particular served as the perfect example of where America’s aging veterans went wrong in Turin. When Derian Hatcher had his glove knocked off during a battle along the boards in the Americans’ quarterfinal loss to Finland, the slow-footed defenseman decided to abandon the action and chase after it. When the 33-year-old Hatcher finally rejoined the play, he was just in time to screen netminder Rick DiPietro and enable Olli Jokinen to score what turned out to be the Finns’ winning goal. Hatcher’s undisciplined play cost America a goal – and possibly the game.

Next time, Hatcher’s spot (and those of 36-year-old Mathieu Schneider and 44-year-old Chris Chelios, for that matter) will be taken by younger blueliners like Keith Ballard, Jack Johnson, and Erik Johnson. Ballard is an excellent puck-rushing defenseman, while Johnson and Johnson are solid two-way blueliners who can play in virtually all game situations.

Modano and Chelios did play well at times, as did Schneider, but their presence brought the American team no closer to gold, and only served to prevent the anticipated 2010 team from gaining valuable experience. Chelios has stated he wants to play until he’s 50, but it’s hard to imagine he will see anything but coaching duty in Vancouver.

So, whether it’s high-ranked prospects like Phil Kessel (projected to be a Brett Hull-like sniper with better skating ability) or young forwards already making an impact in the NHL (like the Kings’ Dustin Brown), it’s clear that Team USA’s best hockey is still to come. And while the Canadian team will likely be struggling to find a replacement for defenseman Scott Niedermayer – whose absence proved devastating in Turin – the Americans can count on Ballard to quarterback their power play and rush the puck up the ice with speed and purpose.

The next time hockey’s international stars gather, the Americans will surely feature a solid base of young stars. And though it’s far too early to predict they’ll win a medal, it’s a good bet they’ll come a lot closer than they did in Turin. They’ll be younger, faster, and better in every conceivable way. The same cannot be said for their underachieving rivals to the north. And while the pressure on Canada will be enormous in Vancouver in 2010, the hungry Americans will get to skate in relative anonymity, meaning a changing of the guard in North American hockey could be on the horizon.