And so is it possible it could come down to Kyle Palmieri versus Phil Kessel for Team USA?

A year ago, such a debate would have been unthinkable.

Kessel was a pure scoring machine destined for somewhere other than the Toronto Maple Leafs. And as it turned out, a late-June blockbuster deal sent him to the Pittsburgh Penguins to play alongside two of the greatest centers of his generation in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Palmieri was a third-line guy with a very good Anaheim Ducks team who did not fit the team's plans, so he was traded to the New Jersey Devils for second- and third-round draft picks in June. It was a deal that hardly created a ripple on the surface of the hockey world.

But this season has given us something far different than we imagined from both players -- hence their potential intersection as teams prepare to name the final seven players to their World Cup of Hockey rosters on June 1.

Although Kessel has sprung to life since the Penguins hired coach Mike Sullivan in December -- and in fact was named one of the three stars for last week by the NHL after a breakout weekend with seven points in two games (two goals-five assists) -- he is still on pace for far fewer goals than his expected production playing for the talent-laden Penguins, with 23 goals through 76 games.

Palmieri, on the other hand, has been one of the pleasant surprises of this season as he leads the Devils with 29 goals, 11 of which have been scored on the power play.

The 25-year-old native of Smithtown, New York, has been a revelation for Devils rookie head coach John Hynes, and he has made for some interesting if uncomfortable decisions for Team USA general manager Dean Lombardi and his selection group as they prepare for September's World Cup of Hockey.

Among U.S.-born NHLers, only Patrick Kane has scored more goals this season than Palmieri.

Kyle Palmieri has 29 goals and 24 assists this season. Andy Marlin/NHLI/Getty Images

At the start of the season, Kessel, a two-time Olympian, was considered a lock to make the U.S. World Cup team. And when he was not among the first 16 players named earlier this month, his exclusion was the story of the moment. Whether he makes the final cut or not will remain one of the most compelling storylines of the construction of Team USA, but there's little doubt Palmieri has made things more interesting.

If Kessel continues his strong play down the stretch and the Penguins enjoy playoff success with Kessel as a contributor, perhaps he's among the final seven named on June 1.

But a group of NHL executives contacted by ESPN.com, including current and former NHL head coaches, picked Palmieri ahead of Kessel in part because he does more.

The 25-year-old can kill penalties as well as play anywhere in the top nine or even top 12 of your forward contingent.

One longtime NHLer and scout said it would depend on the type of team the Americans want to ice.

"If they have enough speed, that maybe opens [the] door to Kyle," he said. "Skating is much better and fluid for Phil. Tenacity and hunger to score or produce is much greater with Kyle. He has some bite to him that Phil clearly lacks."

The scout admitted the decision, if it comes down to these two players, is closer than he imagined it would be. But if it were up to him he said he'd take Palmieri.

Kessel is a better pure scorer, but Palmieri has more grit, which one NHL executive noted is not an insignificant delineation given the type of team Lombardi is trying to build. Given the early inclusion of Justin Abdelkader of the Detroit Red Wings and Dustin Byfuglien of Winnipeg Jets, it's fair to assume Team USA will be looking to ice a heavier, more grinding team.

The fact Palmieri has blossomed offensively while possessing significant two-way skills has to be attractive to the U.S. selection group, which has four open forward spots to fill.

Both Palmieri and Kessel are right-handed shots and depending on whether San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski plays center or not (given his stellar season, we'd imagine he will start at center), there is probably room for only one more right winger with Kane (who plays on the right side in spite of being a left-handed shot), T.J. Oshie and Blake Wheeler all looking to occupy spots on the right side and having been named to the first 16.

With only three centers named to the original 16 (Pavelski, Derek Stepan and Ryan Kesler), I'm guessing two of the four remaining spots go to centers, perhaps David Backes and Tyler Johnson, and one spot to a left winger and another to a right-handed shot.

Kyle Okposo (21 goals, 57 points, right-handed shot) and Cam Atkinson (27 goals, 48 points, right-handed shot) will also earn some consideration, but it might just be the most deserving of those players is Palmieri, even if it's a selection that would have seemed out of the question a year ago.