Martin announced yesterday that he has withdrawn his name from the roster; he hasn't played since Oct. 24 and his broken left forearm is still in a cast.
But Burke might have to replace more than just Martin, since Toronto's Mike Komisarek hasn't yet been cleared to return to contact drills because of a shoulder injury that's hampered him since Jan. 2.
The Toronto Star reported yesterday that Komisarek would "almost certainly" not be wearing the stars and stripes in Vancouver after receiving "bad news from doctors on Saturday."
Burke officially has until the U.S. team moves into the Olympic village to make roster changes. Burke has said publicly that he would require Komisarek to play in five games with the Maple Leafs before playing in Vancouver, so Komisarek would need to return tonight in Toronto.
That's where Carle could come into the mix. So far, he hasn't been one of the handful of names mentioned by prognosticators. According to the Sporting News, Carolina's Tim Gleason is first in line for one of the spots. Ron Hainsey (Atlanta), Ryan Whitney (Anaheim), Alex Goligoski (Pittsburgh), Zach Bogosian (Atlanta) and Keith Yandle (Phoenix) all have been mentioned, but Carle has largely been ignored.
"It's always been in the back of my mind all season," Carle said, adding that he hasn't heard from Burke or USA Hockey executives.
Roster moves are expected to be announced this weekend, Team USA executive director Dave Ogrean said yesterday in a conference call.
"The players in question are two very good defensemen but they've both been out," Ogrean said. "Brian [Burke] and [assistant executive director] Jim Johannson and the management team are going to have to make some decisions on whether to keep them on the roster or to replace them with other players under consideration. That decision is one they'll have to be making by this upcoming weekend."
