Had this announcement come in October, I would have said "so what?" The actions of the Mosconi coach during the event itself make little to no difference, and there would have been little to no time for Johan to work with his team. This announcement coming in April, however, makes it a big deal. First and foremost, it enables Johan to work with the likely team members to prepare them properly.
In 2018, Johan took the team to his instructional academy in Russia and, after they trained there, had them compete in the Kremlin Cup, a Russia-based event having a field very similar to that of a Euro-tour event, giving him almost instant additional feedback on whether they had progressed. The winner of the Kremlin Cup was Tyler Styer, whose solid play at the 2018 Mosconi Cup figured in the end of the Team USA losing streak.
Second, the early announcement should also enable Johan to select Team USA earlier rather than later.
Third, Johan is unlikely to play favorites. He likes hard-working players who show their commitment to the game by competing a lot.
I am greatly amused by the pun found in the thread title, but I love it. The use of healm instead of helm actually makes sense in this case, because it includes the word heal. As for Team USA, heal'm please, Johan, for it is surely a time for healing.