Olympics: Could USA be the favorite heading into PyeongChang 2018?

[LastWordArmy]

Canada will walk into the tourney as favorites (if NHL players go).

 

[Greeneye]

They won't be the favorite but I'm sure they can hang with anyone now. The last few years have been amazing for American talent. We're in for the some great games that's for sure.

 

[Djp]

When you look at the array of talent they could suddenly be putting out there:

C
Jack Eichel
Tyler Johnson
Auston Matthews
Dylan Larkin
Kyle Connor
Paul Stastny
Joe Pavelski
Derek Stepan
Brandon Dubinsky
Kevin Hayes
Anders Lee

RW
Patrick Kane
Phil Kessel
Blake Wheeler
Craig Smith
Alex Tuch
Jeremy Bracco
Brock Boeser

LW
Max Pacioretty
Johnny Gaudreau
Nick Foligno
Justin Abdelkader
Jimmy Vesey


LD
Noah Hanifin
Ryan McDonagh
Justin Faulk
Keith Yandle
Alex Goligoski

RD
Erik Johnson
Seth Jones
John Carlson
Kevin Shattenkirk
Jacob Trouba

G
Ben Bishop
John Gibson
Connor Hellebuyck
Jon Gillies

In terms of raw talent, they seem to have a bigger pool to draw from than either 2010 or 2014. I'm sure I forgot a few names, too.

I think it would be more likely in china in 2022 or 2026 (likely in USA). There is a lot of young talent.

You are forgetting to include Jake mcCabe who is playing his first full year in buffalo. He was the captain of the WJC winners in 2013.

Cone 2018 he likely a decent top 4 Dman.

Buffalo also has Hudson Fasching (Univ of a Minnesota) likely turn pro in 16/17 (could come after the NCAA season). They have another American in Justin Bailey ( first ELC yr). If either of them are playing with Eichel or Reinhart in a few years they likely will get talk as well in this if they are 25+ goal svored.

 

[CrazyJoeDavola]

we didn't have Tavares or McDavid in 2014 either...both can play that game.

... and Stammer.

 

[Scotty B]

... and Stammer.

Stammer's game isn't what it used to be. Has he ever fully recovered from that brutal leg injury? Cruel as it sounds. Our A-Team might be better off without him, in the not too distant future...

 

[WaltWhitman]

When you look at the array of talent they could suddenly be putting out there:

.
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..
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......
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In terms of raw talent, they seem to have a bigger pool to draw from than either 2010 or 2014. I'm sure I forgot a few names, too.

Great, so we have a little more talent than last time.

And Canada crushed last time.

Is this a legit question or just trolling for some Yankee-bashing? Im confused.

 

[canuck2010]

Stammer's game isn't what it used to be. Has he ever fully recovered from that brutal leg injury? Cruel as it sounds. Our A-Team might be better off without him, in the not too distant future...

If he is smart he gets out of Tampa asap.

 

[Jovavic]

America won't be the favorite until President Trump annexes Canada, 2018 is too early for that.

I think hockey should go with what soccer does at the Olympics which is U23 teams with a few older players

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

America won't be the favorite until President Trump annexes Canada, 2018 is too early for that.

I think hockey should go with what soccer does at the Olympics which is U23 teams with a few older players

Yes I'm sure you'll get the 200 million + viewers for a nhl world cup. Why have the exposure, the nhl is doing a good job of showing the best Hockey can offer by promoting it in one country which a) doesn't care about Hockey and b) which still hasn't won anything in international play in about a lifetime yet this thread arrives promoting them as favourites.

Logic continues at hf.

 

[WaltWhitman]

Yes I'm sure you'll get the 200 million + viewers for a nhl world cup. Why have the exposure, the nhl is doing a good job of showing the best Hockey can offer by promoting it in one country which a) doesn't care about Hockey and b) which still hasn't won anything in international play in about a lifetime yet this thread arrives promoting them as favourites.

Logic continues at hf.

What are you trying to say?

Is it better to promote the sport in South Korea where they love hockey so much and win so much in international play?


What does a Flames fan starting a dumb thread have to do with any of it?

 

[DoubleDouble*]

Canada barely beat the USA the last 2 times. Add Eichel, Mathews and Larkin at center and that drastically improves the US's chance of beating Canada or Sweden.

Ya but I mean...in that same period, Canada added Ekblad, McDavid and Subban has reached another level.

Also, America's top performers in the last two Olympics will not play a big role in 2018 - Parise, Kessel, Miller (although Schnieds is as good as prime Miller).

Who knows what things will look like then. Superstars will emerge for both countries before now and then, and guys who we see as keys to success now will fall off the map.

I think between Canada, the USA, Russia, Sweden and Finland, we could see one of the closest Olympics of all time. Canada will be the favourites as things stand, but I think all 5 of those nations have the talent coming to put them in the gold medal conversation.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

When you look at the array of talent they could suddenly be putting out there:

C
Jack Eichel
Tyler Johnson
Auston Matthews
Dylan Larkin
Kyle Connor
Paul Stastny
Joe Pavelski
Derek Stepan
Brandon Dubinsky
Kevin Hayes
Anders Lee

RW
Patrick Kane
Phil Kessel
Blake Wheeler
Craig Smith
Alex Tuch
Jeremy Bracco
Brock Boeser

LW
Max Pacioretty
Johnny Gaudreau
Nick Foligno
Justin Abdelkader
Jimmy Vesey


LD
Noah Hanifin
Ryan McDonagh
Justin Faulk
Keith Yandle
Alex Goligoski

RD
Erik Johnson
Seth Jones
John Carlson
Kevin Shattenkirk
Jacob Trouba

G
Ben Bishop
John Gibson
Connor Hellebuyck
Jon Gillies

In terms of raw talent, they seem to have a bigger pool to draw from than either 2010 or 2014. I'm sure I forgot a few names, too.

I see a lot of young talent and a lot of older talent with little in between.

Jack Eichel hasn't exactly been what the OP/everyone hoped he would be on Oct 10th - when this thread was started.
Tyler Johnson is having injury issues.
Auston Matthews isn't even in the NHL yet - and he has a bad back at 18.
Phil Kessel is trending down.
Nick Foligno - Yikes!!!
Max Pacioretty did little/nothing in 2014 (IIRC)
Blake Wheeler will be 31 in 2018 and doesn't strike me as a someone who will excel on the big ice.
Craig Smith - yes, PLEASE send Craig Smith

The OP was written with blinders on. It fails to recall the 7 weak U.S. drafts (from 2008 to 2014) and assumes all the recent talent will be great/excel right away.

On paper, I have the U.S. as the 3rd best team in 2018. On the big ice, they could fail to medal. As for being better than Canada, um... no.

 

[shackattack]

Ya but I mean...in that same period, Canada added Ekblad, McDavid and Subban has reached another level.

Also, America's top performers in the last two Olympics will not play a big role in 2018 - Parise, Kessel, Miller (although Schnieds is as good as prime Miller).

Who knows what things will look like then. Superstars will emerge for both countries before now and then, and guys who we see as keys to success now will fall off the map.

I think between Canada, the USA, Russia, Sweden and Finland, we could see one of the closest Olympics of all time. Canada will be the favourites as things stand, but I think all 5 of those nations have the talent coming to put them in the gold medal conversation.

Subban? Same Subban 1 goal this year and none in 2 months at 9 million.lol That guy skates 8 miles a nite sideways.

 

[SmokeyDuck]

I think it would be more likely in china in 2022 or 2026 (likely in USA). There is a lot of young talent.

You are forgetting to include Jake mcCabe who is playing his first full year in buffalo. He was the captain of the WJC winners in 2013.

Cone 2018 he likely a decent top 4 Dman.

Buffalo also has Hudson Fasching (Univ of a Minnesota) likely turn pro in 16/17 (could come after the NCAA season). They have another American in Justin Bailey ( first ELC yr). If either of them are playing with Eichel or Reinhart in a few years they likely will get talk as well in this if they are 25+ goal svored.

Forgetting Cam Fowler too.

 

[sportsdynasty]

When I see the US roster, I see a bunch of question marks and not that many game breakers. Sweden and Russia both have better rosters. Canada is #1.

 

[sportsdynasty]

Wouldn't restrict it to just the wings, Canada has the best G in the world at the moment in Price but I'd say the US and maybe even Sweden and Russia have better G depth, and 2018 is a long way away so who knows how effective Price will still be, plus possibilities of injury, etc (course, you can say the same for any player). Canada used to produce bumper crops of goalies but now it seems like the country's weakest position.

That C and D depth is impressive, though.

You ever hear of a goaltender called Holtby or Crawford? Canada has more goaltending stars than just Price. They are stacked full of the world's best goalies. They have better goaltending depth than any other country.

 

[Stats01]

You ever hear of a goaltender called Holtby or Crawford? Canada has more goaltending stars than just Price. They are stacked full of the world's best goalies. They have better goaltending depth than any other country.

and blackwood waiting in the wings for the future

 

[Scotty B]

You ever hear of a goaltender called Holtby or Crawford? Canada has more goaltending stars than just Price. They are stacked full of the world's best goalies. They have better goaltending depth than any other country.

We have the best in the world, ATM, in Price...BUT better current + potential blue-chip prospects in goal than Finns, RUS, Yanks, SWE? Not likely...

 

[Scotty B]

and blackwood waiting in the wings for the future

Sure, sure...that's how they used to talk about Justin Pogge....that he had more upside than Tuukka Rask ( who was even better as a junior imo, and who totally stoned Swedes in a do or die WJC game, as i recall )

How'd that work out for Leafs braintrust, or lack thereof?

You wanna talk potential super stars of the not too distant future. Think Vasilevskiy , Hellebuyck...

...At this pt, Blackwood's barely a blip on the radar...

 

[Hisch13r]

No. I wouldn't even say they're favorites for silver

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

No. I wouldn't even say they're favorites for silver

Yup. Again, there was too large a gap between the high quality U.S. drafts of 2003-2007 and 2015. That's 7 years (2008-2014) of meh. Hard to overcome with one or two strong drafts - and, let's be honest, after Matthews, 2016 is not exactly brimming with top end talent.

 

[canuck2010]

Forgetting Cam Fowler too.

Some good Newfoundland blood in that by, my son.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Also keep in mind, in 2014 the U.S. was the only healthy nation. Canada lost Stamkos and Tavares. My memory is not the best but other countries, not named the U.S., lost top end players as well. The odds of ALL the U.S.'s best players being available again in 2018 is not great. If Kane or Gaudreau or one of their new talents get hurt, or they are not 100%, there is not a ton of top end depth there.

 

[Burke the Legend]

No heart on team USA

 

[tml19]

The gap is definitely getting smaller but it is still there. Canada are the favorites unless NHLers can't go. At that point we send scrubs playing overseas and some OHL/WHL/QJMHL kids. Russia would sleep walk over everyone if that's the case.