Country with the Best Starting 5

[Nucks2001]

CAN
Crosby-McDavid-MacKinnon
Toews-Makar
USA
J.Hughes-Matthews-M.Tkachuk
Q.Hughes-A.Fox
SWE
Pettersson-Zibanejad-Nylader
Hedman-Dahlin
FIN
Aho-Barkov-Rantanen
Lindell-Heiskanen
RUS
Panarin-Malkin-Kucherov
Sergachev-Provorov
CZE
Necas-Hertl-Pastrnak
Gudas-Hronek
SWI
Meier-Hischier-Fiala
Siegenthaler-Josi

Click to read more...

 

[Mathieukferland]

CAN
Crosby-McDavid-MacKinnon
Toews-Makar

You could combine all the other countries and it wouldn’t be better than this

 

[HockeyScotty]

Not a certainty that this is the "best 5" from America:

USA
J.Hughes-Matthews-M.Tkachuk
Q.Hughes-A.Fox

Either Jaccob Slavin or Charlie McAvoy would probably make that top pair; most likely Slavin-Fox would be the "top pair" for USA.

Also Jack Hughes hasn't overcome Jack Eichel and Brady Tkachuk would be right in that mix as well. Tough to not see a B. Tkachuk-Matthews-M. Tkachuk line as the #1 for USA; but if it is just based on "best" then it would be Eichel over Hughes.

 

[Czechboy]

Should include goalies IMO

Like how the Czechs look and I'll add Dostal as our goalie.

I'd pick USA out of these lists

Slovaks would be
Slaf-Tatar-Pospisil
Nemec-Cernak (or Fehervary if you prefer)

 

[Bixby Snyder]

USA

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

If you include goaltenders, USA

If you don’t, Canada

 

[Zine]

What Buchnevich said.

Canada has the top starting 5. Include a goaltender and USA is the best.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

My starting six for the U.S.:

M. Tkachuk/A. Matthews/J. Hughes
Q. Hughes/C. McAvoy
Hellebucyk

 

[Nucks2001]

Not a certainty that this is the "best 5" from America:

USA
J.Hughes-Matthews-M.Tkachuk
Q.Hughes-A.Fox

Either Jaccob Slavin or Charlie McAvoy would probably make that top pair; most likely Slavin-Fox would be the "top pair" for USA.

Also Jack Hughes hasn't overcome Jack Eichel and Brady Tkachuk would be right in that mix as well. Tough to not see a B. Tkachuk-Matthews-M. Tkachuk line as the #1 for USA; but if it is just based on "best" then it would be Eichel over Hughes.

I don’t know many people that have Eichel over Jack Hughes. Hughes is just in a different world when it comes to skill. Eichel does bring a better all-around game tho and I understand why one would take him. Also love Slavin, but I would take Hughes if we’re TAKING the best 5 players from each country. Leaving the vets American Defenceman from that seems wrong.

 

[HockeyScotty]

I don’t know many people that have Eichel over Jack Hughes. Hughes is just in a different world when it comes to skill. Eichel does bring a better all-around game tho and I understand why one would take him. Also love Slavin, but I would take Hughes if we’re TAKING the best 5 players from each country. Leaving the vets American Defenceman from that seems wrong.

Yeah I understand the thought process about skill; just that there is alot of "great hockey" that gets left out of that conversation and guys like Eichel and Slavin bring that to the table. It's not a knock on Quinn Hughes; just that a pair like Q. Hughes-Fox is pretty one-dimensional compared to an actual pairing like Toews-Makar that is elite in all areas.

 

[ViD]

Canada used to have defensive lineup that they could’ve won with anyone in net even though they had guys like Price, Luongo etc

Nowadays, Canadian defense does not strike me as impenetrable and they definitely would need strong goaltending to succeed