How would this team do? (only 1 player per birth nation)

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Was trying to build a team with the constraint that no country of birth could be represented more than once.

Curious on your thoughts on the below team, and if there was any way I could potentially improve it?

Ehlers - McDavid - Pastrnak
Protas - Draisaitl - Kucherov
Texier - Kopitar - Zuccarello
Perlini - Rossi - Sprong

Q Hughes - Heiskanen
Josi - Cernak
Hedman - Spence

Merzlikins
Georgiev

Birth nations represented:

Forwards:
Denmark - Canada - Czechia
Belarus - Germany - Russia
France - Slovenia - Norway
England - Austria - Netherlands

Defense:
USA - Finland
Switzerland -Slovakia
Sweden - Australia

Goalies:
Latvia
Bulgaria

Goaltending isn't great, but the top 2 scoring lines are extremely strong, and that D group is massively overpowered. The third line would probably be the best in the league as well.

Some of the gaps in the bottom 6 / bottom pair are masked by really solid vets like Kopitar and Hedman, but there's a pretty big fall off after the best 6 forwards and best 4 dmen. I considered going for an upgrade at G, but that means dropping one of Kucherov or Q Hughes and likely replacing them with someone like Teddy Bleuger, and I'm just don't know if the team is better that way.

Curious if anyone could figure out a better group.

 

[acor]

Don't know anything about their countries of birth (in most cases I'd assume they're Canadians, lol), but what I see is easily #1 SC contender. Would that team fit under a cap, though?

 

[Kshahdoo]

Don't know anything about their countries of birth (in most cases I'd assume they're Canadians, lol), but what I see is easily #1 SC contender. Would that team fit under a cap, though?

NBA cap? Easily.

 

[CanadienShark]

Overwhelming favourite.

 

[bh53]

Was trying to build a team with the constraint that no country of birth could be represented more than once.

Curious on your thoughts on the below team, and if there was any way I could potentially improve it?

Ehlers - McDavid - Pastrnak
Protas - Draisaitl - Kucherov
Texier - Kopitar - Zuccarello
Perlini - Rossi - Sprong

Q Hughes - Heiskanen
Josi - Cernak
Hedman - Spence

Merzlikins
Georgiev

Birth nations represented:

Forwards:
Denmark - Canada - Czechia
Belarus - Germany - Russia
France - Slovenia - Norway
England - Austria - Netherlands

Defense:
USA - Finland
Switzerland -Slovakia
Sweden - Australia

Goalies:
Latvia
Bulgaria

Goaltending isn't great, but the top 2 scoring lines are extremely strong, and that D group is massively overpowered. The third line would probably be the best in the league as well.

Some of the gaps in the bottom 6 / bottom pair are masked by really solid vets like Kopitar and Hedman, but there's a pretty big fall off after the best 6 forwards and best 4 dmen. I considered going for an upgrade at G, but that means dropping one of Kucherov or Q Hughes and likely replacing them with someone like Teddy Bleuger, and I'm just don't know if the team is better that way.

Curious if anyone could figure out a better group.

This looks pretty awesome, awesome work! Super fun thread idea

Just spent a while looking through stat pages to see what could be changed

Can swap out Perlini for Walker. Walker was born in the UK, he just represents Australia. Figure it's better to have a full time NHLer rather than Perlini who hasn't played in a few years. Can also have both if considering Wales and England as separate, rather than just being the UK.

Kaliyev can be added as he was born in Uzbekistan.

IMO, I wouldn't want to have either one of those goalies in net. I don't trust either one of them to not implode haha. I'd remove Ehlers, take Frederik Andersen, add Blueger, and remove Georgiev.

I'd go with something like
Rossi - McDavid - Pastrnak
Protas - Draisaitl - Kucherov
Texier - Kopitar - Zuccarello
Walker - Blueger - Kaliyev
Sprong

Q Hughes - Heiskanen
Josi - Cernak
Hedman - Spence

Andersen
Georgiev

Birth nations represented:

Forwards:
Austria - Canada - Czechia
Belarus - Germany - Russia
France - Slovenia - Norway
UK - Latvia - Uzbekistan
Netherlands

Defense:
USA - Finland
Switzerland -Slovakia
Sweden - Australia

Goalies:
Denmark
Bulgaria

Added Sprong as the 13th forward so that every country with a player born there who played in the NHL this year is represented.

I feel this team is better. I think the drop-off from Ehlers to Blueger is worth the upgrade from Merzlikins to Andersen. I can see it going either way though between mine and yours roster.

I got Kaliyev and Walker from this: NHL Stats

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

This looks pretty awesome, awesome work! Super fun thread idea

Just spent a while looking through stat pages to see what could be changed

Can swap out Perlini for Walker. Walker was born in the UK, he just represents Australia. Figure it's better to have a full time NHLer rather than Perlini who hasn't played in a few years. Can also have both if considering Wales and England as separate, rather than just being the UK.

Kaliyev can be added as he was born in Uzbekistan.

IMO, I wouldn't want to have either one of those goalies in net. I don't trust either one of them to not implode haha. I'd remove Ehlers, take Frederik Andersen, add Blueger, and remove Georgiev.

I'd go with something like
Rossi - McDavid - Pastrnak
Protas - Draisaitl - Kucherov
Texier - Kopitar - Zuccarello
Walker - Blueger - Kaliyev
Sprong

Q Hughes - Heiskanen
Josi - Cernak
Hedman - Spence

Andersen
Georgiev

Birth nations represented:

Forwards:
Austria - Canada - Czechia
Belarus - Germany - Russia
France - Slovenia - Norway
UK - Latvia - Uzbekistan
Netherlands

Defense:
USA - Finland
Switzerland -Slovakia
Sweden - Australia

Goalies:
Denmark
Bulgaria

Added Sprong as the 13th forward so that every country with a player born there who played in the NHL this year is represented.

I feel this team is better. I think the drop-off from Ehlers to Blueger is worth the upgrade from Merzlikins to Andersen. I can see it going either way though between mine and yours roster.

I got Kaliyev and Walker from this: NHL Stats

Thanks for the feedback, and good catch, I missed Walker and Kalivyev (suptid Elite prospects search, only making it easy to search for nationality instead of birth nation!)

I actually prefer the pace of Sprong to Kaliyev on a team like this (and he's historically been fairly productive), but Walker is a nice piece that allows you to phase out Perlini, and potentially get Rossi into more of an offensive role.

The goalie thing is tough. Andersen has had a great career but his injury history is almost too big of a factor (and he really isn't what he used to be), I think if I was making a change there I'd go for broke and trust the skaters are good enough:

Maybe something like this:
Rossi McDavid Draisaitl
Ehlers Matthews Zuccarello
Texier Kopitar Pastrnak
Walker Bleuger Sprong

Heiskanen Cernak
Hedman Spence
Josi Levshunov

Vasilevski
Georgiev

Kucherov --> Vasilevski
Q Hughes --> Matthews
Protas --> Levshunov

Levshunov is still a young guy, but was crazy impressive in my viewings, extremely steady. I think with such a strong offense already, you can afford downgrade an OFD - Heiskanen, Hedman, and Josi are all still very capable QBs. And by adding Matthews, you get to play McDrai together full time, which we already know is dynamite. I also think this lets you maybe sneak Pastrnak out on the third line - he's played a ton on a match up line with Bergeron, so I think he could do well with Kopitar.

I don't think this loses you too much offense, but the difference between Vasilevski and Merzlinkins / Georgiev / oft injured Andersen probably more than makes up for it.

 

[Regal]

A cap compliant team would be interesting. But realistically, there’s 5 top 10 players on the team. It’d be a major disappointment if they didn’t win the cup

 

[Crow]

NHL hasn’t seen a team this good in my lifetime.

 

[bh53]

Thanks for the feedback, and good catch, I missed Walker and Kalivyev (suptid Elite prospects search, only making it easy to search for nationality instead of birth nation!)

I actually prefer the pace of Sprong to Kaliyev on a team like this (and he's historically been fairly productive), but Walker is a nice piece that allows you to phase out Perlini, and potentially get Rossi into more of an offensive role.

The goalie thing is tough. Andersen has had a great career but his injury history is almost too big of a factor (and he really isn't what he used to be), I think if I was making a change there I'd go for broke and trust the skaters are good enough:

Maybe something like this:
Rossi McDavid Draisaitl
Ehlers Matthews Zuccarello
Texier Kopitar Pastrnak
Walker Bleuger Sprong

Heiskanen Cernak
Hedman Spence
Josi Levshunov

Vasilevski
Georgiev

Kucherov --> Vasilevski
Q Hughes --> Matthews
Protas --> Levshunov

Levshunov is still a young guy, but was crazy impressive in my viewings, extremely steady. I think with such a strong offense already, you can afford downgrade an OFD - Heiskanen, Hedman, and Josi are all still very capable QBs. And by adding Matthews, you get to play McDrai together full time, which we already know is dynamite. I also think this lets you maybe sneak Pastrnak out on the third line - he's played a ton on a match up line with Bergeron, so I think he could do well with Kopitar.

I don't think this loses you too much offense, but the difference between Vasilevski and Merzlinkins / Georgiev / oft injured Andersen probably more than makes up for it.

I did think of something similar but just didn't want to remove Quinn Hughes being a Canucks fan haha. I'd agree this is better. Matthews & Ehlers >= Kucherov & Protas imo. Defense is definitely a lot worse but you can afford to remove Quinn Hughes when your next three LD are Heiskanen Hedman and Josi, Vasilevskiy is worth that. I'd still take Kaliyev over Sprong. Admittedly, I don't know much about Kaliyev but I had to watch Sprong for some games this year and I'd take just about anyone else, very lazy player.

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

Kucherov and McDavid on the PP is as close as you can get to Mozart on ice.