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If a best on best tournament was played right now, what would be your predictions/power ranknings?

WarriorofTime said:
I think Russia will likely be back next World Juniors. They aren't going to be banned forever.
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As long as war is going they wont. And its decided for one season at a time so if at may War is on no Russia for 23-24 season. Ofc i hope there will never be Russia in international game's that country should fall like Soviet Union did 10-20 new little states.
 
Power rankings based on what?

If ranked by "starpower"

Canada
USA
Russia
Sweden
Finland
Czech

If ranked by "what have you done for me lately"

Finland
Canada
USA
Sweden
Czech

I'd wager on system winning over individuals and Finland has shown systematic advantage by beating ridiculously better rosters in tournaments medal stages. Depends on the day when it comes to the top teams, they're all fully capable of beating anyone on a good day. Finland has more good days in more recent history than most others, probably not by accident.
 
Hanji said:
The Czechs really stepped up in Russia’s absence this year. But I wouldn't expect this every tournament. It was a bit of an anomaly.

Hockey is a small global sport. The absence of just 1 top team really thins the competition.
But it is what it is.
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We've been the number 1 benefactor of this for sure. On a crazy streak of final 4 appearances with U18, U20 (x2) Hlinka and Skoda's. Our ladies are on the rise too! Probably because of no Russia too. But the program seems encouraging.

Agree on anomaly but our biggest problem is D and we do finally have some draft worthy D coming through in all our age groups. It's hard because we may have actually turned around our 2 decades of darkness (Oil reference) but at the same time a hockey superpower isn't playing. It's the chicken and the egg.haha

But, yes, no way we're in the final next year at the WJC. Final 4's are the goal.
 
WarriorofTime said:
goalies are atrocious
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They are not as good as Sweden, Russia (just an insanely good group of G), US but atrocious is a bit much.

Kuemper is a Stanley Cup and Skoda champion for instance. That isn't bad.lol

Amongst NHL starters.. Jarry is 6th too.

But yes, Canada doesn't have a goalie that would scare the opposition on name alone like an Ullmark/Markstrom or Helle/Oetinger or Vasi/Shes/Soro.

Top 10 starters today (20 game minimum)

1677177385532.png


Swede, Swede, US, Russia, US, Canada, Russia, US, Russia, Finland

Vanecek is 12 in case anyone was wondering.haha
 
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Yeah that's kinda my point though, who starts in net for Canada if they played a best on best tomorrow? Darcy Kuemper? Tristan Jarry? Logan Thompson? Then you have to add the intense media pressure, as you can bet TSN would spend about 3 hours a day discussing the goaltender situation, and the second anything goes wrong, that guy would probably be a scapegoat. I still think Canada is the favorite due to McDavid who is basically a standard deviation ahead of the League in terms of offense at the moment, I just think it's not quite as much of a guarantee (where you'd say if they played 10 times, Canada wins 8 of them) as it used to be. In 2014 for instance, Canada had 5 of the top 7 defensemen in the world (per HF voting) as well as an elite goaltender in Price in his prime, and about the same level of star power up front.
 
Marioesque said:
I don't know. 15-20 years? Subjective I guess. Could probably say since -94?
I was thinking of all the mens tournaments. Olympics, IIHF.
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It wasn't an attack.lol I was just curious. Thank You. It was your US at 2 that had me a bit curious. I agree they are awesome without question but I can't think of any major achievements in the last 20 year at adult level? On paper, they are probably the best right now (D and G are just a stupid combo of good and now Hughes has arrived... good lord!).
 
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WarriorofTime said:
Yeah that's kinda my point though, who starts in net for Canada if they played a best on best tomorrow? Darcy Kuemper? Tristan Jarry? Logan Thompson? Then you have to add the intense media pressure, as you can bet TSN would spend about 3 hours a day discussing the goaltender situation, and the second anything goes wrong, that guy would probably be a scapegoat. I still think Canada is the favorite due to McDavid who is basically a standard deviation ahead of the League in terms of offense at the moment, I just think it's not quite as much of a guarantee (where you'd say if they played 10 times, Canada wins 8 of them) as it used to be. In 2014 for instance, Canada had 5 of the top 7 defensemen in the world (per HF voting) as well as an elite goaltender in Price in his prime, and about the same level of star power up front.
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It'd be Kuemper who has a Stanley Cup (which comes with a LOT of pressure) and a Skoda (which comes with almost NO pressure for a Canuck goalie, intense for the Euro goalies though!).

I'd argue Makar (healthy and not concussed) is as valuable as McDavid. This may get me laughed off the board but healthy Makar is stupid good.

So you get McD, Makar and Stanley Cup Champ Kuemper.. that's not a bad 1-2-3.

Eg. The russian equivalent would be Vasi (better then Kuemper, Provorov (nowhere near Makar but he is awesome) and Malkin?

Swedes would be Lias, Hedman (or Karlson or Dahlin) and Ullmark

Finns would be Barkov, Heiskenan and Saros?

US would be Matthews, Fox and Helle (that's f***en good!)

Czechs would be Vanecek, Hronek and Krejci.. .all 3 I love but that is a stepdown.lol
 
Kuemper may be their guy, but I think it's worth pointing out that he was mostly a passenger and the Avs were OK letting him walk in free agency in order to prioritize retaining other pieces.
 
WarriorofTime said:
Kuemper may be their guy, but I think it's worth pointing out that he was mostly a passenger and the Avs were OK letting him walk in free agency in order to prioritize retaining other pieces.
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Very true. But a cup and Skoda winning goalie (on a weak Canada roster even by Canadian roster) doesn't suck! He may have the best resume tbh. No goalie has won a best on best. Vasi has 2 cups.

He's worse than 4 starters but the dropoff is not ridiculous.

Eg. 920 goalie vs .915. note.. made up stat. Don't screencap me.lol
 
WarriorofTime said:
Kuemper may be their guy, but I think it's worth pointing out that he was mostly a passenger and the Avs were OK letting him walk in free agency in order to prioritize retaining other pieces.
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Funny thing.. now watching my Oiler's play and they TORCHED Jarry for 6 goals in 2 periods... the irony.
 
The Tier below

1.Denmark
2.Austria
3.France
4.Latvia
5.Slovenia
6.Kazakhstan
7.Norway
8.Hungary
 
crobro said:
The Tier below

1.Denmark
2.Austria
3.France
4.Latvia
5.Slovenia
6.Kazakhstan
7.Norway
8.Hungary
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Best v best on paper. Assuming all eligible players participated I'd go with this:

1. Canada
2. United States
3. (Russia)
4. Sweden
5. Finland
6. Czech Republic
7. Switzerland
8. Germany
9. Slovakia
10. Denmark
11. Latvia
12. (Belarus)
13. Kazakhstan
14. France
15. Austria
16. Norway
17. Slovenia
18. Italy
19. Hungary
20. Great Britain
 
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WarriorofTime said:
There are only 5 Canadians in the top 20 in NHL scoring. It's not bad, but they aren't the auto-locks to win like they used to be. Right now, they are heavily reliant on how good McDavid is.
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Canada's forwards may look something like this...

MacKinnon - McDavid - Marner
Marchand - Crosby - Bergeron
Stone - Horvat - Point
Konecny - Thomas - Stamkos

I think they will be fine for scoring.

Didn't look too deep into the roster, and maybe it could be much better.

But the whole team is two-way players who can score. I don't think any team comes even close to matching the top 2 lines.
 
notbias said:
Canada's forwards may look something like this...

MacKinnon - McDavid - Marner
Marchand - Crosby - Bergeron
Stone - Horvat - Point
Konecny - Thomas - Stamkos

I think they will be fine for scoring.

Didn't look too deep into the roster, and maybe it could be much better.

But the whole team is two-way players who can score. I don't think any team comes even close to matching the top 2 lines.
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They certainly have the best Forwards, nobody disputes that.
 
So it's a couple of threads a month to downplay Sweden's roster strength and slightly overestimate Finland's roster strength. How long has this gone on? For like a year? From the same poster.
 
Deas said:
So it's a couple of threads a month to downplay Sweden's roster strength and slightly overestimate Finland's roster strength. How long has this gone on? For like a year? From the same poster.
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Sounds like we need a Sweden vs. Finland Super Series to decide things :laugh::laugh:
 
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Single game elimination rounds are completely random games when as you can't have best of seven series in a tournament which must be over and done with in two weeks.
 
WarriorofTime said:
They certainly have the best Forwards, nobody disputes that.
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I am not sure about that. We are looking a little long-in-the-tooth. We need some young players to step up.

The U.S. has youth, we have McDavid and experience. It could go either way.
 
ORRFForever said:
I am not sure about that. We are looking a little long-in-the-tooth. We need some young players to step up.

The U.S. has youth, we have McDavid and experience. It could go either way.
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Bedard will be a good injection for Canada's theoretical best on best squad.
 
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