If NHLers in Olympics - are Sweden a contender for the gold?

[Bear12Good]

Canada 90%
Sweden 5%
Others Russia,USA and Finland ov 5%

 

[karlstegger]

Canada 90%
Sweden 5%
Others Russia,USA and Finland ov 5%

If the bookies agree with your percentages, they will be out of business if Canada doesn't win

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

But that wasn't the question.

And yes, of course, Sweden will probably always be perennial "contenders".

Yeah, I read it as if the question was if Sweden would be favorites.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

For me Canada is number 1 for forwards and it's not close. Coming from an American fwiw

Yeah, Canada is #1 when it comes to forwards, and by some margin I would say. Russia 2nd and then Sweden and the US probably equal.

 

[Tomas W]

It would be like all other tournaments, since the 90ies, Swedens is good enough, if all the key players are healthy, and the toughest opposition have a little less great day, in the knock out stages.

 

[Connor]

Maybe if Sweden gets some actual NHL coaches they can win against the best of the best.

If they keep putting SEL coaches in there, they ain't going to win.

 

[LiveeviL]

Maybe if Sweden gets some actual NHL coaches they can win against the best of the best.

If they keep putting SEL coaches in there, they ain't going to win.

Turin was best on best, Sweden won. Canada had a bogus old-boys idea about how to compose their team. But the onus is on Canada, so much for NHL coaches.

 

[BonAppleTea]

Those players will outperform anything Canada or the US can put on the ice.

Russia is another story though, will depend on the mood of the day.

We will not outperform 'anything Canada puts on the ice', no way. Definitely got a chance to win, but hardly something even close to guaranteed.

Russia feels like the easier challenge to be honest. Very, very good forwards but our D shut them down completely and frustrated them to the brink of insanity outside of that late minute almost-two-goal-push by Ovechkin in the third period of the world cup game. Probably the only time that tournament our D were coached and performed like they should, and it really showed what that defensive corps are able to do.

 

[21]

Canada first favorite, Sweden second, Russia third and USA fourth

Depending on the roster Sweden for sure have a good chance winning gold.

I was close putting USA as number three. Want Russia to play better defense and playing like a team standing up for eachother before putting them higher on this list. They are not structured and tactical like they used to be, tons of individual skills though.

Finland is a dark horse, unpredictable.

 

[Advanced stats]

Projected Forwards (if the olympics were played right now and everyone was healthy):

(these aren't actual lines just best players)
Russia:

Tarasenko-Kuznetsov-Kucherov
Panarin-Malkin-Ovechkin
Kulemin-Anisimov-Radulov
Dadonov-Shipachyov-Gusev (4th line could have Kovalchuk, Datsyuk, Mozyakin, Buchnevich, Namestnikov etc)

Canada:

Marchand-Crosby-McDavid
Toews-Getzlaf-Bergeron
Carter-Stamkos-Tavares
Giroux-O'Reilly-Mackinnon/Duchene etc

Canada AINEC.

 

[Advanced stats]

Canadians on a whole don't really give 2 ***** about international hockey.

Oh?

That's ********. Canada cares so much about their international hockey.

The whole country is embarrassed if Canada loses to anyone.

 

[smitty10]

They definitely would be. List of favourites goes:

Canada
Sweden
USA
Russia
Finland
Czech Republic

These are the only teams that can win.

 

[Tomas W]

Russia and the US have superior depth I think to Sweden. Just imagen Sweden without Bäckis or Lundqvist. A fair bit worse right away. Guess we got plenty of offensive defencemen though.

 

[felixhockey]

Nylander - Backstrom - Silfverberg
Arvidsson - Wennberg - Forsberg
Steen - Zetterberg - Rakell
Landeskog - Rask - Lindholm (Ok, lets drop Backlund)

Ekholm - Karlsson
Hedman - Hjalmarsson
OEL - Lindholm

Lundqvist
Lehner

Is this team good enough to fight Canada, USA and Russia?

What about marcus johanssson??

 

[Eye of Ra]

What about marcus johanssson??

Yeah sure he can play on 4th line.

 

[mattihp]

An injury to Lundqvist would ruin that team.

 

[21]

Yes, it is important we get another good goalie, hopefully we have some goalies ready for the next step.

I like Lehner and I think with some more stability/consistency he will become great. Lots also have to do with the development and coaching of Buffalo Sabres though. Most importantly I believe Lehner may be a big game goalie. Robin's dad Mikael having coached both Lundqvist and Robin is a cool fact.

Fun thing with Lehner is that even North Americans consider him to be a hot head. Perhaps a Swedish version of Hextall, well, I like being entertained.

 

[jfc64]

Canada 90%
Sweden 5%
Others Russia,USA and Finland ov 5%

Canada 64% (X-by, McD, 1-2 punchy)
U.S. of A. 15% (will bring talent now)
3:- 10%
Raaazziiia 8%
Czechia 2%
Rentia 1%
others 1% (Finland, Norway, Lithium, Denmark)



Alexander Steen - Nicklas Bäckström - William Nylander
Filip Forsberg - Alexander Wennberg - Rickard Rakell
Gabriel Landeskog - Mikael Backlund - Jakob Silfverberg
Marcus Johansson - Mika Zibanejad - Henrik Zetterberg
Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin


Mattias Ekholm - Erik Karlsson
Victor Hedman - Anton Strålman
Oliver Ekman Larsson - Adam Larsson
Hampus Lindholm - Niklas Hjalmarsson

Henrik Lundqvist
Jacob Markström - Robin Lehner

 

[Ingvar]

Sweden has the best defense in the world - I believe with the right coaching they can be best-on-best favorites.

 

[Eye of Ra]

An injury to Lundqvist would ruin that team.

Lehner is a good goalie. Markström can be good.

 

[Xokkeu]

Russia Finland Sweden and the USA are all contenders. I mean Sweden as a lucky win vs Canada away from gold last time so obviously they are contenders. On paper they and the US are probably even for second best team.

Still Canada is the obvious far and away favorite

 

[Eye of Ra]

Finland are contenders.

They are not.

 

[Xokkeu]

They are not.

Yes they are

 

[Eye of Ra]

Yes they are

Why? Goalies are strong but defenders are weak. The forwards are too young.

 

[tony d]

Indeed they would, very impressive roster.