Is Germany a part of the big nations now?

[Eye of Ra]

Final in og 2018 and now 4th place in 2021 wc.

Players such as Draisaitl, Rieder, Kuhnhackl, Greiss, Grubaur, Stutzle and Kahun in NHL.

Future stars in Bokk, Sturm, Michalies, Bergmann, Reichel, Peterka, Lutz, Shutz, Seider, Elias etc. They just keep producing players.

Is it safe to say that Germany is now part of the big nations?

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[Fulham]

I would say they are definitely a Tier 2 nation now. For a while they were tier 3 but they have surpassed that.

Id roughly say

Tier 1 Canada Sweden Finland USA Russia
Tier 2 Switzerland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany,
Tier 3 France, Norway, Denmark, Austria Belarus, Latvia

 

[Hasa92]

In terms of players they are definitely getting there.

In terms of tournament success? No... I don't think so, the Olympic tournament they won silver in didn't have any NHL players and this years IIHF WC was really weird too. They need more success on the international ice. Switzerland has 2 WC silver medals from the last 10 years and not everyone counts them as a big hockey nation yet...

 

[Zenos]

Totally depends what you define as big.

If big means consistently competitive, rarely threatened with relegation, and generally advancing out of the group stage, then yeah I think we can say so.

But if big means consistent contender and genuine medal threat then no, absolutely not.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Totally depends what you define as big.

If big means consistently competitive, rarely threatened with relegation, and generally advancing out of the group stage, then yeah I think we can say so.

But if big means consistent contender and genuine medal threat then no, absolutely not.

well medal in og 2018 and close to medal 2021. with those players germany have and more coming up i would say germany is becoming a powerhouse. depth is there too, del is a good league that just gets better and better.

 

[filinski77]

well medal in og 2018 and close to medal 2021. with those players germany have and more coming up i would say germany is becoming a powerhouse. depth is there too, del is a good league that just gets better and better.

As mentioned above by someone else, both of those tournaments were not even remotely close to best on best.

Germany would have no chance in a best on best, where they only have 1 star player right now, and terrible depth compared to any of the actual powerhouse nations.

 

[Zenos]

well medal in og 2018 and close to medal 2021. with those players germany have and more coming up i would say germany is becoming a powerhouse. depth is there too, del is a good league that just gets better and better.

I agree with your second point, that DEL is becoming a good league and (particularly bc of Mannheim, but also other programs) is also now producing good young talent. But calling them a powerhouse seems beyond hyperbolic.

Also, the 2018 OG performance as fun and impressive as it was, was a fluke during an odd tournament. This year's WC was even worse. I mean no disrespect to the player who did go and take part in this tournament - but have a look at the rosters. Those are simply not top-notch teams and I wouldn't read too much into any country's performance.

 

[Fantomas]

They'll be exciting in 3-4 years.

 

[Lambo]

This is the big problem in Hockey! Too few "best on best" tournaments. This is good for little hockey nations.
But this creates a crooked picture.
This WC was a joke. Comparinhg to Football(Soccer) Olympics. Mexico won this 2012. Is Mexiko a Football-Powerhouse or almost somthing like this? No!

 

[Lambo]

well medal in og 2018 and close to medal 2021. with those players germany have and more coming up i would say germany is becoming a powerhouse. depth is there too, del is a good league that just gets better and better.

Depth? Really?

 

[Eye of Ra]

Depth? Really?

in 3-4 years from now they will have 4 lines which are a threat even in best on best, if everyone panned out as planned.

Stutzle - Draisaitl - Kahun
Peterka - Reichel - Bokk
Michalis - Sturm - Bergmann
Lutz - Elias - Shutz

Depth? Yes, there is plenty of good germans in DEL.

 

[Lambo]

in 3-4 years from now they will have 4 lines which are a threat even in best on best, if everyone panned out as planned.

Stutzle - Draisaitl - Kahun
Peterka - Reichel - Bokk
Michalis - Sturm - Bergmann
Lutz - Elias - Shutz

Depth? Yes, there is plenty of good germans in DEL.

Has Kahun, Bergmann, Michaelis a future in NHL? I doubt! Bokk? Maybe on big ice is good, but he wasn t convincing in SHL. Lutz, Schütz, Reichel, Peterka we can speculate. All 4 with impact? It is enough in comparing to the Czechs and SUI? Def Seider and........????

 

[Voight]

I think the Big 6 is still petty strong but at least Germany getting better shows the NHL they can field their own national team next time theres a "world" Cup of Hockey. Instead of including 2 made up teams.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Has Kahun, Bergmann, Michaelis a future in NHL? I doubt! Bokk? Maybe on big ice is good, but he wasn t convincing in SHL. Lutz, Schütz, Reichel, Peterka we can speculate. All 4 with impact? It is enough in comparing to the Czechs and SUI? Def Seider and........????

Bokk was good in SHL 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons. And he is doing good in AHL this season.

When it comes to d, Seider as you said, then there is Gawanke, Hänefelt, Gnyp, Glötzl, Huttl, Ugbekile, Huß, Quaas etc. The d is not as good as the forwards but still decent.

 

[Lambo]

Bokk was good in SHL 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons. And he is doing good in AHL this season.

When it comes to d, Seider as you said, then there is Gawanke, Hänefelt, Gnyp, Glötzl, Huttl, Ugbekile, Huß, Quaas etc. The d is not as good as the forwards but still decent.

Yes but this are too much spekulation objects. But comparing to Czechs and SUI isn t good enough.

 

[JabbaJabba]

Nope. They are going to the right direction but it is too early to call them a big nation hockeywise. There's promise but until it starts to show, no.

 

[Antiillafire]

Yes but this are too much spekulation objects. But comparing to Czechs and SUI isn t good enough.

Germany is better than Switzerland in best on best tournament. No beating around the bush. I’m taking Germans forward group every day over the Swiss forward core. Swiss D core is elevated because of Josi but German depth there is better. German goaltending clears Swiss by quite a margin.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

i think they're in the next tier with the Swiss. Still, they've come a long way

 

[Lambo]

Germany is better than Switzerland in best on best tournament. No beating around the bush. I’m taking Germans forward group every day over the Swiss forward core. Swiss D core is elevated because of Josi but German depth there is better. German goaltending clears Swiss by quite a margin.

Fiala - Hischier - Niederreiter
Meier -Kurashev - Hoffmann
Suter - Corvi - Andrighetto
Baertschy - Haas - Malgin

weaker than german OF???

It s time to make a poll?

 

[Rob]

Top 9 for sure.

 

[mikemar1]

nope a doodle doo

 

[CanadienShark]

Yeah.... no. They're at best around Slovakia, Switzerland level. Not on the level of Czechs, but getting there. They just left the Denmark, Belarus level. Good for them, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

 

[snipes]

Yeah.... no. They're at best around Slovakia, Switzerland level. Not on the level of Czechs, but getting there.

It’ll be interesting how they fare in the next best-on-best.

They’ve had a couple good drafts in a row plus Draisaitl who is a
top 3 forward in the NHL.

The thing is to be in the class of the top 5 hockey nations you need year over year high end talent not just the odd year here and there.

I agree, in best-on-best I’d have them just behind the Czechs but ahead of Slovakia and Switzerland.

German hockey is definitely on the rise though and really no reason they shouldn’t consistently be an outside threat for a medal and consistently in the top 8 amongst hockey nations.

 

[CanadienShark]

It’ll be interesting how they fare in the next best-on-best.

They’ve had a couple good drafts in a row plus Draisaitl who is a
top 3 forward in the NHL.

The thing is to be in the class of the top 5 hockey nations you need year over year high end talent not just the odd year here and there.

I agree, in best-on-best I’d have them just behind the Czechs but ahead of Slovakia and Switzerland.

German hockey is definitely on the rise though and really no reason they shouldn’t consistently be an outside threat for a medal and consistently in the top 8 amongst hockey nations.

I'd be splitting hairs if I tried to disagree. I think our opinions are pretty closely matched on this. Draisaitl is THE "X" factor for sure. Arguably top 2 in the game, regardless of position.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Fiala - Hischier - Niederreiter
Meier -Kurashev - Hoffmann
Suter - Corvi - Andrighetto
Baertschy - Haas - Malgin

weaker than german OF???

It s time to make a poll?

Kahun - Draisaitl - Bergmann
Stutzle - Reichel - Peterka
Plachta - Noebels - Eischensmid
Kuhnhackl - Sturm - Rieder

Would wipe the floor with Swiss.