My 2022 Team Canada
Forwards:
Nathan MacKinnon
Connor McDavid
Patrice Bergeron
Steven Stamkos
Brad Marchand
Mark Scheifele
Brayden Point
Sidney Crosby
Ryan O'Reilly
John Tavares
Jamie Benn
Mark Stone
Mat Barzal
Taylor Hall
Defensemen:
Alex Pietrangelo
Mike Matheson
Josh Morrissey
Drew Doughty
Samuel Girard
Morgan Rielly
Aaron Ekblad
P.K Subban
Goaltenders:
Carey Price
Martin Jones
Matt Murray
LD is significantly weaker than the RD and the LD that was fielded in 2014, but the fact that the LD side is replenished and has tons of potential is good. JoMo has been a work horse and is one of the best young defensive dmen in the league and he'll probably be a big name by then and if his offensive capabilities unleash he'll be in the conversation as an elite defenseman. Rielly should probably be an elite 1D by then and shore up on the defensive side of his game. Matheson has been good at cleaning up the defensive mistakes in Florida and has been a dynamite competitor every time he's thrown on a Canada sweater at the worlds, I expect him to be a solid 1D but not an elite one. Samuel Girard has been terrific as a 19 year old rookie and will be a key cornerstone on a rebuilding and retooling Colorado team, with a couple more seasons under his belt and some bigger steps taken (along with some international experience) he'll more than likely be a serious candidate to make the back end for this Olympic team. Doughty, Pietro, and Subban should still be elite 1Ds by then or damn well near it, and Ekblad will more than likely be solidified as a workhorse 1D.
Forwards are a bit of a question mark, the old guard from the current golden generation will be aged out/aging out but I'm sure they'll still be capable of playing elite, best on best hockey and having solid NHL seasons by then. Of course there's the up and coming generation there too with McDavid, MacK, Scheifele and Barzal that will provide some blinding speed and offensive punch, along with Monahan and Point who have been solid in their young careers.
Price will probably be the starting goaltender in 2022, Martin Jones is just starting to hit his prime now and will probably be an elite goaltender by then with the way he's been playing in San Jose, I could see him giving Price a run for his money. Murray is the best young and proven Canadian goaltender in the NHL and he gets the benefit of the doubt for those 2 Stanley Cups, hopefully with a couple seasons under his belt and with all that time to develop he'll be able to carry the workload in the NHL but he'll most likely be the 3rd string goalie.
All in all it won't be as strong as the 2010 or 2014 teams, and what wouldve been the 2018 team, but it's a solid team that should still be among the favorites to make a run at a gold medal in 2022.
