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News Article: Rangers in the Olympics

Team USA is going to be insanely deep anyway you slice it. When Max Pacioretty, Derek Stepan, and Jason Pomminville, all 60 point guys easily, are rounding out your roster on the 4th line, you are going to be tough to play against. Not one soft/one-dimensional player on that entire projected lineup.
 
Hellion said:
He is in trouble with the Norwegian hockey federation and their sponsors because of a private sponsor agreement.
As of now he is banned from the national team
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Oh yes, forgot about that.

They'd be stupid to ban him. He's their best player.
 
MacTruck said:
Team USA is going to be insanely deep anyway you slice it. When Max Pacioretty, Derek Stepan, and Jason Pomminville, all 60 point guys easily, are rounding out your roster on the 4th line, you are going to be tough to play against. Not one soft/one-dimensional player on that entire projected lineup.
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Kessel is soft and one dimensional. But he's good offensively so it becomes worth it.

It is a good, most importantly young lineup. But it's still a poor knock-off of Canada's dream team. We lack a true top flight center, have a lot of great 1b options but that's it.

If the United States wants to Gold or even medal, they will need Quick to be in top form.
 
Eh, Russia's top 6 is scary, but their D and goaltending are huge question marks. Their best goalie doesn't even have an NHL job at the moment.

The Czechs and Swiss aren't good enough.

Canada is Canada. They'll win it all or be upset in the quarterfinals.

Sweden should medal unless Henrik has a poor tournament.

The US should medal too even if Quick isn't lights out every night. I would consider it a huge disappointment if they don't.
 
Fitzy said:
Kessel is soft and one dimensional. But he's good offensively so it becomes worth it.

It is a good, most importantly young lineup. But it's still a poor knock-off of Canada's dream team. We lack a true top flight center, have a lot of great 1b options but that's it.

If the United States wants to Gold or even medal, they will need Quick to be in top form.
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He'll need to be what Miller was last Olympics.

I feel with the time shift and the big ice that a European squad will take the gold. My money is on Sweden.
 
parise kesler kane
kessel pavelski ryan
cally backes brown
jvr stepan oshie/galchenyuk

suter shattenkirk
mcdonagh j johnson
yandle j carlson
faulk

quick
miller
howard

not too bad forwards could be a little better
 
cacchioli22 said:
parise kesler kane
kessel pavelski ryan
cally backes brown
jvr stepan oshie/galchenyuk

suter shattenkirk
mcdonagh j johnson
yandle j carlson
faulk

quick
miller
howard

not too bad forwards could be a little better
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Little unorthodox, but what about playing Kane at center? Put him with good two-way guys like Parise and maybe put Kesler or Pavelski at his RW and taking faceoffs.
 
Fitzy said:
Kessel is soft and one dimensional. But he's good offensively so it becomes worth it.

It is a good, most importantly young lineup. But it's still a poor knock-off of Canada's dream team. We lack a true top flight center, have a lot of great 1b options but that's it.

If the United States wants to Gold or even medal, they will need Quick to be in top form.
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True, against our northern brethern its always a case of sum of all parts can beat better talent on paper. Except for WJC that is.
 
FultonReed said:
Joel Lundqvist might be centering that 4th line.

as for USA, i think Callahan is in, too. Step should be a potential candidate as well, for a 4th line center/extra forward. he was the top scoring American center this past season and 3rd overall amongst American forwards behind Kane and Kessel.
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Definites: US (cally, step, McD), SWE (hank), NOR (mza- i think all will be forgiven), CAN (nash)

Maybes: SWE (hagelin, stralman, Lindberg?), CZE (Hrivik-are they hurting for depth, go young?), CAN (Staal/Girardi - unlikely homer picks), RUS (pashnin, Valentenko - RUS has never been deep in D, do we still own Tanks rights?)

Most of the maybes are stretches admittedly. Do we have anyone from a more obscure competing nation?
 
silverfish said:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/columnist/allen/2013/07/20/team-usa-olympic-hockey-team-projections/2571391/

Kevin Allen's predictions. Callahan, Stepan, McDonagh all make his team.

G: Quick, Miller, Howard
C: Kesler, Stastny, Stepan, Backes
LW: Parise, Pacioretty, JvR, Bobby RYan
RW: Kane, Kessel, Callahan, Brown
Spares: Galchenyuk, Pominville
D: Jack Johnson, Suter, McDonagh, Faulk, Martin, Shattenkirk, Yandle, Erik Johnson, Orpik

Positions of strength for team USA are clearly in goal, and on the blueline. This needs to be an in your face kind of team. Tortorella would be an epic coach for this squad. No sarcasm. Maybe as an assistant? Bylsma (HC), with Torts and Scott Gordon? Any of those three could really HC this team.

In 2018 the strengths will likely be exactly the same. Jon Quick, Jack Campbell, John Gibson. Quick will be 32 in 2018. Campbell 26 and Gibson 24
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Gotta think that Pavelski is in the mix as a spare
 
Ian said:
absolute locks at forward for Sweden:
Sedin/Sedin/Erikson
Franzen/Zetterberg/Allfy
Hornqvist/Backstrom/Landeskog

Jarnkrok? Modin? Pahlsson?

I think he might have a decent chance as a 4th liner, especially if they try to go young this time.

Probably a better chance than Girardi at least.[/QUOT

Isnt Loui a Finn?
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Isnt Loui a Finn?

No hes from the same town as Lundqvist

Sedin Sedin Eriksson
Zetterberg Bäckström Alfredsson
Franzen Berglund Hörnqvist
Hagelin Steen Landeskog
Johansson
 
I see McDonagh, Callahan, and Stepan all making it. Personally, I think some people are going to be a bit surprised with the final product of the U.S. Olympic team. It is going to be constructed more like a real (albeit more talented) NHL team rather than a dream team. Guys are going to have roles. Some hallmarks:

* To a man this team will be able to skate. That means guys like Gleason, Malone, and yes probably Pavelski might be on the outside looking in.

* This team will be incredibly hard to play against. There are going to be some real brutes on the blueline and up front. Do you want to play against a line of Bakces, Oshie, and Brown or Kesler, Brown, and Pacioretty? I wouldn't.

* With the expanded rosters I expect a kid or two to get the call. Someone like Galchenyuk.
 
Unless Galchenyuk takes a huge step forward this season, I don't see him making it over Pavelski. Pavs is an elite two way player and PK'er. Leaving him off the team would be a travesty.
 
Rick Nash is by no means a definite.

If he struggles out of the gate this year, prepare to be disappointed.
 
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Lindberg Cheese said:
Does Stralman get a whiff as 7th D if he plays well in season?
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MÃ¥rts picked a preliminary roster with like 60 players, of which only TWO had right shots. One D (Karlsson) and one forward (Hornqvist).

A left handed playmaker is really helped by having a right shooting D on his unit. When that center comes out of the right corner, like they do so often, that R shot is always a option. If you got a left shot on the right point, the center just gets much less room. Sweden have Bäckström, Hank Sedin and Zetterberg, and only one right shooting D... If Karlsson is hurt, they have none.

Sweden have three right shooting Ds that I can think of are options besides Karlsson: Adam Larsson, Anton Strålman and David Rundblad.

If Alfie plays, he is atleast an option on the right point. But with room to pick 8 Ds, I'd pick another right D.
 
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