Team USA vs Team Sweden for upcoming Four nations

[Regal]

I am surprised to see how much better the US team is in the poll result. I guess swedish hockey is doing pretty poorly these days.


Sweden lost their top 3 Centers in the tournament...Backstrom, Zetterberg and H Sedin...

Sure that’s fair. Though the point was more about how the US did in the tournament than Sweden since the poster was suggesting that the US always sucks in best on bests. They played really well despite the 4th place finish and things could have been different if the bracket lined up differently.

 

[Janvonpobben]

Sure that’s fair. Though the point was more about how the US did in the tournament than Sweden. They played really well despite the 4th place finish and things could have been different if the bracket lined up differently.

Sure and Sweden could had played better if not hit with injuries on our top players.

At the end of the day, the ones playing the best hockey might not end up as the best team. That's sports for you.

 

[MNRube]

Matthews is friends with Keller who deserves to be on the team and they'd probably have good chemistry. Eichel and J. Hughes are tough to find the right linemates for. Q. Hughes and Fox are the powerplay guys so they don't need Carlson and probably take someone that can PK instead.

Keller - Matthews - M. Tkachuk
Miller - Eichel - Boeser
B. Tkachuk - J. Hughes - Guentzel
Kreider - Larkin - Boldy
P. Kane, Connor, Robertson

Q. Hughes - McAvoy
Slavin - Fox
McDonough - Trouba
Hanifin, S. Jones, Werenski, Sanderson, Carlson

Swayman
Hellebuyck
Demko, Oettinger

Trouba’s spot will be Faber’s. He’s a better player by a mile and his GM is building the team.

Hughes - McAvoy
Slavin - Fox
Sanderson - Faber

Jones, Trouba and Carlson have zero business anywhere near this team. I’d rather have McDonagh than Werenski as the alternate but that’s just me

 

[Regal]

Sure and Sweden could had played better if not hit with injuries on our top players.

At the end of the day, the ones playing the best hockey might not end up as the best team. That's sports for you.

Right. Again, the post isn’t related to team Sweden though.

 

[HFpapi]

USA probably has the best on-paper roster in the world and I say this as a Canadian.

US always had good top-end talent but would have to fill their rosters out with guys like Dubinsky, Callahan, Langenbrunner, etc. Good players no doubt but not elite.

Now the OP's roster doesn't even include guys like T. Thompson, Connor, Guentzel, Keller, DeBrincat etc. Insane depth and elite talent at every single roster position.

 

[NyQuil]

USA is the only team on Canada's tier IMO on paper. They may be more well-rounded than Canada as well.

I wouldn't be surprised if they won the whole thing.

 

[Miro4Norris]

Team Sweden. I have a ton of faith in Ullmark, and I think the Hedman-Karlsson pairing would be phenomenal.

They just had Hedman-Karlsson + Dahlin, Brodin, Pettersson in worlds. They were terrible in playoff rounds

USA is easily better on paper. But Sweden and Finland can easily challenge the North Americans with a good game

 

[SillyRabbit]

USA is absolutely stacked.

Team Sweden has a lot of talent and should be fun to watch but USA should be penciled in for the finals.

 

[Janvonpobben]

USA is absolutely stacked.

Team Sweden has a lot of talent and should be fun to watch but USA should be penciled in for the finals.

Good thing hockey games isnt won on paper because mens team certainly hasnt been having any succes with that lately

 

[Three On Zero]

USA looks better on paper but I wouldn’t underestimate that Swedish roster

 

[Coffees]

There hasn’t been a best on best tournament since 2014 lol

Still though

USA looks better on paper but I wouldn’t underestimate that Swedish roster

@Sasha Orlov

 

[Machinehead]

Sweden's defense is really concerning in a tournament at this level. Hedman and Karlsson aren't really good anymore.

 

[Three On Zero]

Sweden's defense is really concerning in a tournament at this level. Hedman and Karlsson aren't really good anymore.

Was Karlsson ever a good defender?

 

[Machinehead]

Was Karlsson ever a good defender?

Probably not, but he definitely impacted the game in his prime in a way arguably nobody else did. He's not that anymore, and I would argue he's probably still a net positive.

Hedman is an even bigger problem. EvolvingHockey rates Hedman in the 2nd percentile defensively over the last three years.

And his reputation is such that he's going to be out there doing that for a ton of minutes. Not only that, but this lineup has him playing with Karlsson, which is a distinct possibility, and it would be like killing a 5 on 3 in their own zone.

If they fed those minutes to Forsling, who is excellent defensively and could make a good pair with Karlsson, they'd be in much better shape.

 

[Three On Zero]

Probably not, but he definitely impacted the game in his prime in a way arguably nobody else did. He's not that anymore, and I would argue he's probably still a net positive.

Hedman is an even bigger problem. EvolvingHockey rates Hedman in the 2nd percentile defensively over the last three years.

View attachment 903422

And his reputation is such that he's going to be out there doing that for a ton of minutes. Not only that, but this lineup has him playing with Karlsson, which is a distinct possibility, and it would be like killing a 5 on 3 in their own zone.

If they fed those minutes to Forsling, who is excellent defensively and could make a good pair with Karlsson, they'd be in much better shape.

Prime Karlsson and Hedman would be a paring made in heaven, currently it would be a train wreck

 

[Drew4u]

This is not a good comparison. It woule be better to compare the U.S with Canada. If the U.S lost to that roster it would be a massive upset.

 

[JohanFranzenstein]

The US defense is smothering. It will be hard to get anything going against those pairs.

 

[bringbacktheskate604]

Nylander is going to play center? Also, I think Eriksson-Ek should be higher. I think Sweden coaching staff are going to lean on him more than Petey or Willy. He is really good.

Nah EP is coming into this season focused and pissed. Apparently he's been like radio silence and just focusing on getting ready for the season.

 

[Janvonpobben]

This is not a good comparison. It woule be better to compare the U.S with Canada. If the U.S lost to that roster it would be a massive upset.

"Massive"

Talk about hyperbole. US men always choke when it matters.