8.Slovakia
Top players: Juraj Slafkovsky (Left Wing), Martin Fehervary (Left Defense), Simon Nemec (Right Defense)
Last time the NHL was at the Olympics they finished last place in there group, even behind Slovenia. 2022 was a big year for Slovakia hockey with winning the bronze medal in the Olympics. In addition to that Slovakian natives Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec where the top two players in the 2022 NHL Entry draft. Despite Slovakia’s recent advancements in developing some promising young players, I don’t see them being a top team this tournament. There are teams with more high-end skill and better depth.
7.Switzerland
Top players: Nico Hischier (Center), Roman Josi (Left Defense), Kevin Fiala (Left Wing)
Switzerland has stronger depth that a few of the teams I have over them. However, while they have some good players, I think their star power is a little thin. I think the lack of pure offense will hold them back from being a top contender in this year’s Olympics
6. Germany
Top players: Leon Draisaitl (Center), Moritz Seider (Right Defense), Tim Stutzle (Center)
While Germany might not have as much depth as most of the other nations, they have high-end skilled players. I expect Germany to rely on their top players, especially Leon Draisaitl quite a bit. While I don’t think they will win gold, I think they could have some success this tournament. It helps that they are in a bit of a weaker group as well.
5. Czechia
Top players: David Pastrnak (Right Wing), Martin Necas (Right Wing), Filip Hronek (Right Defense)
This is around the place on my list where I feel the quality in teams really starts to spike. Czechia has some high-end players that play with great pace and flashiness. They also have some gritty veterans that know how to play in intense situations. While not being as good as the teams ahead of them, this is the kind of team that I can see giving contenders a good run for their money.
4. Finland
Top Players: Miro Heiskanen (Left Defense), Mikko Rantanen (Right Wing), Sebastian Aho (Center)
While this might be a little of a surprise, I came very close to having Finland ahead of Sweden. I think that Finland is a harder team to play against physically and are a more complete team overall. However, the reason I changed my mind last second is that Sweden is a considerably faster team. I think being able to play fast is very important, and that is why I have Sweden just edging them out of third. However, it is close, and in a game between Sweden and Finland I can truly see it going either way.
3. Sweden
Top Players: Rasmus Dahlin (Left Defense), William Nylander (Right Wing), Lucas Raymond (Left Wing)
I have Sweden in third place. While they will be a powerhouse in this tournament, I do see some drawbacks. They lack physicality, especially on the backend compared to the U.S and Canada. Despite this, there is a lot to like. There is a lot of raw talent on this team, and I think they are considerately better than most of the nations competing.
2. United States
Top players: Quinn Hughes (Left Defense), Zach Werenski (Left Defense), Jack Eichel (Center)
The U.S are an extremely stacked team compared to pretty much every nation. There are very few holes on this roster. The strengths are evident. They have great skill and mobility from the backhand, I see the transition game a huge strength. A lot of big, strong players, I see the US being very hard to play against physically. They have several elite goalies. Lastly, they have so many great players on the roster.
1. Canada
Top Players: Connor McDavid (Center), Nathan MacKinnon (Center), Cale Makar (Right Defense)
I see Canada as the front runner to win the Gold Medal. They are stacked from top to bottom. They are fast, physical, and skilled. While goaltending on paper might seem like a weakness Jordan Binnington has proven himself as a top goalie in best-on-best tournaments. The Stanley Cup champion seems to just get better and better as the stakes get higher. I don’t think the other teams will be able to keep up with Canada’s high-end skill.