The Olympics are almost here with the opening ceremony set to begin on Thursday. Of all the winter events scheduled to take place in Sochi, ice hockey unquestionably stands out above all else for most male sports fans.
While the global landscape for basketball has changed over the years to create more parity currently, the United States has generally dominated the competition. Hockey, on the other hand, features several nations which are regularly in the mix to contend for gold, and that will be the case again this season.
Four years ago we witnessed an incredible gold medal game between the U.S. and Canada. Both clubs are prime contenders again this year, along with a few other elite teams who could all mix it up in the quest to be the world champion. We’ll handicap the field for you and try to break down the major players in what should be a great tournament.
Canada (+200)
This is still the most talented team in the world and it begins with the goalie position. Roberto Luongo has struggled to achieve greatness in Vancouver thanks largely in part to a below average supporting cast and weak offense that has failed to get it done in the playoffs.
But Luongo’s incredible skill set will be front and center in an Olympic setting, especially given the defense in front of him. Drew Doughty of Los Angeles and Duncan Keith of Chicago are stud defenders and Shea Weber of Nashville is not far behind. Throw in the fact that Carey Price is one of the better backup goaltenders in this tournament, and you can get a feel for just how talented this roster is.
The forwards and scoring options this team has is also quite insane. Sidney Crosby, Logan Couture, Ryan Getzlaf, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares and Jonathan Toews are all household names among most NHL fans.
Perhaps most importantly is this team’s combination of youth and experience. This is a very similar roster to what they had four years back and there is nothing wrong with that. Playing in Russia will be a challenge for all opponents, but Canada is as complete as it gets and they should have little trouble advancing deep into this tournament.
Russia (+225)
The Russians are a historical juggernaut but have had recent struggles which are indicative of major question marks for their program. They finished in sixth back in 2010 and fourth just four years prior to that. They medaled in both 1998 and 2002, but a return to greatness will be the expectation here given that they are the home squad for this tournament.
The foursome of Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malki, Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk at the forward position is downright ridiculous. That group is as good as it gets in the game, and it’ll be interesting to see how they work with one another. Malkin and Ovechkin are one on one type of players, but Datsyuk is a consummate playmaker with a tremendous all around skill set.
But this roster is also ripe with talent currently playing in the Russian league, most notably Alexander Radulov. Radulov has already made six appearances in both the World championship events and the 2010 Olympics. He is a high energy player with major scoring ability who should benefit greatly from being around the aforementioned studs on this team.
The major question mark for the Russians will be goaltending. They do not have a top tier talent along the lines of what the U.S., Canada and Sweden bring to the table. Still,Sergei Bobrovsky and Semyon Varlamov are talented guys. Both age 25, they have shown flashes from time to time at the NHL level.
Russia probably needs their goaltending to be top notch given some of their defensive question marks. Alexei Emelin has struggled to come back from a recent knee surgery. Nikita Nikitin is a very talented 27 year old, but he has no prior Olympic experience.
All in all, the talent and scoring potential is undoubtedly there. But this team will likely need to win a game or two with defense, and that could be their biggest concern.
USA (+600)
The “Red White and Blue” have another immensely talented squad heading into the Sochi games. This team has some interesting turnover from 2010, but they are one of the favorites do get to the medal rounds here in 2014.
Bobby Ryan gave this team a big spark in 2010. He scored five goals and had two assists in eight games. Taking his place this time around will be the ultra-talented James van Riemsdyk. Van Reimsdyk has extensive World Junior and World Championship experience, but he has yet to play in the Olympics and the U.S. will need him to show up big.
Ryan Kesler, Joe Pavelski and Paul Stastny are all back for this club at center, but they are also banking on 23 year old Derek Stepan to come up big. Stepan is a speedster who offers them a nice complement to their other pieces, but he will have to prove he can succeed at this level.
Defensively, the yanks will need their young guns to step up as well. Paul Martin and Brooks Orpik are excellent veterans, but they could well struggle in the latter rounds of this tournament given the open-ice talent they will be facing.
John Carlson is a player who could really break out in this tournament. He is an athletic, 6’3 player with decent physicality, and this opportunity should be a true test as to how quickly the youngster is developing.
Goaltender will yet again be a strong point for Team USA. Ryan Miller is one of the best at the position internationally and if he plays like he did back in 2010, this team can go quite far.
Jimmy Howard is playing pretty decent hockey right now and he is capable of providing a good spell option for coach Dan Bylsma to utilize.
Sweden (+400)
The Swedes do not offer a roster as sexy as some of the others listed here, but they have good pedigree and a nice blend of talent and experience.
For starters, having Henrik Lundqvist in net will keep them in most games. Lundqvist is largely regarded as one of the top goalies in the world and rightfully so. He is consistent and savvy and will provide great leadership for this club.
Jonathan Ericsson, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Erik Karlsson and Niklas Kronwall provide good depth at defense in front of Lundqvist. The addition of Johnny Oduya who came on strong in the NFL playoffs a season ago also bodes well for this club. it gives them both a pair of Blackhawks and a pair of Red Wings to utilize on various defensive lines.
Having familiarity with one another is a critical priority in Olympic play, and the forward position provides addition support in that regard. Daniel Alfredsson is a fellow Red Wing and he joins both Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg at the forward spot. That gives this team a total of five Red Wings and, again, continuity is not a bad thing.
The Sedin brothers bring their act from Vancouver to team Sweden as well. Nicklas Backstrom is no slouch either and Carl Hagelin is an exciting young Ranger who could also be due for a big showing in these games.
Sweden is 4-1 to win it all and could be flying under the radar a bit. Their roster has great substance and flexibility and I like this team as a potential play. They might not have what it takes to win it all, but establishing a position on their future could be quite hedgeable in perhaps the semi-finals or finals.
Finland (+1000)
Finland won the Bronze medal back in 2010, and they provide yet another example of a top five international power that is flying under the radar as the festivities in Sochi get under way.
Tuukka Rask came on big time in the playoffs a year ago and he provides a nice option to have at the goalie position here. Rask has no prior Olympic experience, but that could make him ripe for a breakout opportunity as he is the one big name goalie in these games to have yet to fully prove himself at the international level.
This Finnish club in total doesn’t have a plethora of NHL talent, but they have some guys from the Finnish league who already know each other and they have a lot to prove.
Juuso Hietanen is a smaller defender but he is quick and pesky in transition. Jussi Jokinen is a gritty player currently employed by the NHL’s Penguins who can mix it up with regularity.
Kimmo Timonen is 38 and not the biggest specimen in the world, but he will provide leadership for this unit. Olli Jokinen is a similar sort of talent, and he had a nice outing in Vancouver back in 2010.
While it’s possible this Finnish club could build on the momentum they established in Vancouver, they will likely have difficulty navigating their way through this tournament with any ease. Their defenders are mostly undersized and their forwards a bit advanced in age.
I look for them to be competitive, but do not expect them to go as far as they did four years ago.
Czech Republic (+1000)
Another historically strong international hockey program enters these Sochi games with a different sort of roster, and that might not be the worst thing in the world for the Czech Republic.
A 7th place finish in 2010 was weak to say the least, and it was also a far cry from their spirited performances in both 1998 and 2006.
This team has two interesting prospects at goalie in Jakub Kovar and Ondrej Pavelec. Pavelec has been reasonably solid in his young NHL career, but has no international experience in the context of a tournament such as this.
Kovar is also in his mid twenties and is a 2006 draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers. He doesn’t have much in the way of extensive NHL experience, but has shown flashes at times.
Ladislav Smid isa highly intriguing prospect at the defensemen spot. The former 9th overall pick in the 2004 entry draft, he has bounced around a bit in recent years and also played in Europe during the 2012-2013 season.
Michal Rozsival is 34, but has provided great leadership for young Blackhawk defensemen in recent years. He provides leadership and a veteran presence.
This team should be okay on the defensive end, but scoring prowess is another question mark altogether. The two biggest names they have on the roster are Patrik Elias and Jaromir Jagr, and neither player is the guy he once was.
Tomas Plekanec is a blue chip forward who has put together a nice NHL career. He is a captain for this squad and the most veteran international figure they have outside of Jagr.
Ales Hemsky is a former 11th overall pick back in 2001. He has, surprisingly enough, spent his entire career with the Edmonton Oilers and is a guy who should provide serviceable minutes for this offense.
Ondrej Palat could be a factor in this tournament as well. He is a younger player but has come on recently for the Tamp Bay Lightning and could provide playmaking given that most defenses will focus on some of the more veteran forwards on this roster.
i look for the Czechs to improve greatly upon their 2010 effort and contend for a position in the medal rounds. They have some interesting pieces, but they could be a little ways away from doing anything this time around.
Best Bets:
Russia +200
Sweden +400
