Welcome to Olympic hockey! While our focus at All About the Jersey remains largely on the Devils, some of us will be tuned into the international affairs in these two weeks. Before we do that, though, we need to look at each of the teams and what they bring to the table.<\/p>\n
The toughest group of the Men\u2019s tournament in these Olympics, this group features the powerhouse Team Canada, the ever-competing Team Czechia, the new threat of Team Switzerland, and the respectable outsider Team France. Let\u2019s start with Team Canada.<\/p>\n
After winning the Four Nations Face-Off last season, Team Canada looks for Gold on a larger scale in the Olympics. However, they will have two opponents in the Czechs and Swiss who were on the outside of Four Nations and will be looking to bring it to this year\u2019s event. Captained by Sidney Crosby with assistants in Connor McDavid and Cale Makar, Team Canada\u2019s strength lies most in their far superior forward group, especially at center. This is how Team Canada should be lined up<\/a>:<\/p>\n Macklin Celebrini \u2014 Connor McDavid \u2014 Tom Wilson Devon Toews \u2014 Cale Makar Darcy Kuemper As long as this team gets decent goaltending, they are by far the favorite for Gold. Could they have made better choices on the blueline? Yes. Could they have pulled one of Colorado\u2019s goaltenders to replace Binnington? Yes. Even so, it will be very, very difficult to topple a team that features McDavid, Crosby, and MacKinnon on separate lines.<\/p>\n Team Czechia was dealt a brutal blow when they learned that former Devil Pavel Zacha will be unable to play in the tournament due to injury. Still, the Czechs have some very, very good forwards and a respectable defense, so they should be in a good position to push on to the playoffs. They are captained by one-time NHLer and longtime Czech Captain Roman Cervenka, with assistants in David Pastrnak and Radko Gudas. Here is how they are lined up<\/a>:<\/p>\n Martin Necas \u2014 Tomas Hertl \u2014 David Pastrnak Radim Simek \u2014 Filip Hronek Lukas Dostal The loss of Zacha really stings the Czechs down the middle, but they still have the advantage of mostly carrying players who have played or are currently playing in the NHL. Former NHLers include Sedlak, Tomasek, Kempny, Rutta, Simek, and Kundratek. Jiri Tichacek is an undrafted defenseman in the Finnish Liiga, while Matej Strasnky was drafted in 2011 but never played in the NHL. They will have to wear opposing teams down to open up ice for that top line to score.<\/p>\n Finally, we are getting to our New Jersey Devils at the Olympics. Team Switzerland features three New Jersey Devils, who should all be getting top minutes in this tournament. I look at Switzerland as a bit of a dark horse in this tournament, featuring some really high-end players and a national program that really wants to prove their worth. They are captained by the Swiss legend Roman Josi, and his assistants will be rotated between Kevin Fiala, Nico Hischier, Nino Niederreiter, and Andrea Glauser. Here\u2019s how Team Switzerland is lining up<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kevin Fiala \u2014 Nico Hischier \u2014 Timo Meier Jonas Siegenthaler \u2014 Roman Josi Akira Schmid Unlike the Czechs, the depth of the Swiss team is made up entirely of European professionals, with no NHLers or former NHLers beyond their third line or second pairing. It will be interesting to see how much of an impact coaching and team leadership can make here. For Devils fans, however, all eyes will be on Hischier alongside Timo Meier and Jonas Siegenthaler. Nico is feeling it going into the Olympics, despite his recent illness, while Jonas Siegenthaler and Timo Meier have had very difficult seasons. If they play well here, how might they carry that into the rest of the NHL season?<\/p>\n Captained by former NHLer Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, the French team is not expected to advance past the group stage. In addition to the awesome defensive center Bellemare, the French defense is led by 35-year old former New Jersey Devil Yohann Auvitu. Up front, the French have current Montreal Canadien Alexandre Texier on the wing and former NHLer Stephane Da Costa at center behind Bellemare. Their hopes will largely hinge on keeping games low-scoring, though I do not expect them to pull off any wins against the other Group A teams.<\/p>\n A bit of a weaker group than A, Group B\u2019s most talented roster comes from Team Sweden. They are joined by a regional national rival in Team Finland, who has a lot of NHL talent but really wins these kinds of tournaments through discipline, cooperation, and grit. Eyes should also be on Team Slovakia, who medaled for the first time ever in 2022 with the help of some youngsters who now find themselves rising in the NHL. The hosting Team Italy rounds out the group. Let\u2019s start with the Swedes.<\/p>\n The Swedes are captained by Gabriel Landeskog, joined by veteran defensemen Victor Hedman and Erik Karlsson. Two Devils, Jesper Bratt and Jacob Markstrom, are on the team. However, it is unclear how much of a role either will take, as it seems that their national team has noticed their struggles this season. Bratt interchanged rushes in practice with Filip Forsberg, so we\u2019ll see how the actual lineup shakes out.<\/a><\/p>\n Adrian Kempe \u2014 Joel Eriksson Ek \u2014 William Nylander Gustav Forsling \u2014 Rasmus Dahlin Filip Gustavsson Team Sweden is the first team here that I take real issue with in terms of lines. Namely, is Pontus Holmberg really holding down a lineup spot here? Alex Wennberg can easily play center, and I even wonder whether Zibanejad should be centering a line over Elias Pettersson for the third line. Still, these lines can shift around depending on whether Jesper Bratt ends up dressing, as he would presumably shift some players down the lineup. If Bratt was not playing his personal worst hockey in five seasons, he\u2019d be an easy lock for the top line over Adrian Kempe.<\/p>\n Captained by Mikael Granlund, the Finns have one of the most well-rounded, two-way teams in the tournament, though they lack some of the high-end scorers (aside from Mikko Rantanen) that other nations bring. This team does not feature any Devils, though it does have a recent one in Erik Haula. Let\u2019s look at their lines:<\/p>\n Mikael Granlund \u2014 Roope Hintz \u2014 Mikko Rantanen Essa Lindell \u2014 Miro Heiskanen Juuse Saros Team Finland is a solid group, never to be underestimated. I have them as a solid second-best behind Team Sweden in Group B, but they cannot be counted out of the medal hunt. If Mikko Rantanen scores a ton of goals, or if Miro Heiskanen plays 30 minutes per match at the top of his game, and Juuse Saros turns back the clock a little bit, they can go far.<\/p>\n Headlined by the rising NHLers Juraj Slavkovsky and the Devils\u2019 very own Simon Nemec, the Slovaks are looking for their first medal with NHLers present at the tournament. They are captained by former New Jersey Devil Tomas Tatar (who probably still would have been a better choice for our bottom six than most of his replacements this season), and I expect them to take nothing for granted, bringing the battle to their opponents. Let\u2019s look at their lines<\/a>.<\/p>\n Juraj Slafkovsky \u2014 Adam Ruzicka \u2014 Tomas Tatar Martin Fehervary \u2014 Simon Nemec Adam Gajan Slovakia should at least play some good hockey in the tournament, but they are not very likely to medal. Still, I have high hopes that Simon Nemec gets some confidence from getting a ton of ice time and a top scoring role for the team. And, if I do happen to see them play, it\u2019s always good to see Tomas Tatar on the ice.<\/p>\n The players on Team Italy are certainly excited to play in front of their home country, but, like France, they are not expected to advance. Unlike France, they have no players who have played in the NHL, though some have been drafted by NHL teams. Their key to upsets will be purely through opponents underestimating them, but it will be hard to beat a stacked Swedish team, a super-disciplined Finnish team, and a rising Slovak team.<\/p>\n By far the weakest group of these Olympics, Group C is headlined by Team USA. They are joined by Team Latvia, who have a handful of NHLers but are not quite as strong as they may have been in the past. Perhaps rising above Latvia this season could be Team Germany, who feature the best individual player in the group, while Team Denmark makes their second-ever appearance in Olympic hockey. Let\u2019s start with our very own team.<\/p>\n My takes on Team USA this year are bathed in cynicism and doubt. After leaving Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield behind, I have had little faith in national GM Bill Guerin, whose choices have largely seemed to revolve around appeasing head coach Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers. Let\u2019s take a look at their lines<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jake Guentzel \u2014 Auston Matthews \u2014 Matt Boldy Quinn Hughes \u2014 Charlie McAvoy Connor Hellebuyck There is no world in which J.T. Miller is a better player at this moment than Clayton Keller. Miller and Trocheck should not have even sniffed the national team with their play this season. And if they give a perennial underperformer in Connor Hellebuyck starts in goal, this could be a very disappointing year. They are already missing two of their best goal scorers due to bad roster decisions, so they will need to hope that their still-great defense (though without Adam Fox, who is injured and could not replace Seth Jones) just controls the puck for entire games. Quinn Hughes can do that for you.<\/p>\n Jack Hughes, however, is returning from his lower-body injury after playing some rough games with a compromised hand after the Devils\u2019 Chicago steakhouse accident. I would certainly prefer him at center, but Guerin and Sullivan are valuing size first for this team despite the Olympics\u2019 stricter rules on fighting and physicality. Hopefully, the no-backcheck J.T. Miller and the still-very good Brock Nelson can finish more of Jack\u2019s passes than Auston Matthews did last year at Four Nations.<\/p>\n Team Latvia has a great chance to advance to the playoffs this year because of the weakness of this group. They are Team USA\u2019s first matchup, and they have a few NHLers to lean on in the tournament. Let\u2019s take a look at those lines<\/a>:<\/p>\n Sandis Vilmanis \u2014 Zemgus Girgensons \u2014 Eduards Tralmaks Kristians Rubins \u2014 Uvis Balinskis Arturs Silovs Per the team itself<\/a>, a player to watch is the young Alberts Smits, who is 2026 Draft Eligible as the second-ranked international skater by NHL Central Scouting. The veterans of this team, Girgensons, Blueger, and Merzlikins, will be looking to build Smits up and put the team in a position to win by bringing their experienced games to the ice. From the linked NHL.com article:<\/p>\n \u201cOur young kids are growing and they\u2019re doing good things and we\u2019re putting our name on the map,\u201d Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins<\/a> said. \u201cNow opponents like Canada, the Americans or others like Sweden, Finland, they look at us with another perspective, and they know we can win. We battle and we\u2019re going to fight until the end.\u201d<\/p>\n Team Germany might have the best player outside of Connor McDavid, and their roster does not end there. The Germans bring an offense-first roster, built largely around NHL forwards. They have Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stutzle, JJ Peterka, Lukas Reichel, Nico Sturm, Tobias Rieder, Dominik Kahun, bringing a solid mix of NHLers and former NHLers to the table. However, they only have one NHLer on the blueline in Moritz Seider, presenting a potential weakness. In net, they will have Philipp Grubauer, carrying two European professionals as backups in Maximilian Franzreb and Mathias Niederberger.<\/p>\n So far, Team Germany\u2019s lines have not been reported. If I see them, I will insert them here. But expect to see some fun hockey from Draisaitl, Stutzle, and Peterka.<\/p>\n
Mitch Marner \u2014 Sidney Crosby \u2014 Mark Stone
Brad Marchand \u2014 Nathan MacKinnon \u2014 Nick Suzuki
Brandon Hagel \u2014 Bo Horvat \u2014 Sam Reinhart
Extras: Sam Bennett and Seth Jarvis<\/p>\n
Josh Morrissey \u2014 Colton Parayko
Travis Sanheim \u2014 Shea Theodore
Extra: Drew Doughty<\/p>\n
Logan Thompson
Jordan Binnington<\/p>\n
Ondrej Palat \u2014 David Kampf \u2014 Ondrej Kase
Roman Cervenka \u2014 Lukas Sedlak \u2014 David Tomasek
Matej Stransky \u2014 Radek Faksa \u2014 Dominik Kubalik
Extras: Filip Chlapik, Jakub Flek<\/p>\n
Michal Kempny \u2014 Radko Gudas
Jan Rutta \u2014 David Spacek
Extras: Jiri Tichacek, Tomas Kundratek<\/p>\n
Karel Vejmelka
Dan Vladar<\/p>\n
Nino Niederreiter \u2014 Pius Suter \u2014 Philipp Kurashev
Sven Andrighetto \u2014 Denis Malgin \u2014 Christoph Bertschy
Simon Knak \u2014 Calvin Thurkauf \u2014 Damien Riat
Extras: Ken Jager, Sandro Schmid<\/p>\n
JJ Moser \u2014 Tim Berni
Dean Kukan \u2014 Michael Fora
Extras: Andrea Glauser, Chirstian Marti<\/p>\n
Reto Berra
Leonardo Genoni<\/p>\n
Jesper Bratt \/ Filip Forsberg \u2014 Elias Lindholm \u2014 Lucas Raymond
Elias Pettersson \u2014 Mika Zibanejad \u2014 Rickard Rakell
Gabriel Landeskog \u2014 Pontus Holmberg \u2014 Alexander Wennberg \/ Marcus Johansson<\/p>\n
Victor Hedman \u2014 Rasmus Andersson
Phillip Broberg \u2014 Erik Karlsson
Extras: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Hampus Lindholm<\/p>\n
Jesper Wallstedt
Jacob Markstrom<\/p>\n
Artturi Lehkonen \u2014 Sebastian Aho \u2014 Teuvo Teravainen
Eetu Luostarinen \u2014 Anton Lundell \u2014 Kaapo Kakko
Joel Armia \u2014 Erik Haula \u2014 Eeli Tolvanen
Joel Kiviranta, Kasperi Kapanen<\/p>\n
Olli Maattaa \u2014 Henri Jokiharju
Niko Mikkola \u2014 Rasmus Ristolainen
Mikko Lehtonen, Nikolas Matinpalo<\/p>\n
Joonas Korpisalo
Kevin Lankinen<\/p>\n
Adam Liska \u2014 Dalibor Dvorsky \u2014 Libor Hudacek
Milos Kelemen \u2014 Martin Pospisil \u2014 Pavol Regenda
Samuel Takac \u2014 Matus Sukel \u2014 Oliver Okuliar
Extras: Peter Cehlarik, Lukas Cingel<\/p>\n
Martin Gernat \u2014 Erik Cernak
Martin Marincin \u2014 Peter Ceresnak
Extras: Michal Ivan, Patrik Koch<\/p>\n
Samuel Hlavaj
Stanislav Skorvanek<\/p>\n
Brady Tkachuk \u2014 Jack Eichel \u2014 Matthew Tkachuk
Kyle Connor \u2014 Dylan Larkin \u2014 Tage Thompson
J.T. Miller \u2014 Brock Nelson \u2014 Jack Hughes
Extras: Clayton Keller, Vincent Trocheck<\/p>\n
Jaccob Slavin \u2014 Brock Faber
Jake Sanderson \u2014 Zach Werenski
Extras: Jackson LaCombe, Noah Hanifin<\/p>\n
Jeremy Swayman
Jake Oettinger<\/p>\n
Rihards Bukarts \u2014 Teddy Blueger \u2014 Rudolfs Balcers
Renars Krastenbergs \u2014 Dans Locmelis \u2014 Kaspars Daugavins
Roberts Bukarts \u2014 Oskars Batna \u2014 Martins Dzierkals<\/p>\n
Kristaps Zile \u2014 Janis Jaks
Roberts Mamcics \u2014 Alberts Smits<\/p>\n
Elvis Merzlikins<\/p>\n