SB Nation's 2010 Olympics Hockey Preview

Vancouver Canucks - Nucks Misconduct

Pack Your Bags & Walk To Work

Roberto Luongo (Canada) - Let's get the big one out of the way. The meltdown that was the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino left a bad taste in Lui's mouth. Everyone knows he's been eying these winter games in his own city like a fat kid froths at a cake from 100 yards off. Let the haters hate on him, but he's a lock and we all know it. But the starter? Probably not. Brodeur is still the pony to bet on and his November numbers were ridiculous (8-2-1, 1.67 GAA, .939 S%). Expect Luongo to pass Fleury and be Canada's #2 man between the pipes.

Daniel Sedin (Sweden) - I don't think any other team can offer what Vancouver offers Sweden: an entire scoring line. Daniel had four points in eight games in 2006. And unlike in Vancouver, Daniel won't necessarily have to shoulder the offensive load with guys like Alfredsson, Backstrom, Eriksson, Zetterberg and Holstrom around. And I didn't even have to mention that Forsberg character either.

Henrik Sedin (Sweden) - Yeah, see above. Same deal with points from 2006. Creepy.

Washington Capitals - Japers' Rink

Pack Your Bags

Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin (Russia)

Ovechkin has represented Russia in at least 80 international matches (including eight in the 2006 Turin Olympics), and Semin brings another 50 games of international experience to the table. The two were instrumental in Russia's gold medal win on Canadian soil in the 2008 IIHF World Championship, both finishing in the top six in the tourney in scoring. The only thing that can keep the pair from hunting for a loonie to dig out of the ice in Vancouver is injury.

Nicklas Backstrom (Sweden)

Only three Swedish NHLers have more points than Backstrom since the Caps pivot made his NHL debut, and he'll play an important role in Sweden's bid to repeat as Olympic champs.

San Jose Sharks - Fear The Fin

Pack Your Bags

Evgeni Nabokov:

Evgeni Nabokov is a no-brainer for the Russian team this winter, and will likely be starting between the pipes as he did during their fourth place outing in Turin where he went 5-2 with a 1.34 GAA. His recent success at the 2008 World Championships where Russia won gold, along with his stellar play during the first two months of the 2009-2010 NHL season, also add to his credentials. Competing for his job will be Illya Bryzgalov and Semyon Varlamov, with Nikolai Khabilbulin looking to be on the fringe as of this moment considering he is dealing with back trouble and has not played as well as the aforementioned three. Two veteran netminders should be able to shoulder the immense load on a Russian team expected to play for the gold medal in what stands to be a boisterous Canadian arena. The potential seasoning of Varlamov (along with his excellent play) will be an enticing opportunity for the Russian brass to consider, as it will concurrently set the team up for another bid at the 2014 games in Sochi*.

Patrick Marleau

Coming off a 38 goal year, Patrick Marleau has once again shot the lights out, posting 19 goals and 33 points in 29 games during the 2009-2010 season. Going into Team Canada's development camp last summer it was uncertain whether or not he would be able to crack the squad-- an offseason filled with off-ice extracurriculars concerning his leadership abilities and "heart" in high pressure situations (views that were never shared by this author, nor the majority of readers at Fear The Fin) contributed to that, along with the astonishing depth of the Canadian national team. However, with what's shaping up to be another strong year for Marleau, his inclusion onto the roster is but a phone call away.

St. Louis Blues - St. Louis Game Time

Jay McClement, Canada
With his combination of speed, hard work, determination and Zen-like ability to control his emotions in the game, Silent Jay should pack his bags for Vancouver. And when we say pack his bags, we mean he needs to put his cross country skis and rifle in travel bags so he can participate in the biathlon. Ah, the biathlon. It combines the obscure sports of cross country skiing and shooting. The biathlon requires the participants to ski as fast as they can for long stretches then stop and hit small targets at distance with their rifle. That requires the shooter to slow his breathing and heartbeat to get a steady bead on the target. McClement is perfect for it.

Paul Kariya, Canada
One of the fastest and agile skaters on the Blues with a combination of sparkling moves and aversion to contact, Kariya should pack his bags. And he should make sure to include his skates that have toe picks. Kariya is the perfect ice dancer. Just add sequins.

T.J. Oshie, USA
Backwards hat, check. Frosted hair tips, check. Wild energy, check. Reckless abandon, double check. Oshie will be a hit in freestyle snowboarding, preferably the half pipe. Tell me he's not the prototypical snowboarder. Plus he'd guarantee a sellout and hundreds of screaming 16-year-olds.

Tampa Bay Lightning - Raw Charge

Canada

The problem with picking players for Canada is that Canadians make up over 50% of the players in the NHL. The talent pool is just so large that they could literally field three teams – and have at least two of them medal. So with competition for spots being so fierce, drastic decisions will be made. Guys who would be a shoe-in for any other national team won’t make it on to Team Canada.

In – Steven Stamkos. You’ve got to believe that, with the start he’s had so far this season, he’ll be on the team. And probably as a center (or centre, if you will), which is one of the most competitive positions on the roster. Though, the option may also be there for him to play wing, if necessary. Stamkos has played in a World Juniors Championship and a World Championship.

Bubble – Martin St. Louis. Normally, he’d be on this squad in a heartbeat. But having scored only five goals so far this season, it’s hard to say for sure that he will be. If they’re looking for leadership and a character guy who can contribute in a supportive role, then he will. If they’re looking for just goal scoring, then he won’t. Only the fact that the majority of wingers scoring goals in the NHL this season are left wingers is keeping him in the mix, since Marty plays right wing. He has played for Canada in a World Cup, two World Championships, and on their 2006 Olympic team.

Los Angeles Kings - Battle Of California

Pack Your Bags

Michal Handzus, C, Team Slovakia

Team Slovakia is part of the Big 7 (Canada, US, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia) but I think it's fair to say that they're the weakest of the 7.  They haven't finished higher than 5th place since the Olympics started allowing NHLers play and they're rapidly getting older.  They do have legit NHL talent (Zdeno Chara, Marian Hossa, Lubo!) but they don't quite have the depth of the other squads.  Still, they're a very good team and one of my favorites.

Michal Handzus is a fairly big lock to play for Team Slovakia because he's always played when asked and Slovakia doesn't have very much center depth.  Handzus will likely play 2nd line center and be counted on to fill the same role he fills for the Kings: defensive stopper and big man in front of the net.

Dustin Brown, RW, Team USA

I think I'm most excited about Dustin Brown potentially playing in the Olympics than any other player on the Kings.  Brown has always played in a scoring role for the Kings but he will likely be put in a shutdown role alongside Ryan Kesler and someone else. (David Backes?)  It'll be fun to watch because Brown's natural game seems more suited for a shutdown role than a scoring one.  The times where he comes down and takes a terrible shot won't really be a big deal because he's keeping the puck away from the Ovechkin's and the Nash's of the world.  When Brown isn't counted on for scoring the other parts of his game come out and that's where he shines.  Plus, can you imagine a game where Brown and Ovechkin are banging away at each other (not like that, sicko) with the pride of their nations at stake?  I just got chills.

Philadelphia Flyers - Broad Street Hockey

Team Canada

The pressure is on for the host country. After a disappointing showing in 2006 at Turin that saw Canada come home without a medal, anything less than the gold will be unacceptable north of the border.

• Chris Pronger: There's absolutely no doubt that Pronger will be representing Canada in Vancouver. He's an experienced Olympian, winning the gold with Canada at Salt Lake City in 2002. He also played for his country in the 2006 Turin games and the 1998 Nagano games, as well as in the 1997 World Championships and the 1993 World Junior Championships. Pronger, along with former Anaheim teammate Scott Niedermayer, will be expected to lead the Canadian blueline. Packing His Bags.
• Mike Richards: It's hard to see how Canada could keep Richards off the roster. The captain of the Canadian team that won the World Junior Championship in 2005, Richards has played internationally on three different occasions. Packing His Bags.

Pittsburgh Penguins - Pensburgh

Sidney Crosby (CANADA) - Canada, who suffered a disappointing 7th place finish in 2006, is eager to add a former scoring champion, NHL MVP and the youngest captain to ever claim the Stanley Cup to the club.  Despite the snub in '06, Crosby's got international experience; he was the youngest player to ever score a goal in the World Junior Championships (WJCs) in 2004 and led Canada to a gold medal in that tournament in 2005.  Crosby also ran with the Olympic torch through his home province of Nova Scotia.  He's the lock of locks to be Canada's #1 center with two strong, sniping power forwards in Rick Nash and Jarome Iginla having the inside track to be the wingers.

Evgeni Malkin (RUSSIA) - The reigning Art Ross and Conn Smythe winner is a surefire Olympian for the formidable Russian team.  Malkin's also a decorated international player: winning two silver medals in the WJC's in 2005 and 2006, and he's played in the World Championships (when not in the NHL playoffs) in 2005 and 2007.  Further, Malkin scored six points in seven games for Russia in the 2006 Olympics in Turin (the season before he came to the NHL).  During the summer he practiced at Russia's orientation camp on a line with Ilya Kovalchuk, which is frightening to think about what those two could put on display.

New York Islanders - Lighthouse Hockey

This Guy Right Here, He's an Olympian

Mark Streit

With all due apologies to David Aebischer, Mark Streit is the face of Swiss hockey on these shores. Be it Olympics or be it the annual World Championships -- where Streit played 10 consecutive tournaments -- Streit is a fixture. He was captain in 2006 (when Switzerland beat Canada and the Czech Republic in group play) and the captain at the World Championships last spring, when I really wish he'd been resting his banged-up body after his first NHL season as a #1 defenseman.

Streit's not only a lock this year (barring injury), he's probably a lock until he gets old and gray, sort of like Petr Stastny was for Slovakia. Why this sort of stinks? As often discussed here, the Islanders blueline is a bit of a weak point, and Streit is their best defenseman, logging the most minutes. I don't relish the thought of him coming back exhausted. Fortunately for the Islanders-centric view, his team is a long shot to make it to the medal round.

Streit might be the only Islander at the Olympics ... but maybe not.

New York Rangers - Blueshirt Banter

Pack your bags:

Marian Gaborik: It should be no surprise that Gaborik will represent his native country of Slovokia for the Olympics. He joins a star stuttered cast along with Marian Hossa, Zdeno Chara, Pavol Demitra and Andrej Meszaros although of the entire team he is by far the most productive thus far this year. Gaborik is at the top in the NHL in goals and second in points and the Rangers couldn't be happier; and neither can Slovokia.

Henrik Lundqvist:  Again this should be no surprise, especially after Lundqvist back-stopped Sweden to a goal medal four years ago in Italy. Lundqvist isn't having the greatest of starts but that is in no way a reflection of his play. He has been his usual all-world self and has kept the Rangers in nearly every game they play. He has been brilliant (even though his numbers wont attest to it) and will be starting for Team Sweden in 2010.

Chris Drury: Yeah a shocker here but what can you say? Drury is having his worst statistical year ever (by a mile) and is doing few things right for the New York Rangers. But on a personal note his face-off prowess and his defensive game along with the potential for him to score big goals (maybe it's the Rangers) puts him on the roster. Plus he brings much needed leadership to the table and after his performance last year in the Victoria cup I'm not going to argue with his international play.

Ottawa Senators - Silver Seven

Pack Your Bags

1. Daniel Alfredsson, Sweden: Alfredsson was an associate captain on Sweden's 2006 gold medal-winning Olympic squad, so you can be sure he'll be there again--and you can be sure he'll be a part of their leadership corps. He's got two silver and two bronze medals in World Championships, and has been on a total of twelve Swedish international teams. You'd better believe he'll be there.
2. Anton Volchenkov, Russia: There's no way the A-Train gets left out of Russia's Olympic roster. In fact, alongside offensive  d-men like Andrei Markov (if he's back from his injury by then) and Sergei Gonchar, you can be sure Volchenkov will be a valuable shut-down defender when Russia is up against the big squads. He'll see plenty of the world's best, you can be sure.
3. Filip Kuba, Czech Republic: Even more so than Volchenkov, Kuba will looked to as one of the Czech Republic's top two defenders, along with Tomas Kaberle. Unlike Volchenkov, though, he will also have to offer some solid offence.

Chicago Blackhawks - Second City Hockey

Pack Your Bags

Patrick Kane (USA) - Kaner is an absolute no-brainer to play for the Americans.  Kane is just one of the many young stars like Phil Kessel, Bobby Ryan, T.J. Oshie, Erik Johnson and maybe even James van Riemsdyk that could be leading the Men's team back to glory (or at least relevancy).  As we've seen throughout this season, few players in the NHL (and therefore the world) can match Kane's vision and IQ out on the ice.  It'll be an uphill battle for the USA team to get to any medal rounds but it's players like Kane that will give them a chance.

Nashville Predators - On The Forecheck

Pack Your Bags!

The most prominent Predators discussed in terms of the Winter Olympics are Nashville's twin towers on defense, Ryan Suter and Shea Weber:

Suter, as has been discussed repeatedly, is the son of Bob Suter, a member of the 1980 "Miracle On Ice" U.S. Mens Team. A steady two-way defender who faces elite opposition every night, Suter's greatest strength is his ability to carry the puck from defensive to offensive zone, and get the attack moving. The U.S. should contend for a medal, and Suter is likely to play a major role on a pretty young American squad.

The roster selection for Team Canada is one of the most-talked about hockey stories this year. In every online projection for which players will don the Maple Leaf, however, you'll see Shea Weber's name listed as a regular on the blueline. He brings that rare combination of reliable defensive work, outstanding offensive production, and brute physical force that franchises dream of building a team around.

New Jersey - In Lou We Trust

PACK YOUR BAGS, VANCOUVER AWAITS!

Zach Parise, LW, USA 

Let's see, top ten NHL scorer, former Gold medal winner for USA from the 2004 World Junior Championships, MVP of the 2004 WJCs, consistently played for USA in the WCs, and the Olympics are being played on a NHL surface. The question shouldn't be whether Parise will be on the team; but how far will he lead the American offense? He's going to be an absolute blast to watch, especially on the smaller ice surface.

Martin Brodeur, G, Canada

Age really is just a number, isn't it?  He went to Team Canada's evaluation camp and the story became, "Brodeur or Luongo?"  Given that Brodeur has superior numbers so far, I think the answer is clear.  While I'll be supporting America in this tourney, let me give a pro-tip to the Canadians about their starter.  If you want to go with youth, go with Marc-Andre Fleury.  If you want to be popular, go with Roberto Luongo.  If you want to win the Gold, consider starting the one goaltender who has actually led Canada to win one in the last 50 years.

Patrik Elias, LW, Czech Republic

Elias won the Golden Stick last year for being the best Czech hockey player in the world.  Surely, the Czechs wouldn't forget about him in Vancouver?  Now that he's healthy, he's showing the NHL why exactly he won it.  His playmaking, offensive awareness, backchecking, and a better-than-decent shot make him an important weapon up front.

Dallas Stars - Defending Big D

Pack Your Bags!

Loui Eriksson (Sweden) - It could be in a third or even in a second line role depending on how the likes of Kristian Huselius and Daniel Sedin play the next month or so, but make no mistake that Loui - who is on pace for another 30 goal season this year - will be joining the defending gold medalists from Turin, Italy.

Karlis Skrastins (Latvia) - This is kind of a no-brainier considering how thin Latvia is in all positions.  Still, as we've seen so far this season Karlis is a very steady defenseman who also doubles as a puck magnet when opposing players take shots.  He's going to be on the team's top pairing, so unfortunately for Stars fans, we can expect him to have a few more bruises on his body after Vancouver.

Detroit Red Wings - Winging It In Motown

Nicklas Lidstrom-   Pack your bags
On the heels of an official announcement about playing for Team Sweden, Lidas can now be officially added to this list. Lidstrom will be on the top pair for sure but the question of who his other partner will be still remains.

Henrik Zetterberg-  Pack your bags
No doubt about Zetterberg being on the final roster, one of the best players in the NHL will surely be on top line for Team Sweden. Zetterberg is will likely be a set-up man for either winger and be able to contribute a great bit defensively and in the faceoff circle.

MrNorrisTrophy has an incredible preview up, so be sure to check it out.

Edmonton Oilers - The Copper & Blue

Pack Your Bags

Lubomir Visnovsky will be on the first pairing for Slovakia, along with Zdeno Chara.  They are a highly skilled bunch and have a goalie that could knock a major power from the tourney.  Visnovsky will run the power play and use his skating ability and underrated agility to launch the Slovakian attack.  They open with the Czechs, the boys that bounced Slovakia last time around.

Patrick O'Sullivan will likely draw in on the third line alongside Scott Gomez and Bobby Ryan.  O'Sullivan has a game that will do well on the big sheet, now, if he could only score goals.

Columbus Blue Jackets – The Cannon

Rick Nash (Canada) – Pack Your Bags
There is almost no way, outside of injury, that Nash will not be a member of Team Canada. In fact, he is penciled in by most as the man riding shotgun to Sidney Crosby. Nash has plenty of international experience in his young career, including being a member of the 2006 Olympic Team, which failed miserably. He is a more mature and complete player now, and will look to be an offensive leader for the Canucks at home in Vancouver. My favourite Nash goal at an international tournament didn’t take place at the Olympics, it was at the World Championships, but here it is anyway

Colorado Avalanche - Mile High Hockey

Team USA

Craig Anderson was not invited to Team USA's orientation camp in August (Tim Thomas, Ryan Miller and Jonathon Quick got the nods), but his strong play to date has to put him in contention to make the roster. Fairly Safe Bet

Paul Stastny did attend the orientation camp and figures to have a solid chance at making the roster. Fairly Safe Bet

John-Michael Liles was not one of the 12 defensemen named by Team USA GM Brian Burke, so it would seem doubtful that Liles will get a chance to repeat his 2006 Olympic participation. Work To Do

Buffalo Sabres - Die By The Blade

Pack Your Bags

Ryan Miller

I'm not breaking any news by announcing that Ryan Miller will be selected to play for the USA at the Olympics. Miller will not only make the team but he is a near lock to start for the USA. Tim Thomas will also get a look for the United States but any fool can see what Miller has done this season. Millsie, as his teammates call him, is off to the best start of his entire career and although the season is only half over, has been mentioned as a Vezina candidate in some circles.

Jochen Hecht

There is no way to confuse the season MIller is having with the season Jochen Hecht is having but both are a lock to play in the Olympics. Hecht is a sure bet to represent Germany at the Olympics because they are still growing the sport of hockey in Germany. There are plenty of good players that hail from Germany, including German Coach and ex-Sabres defenseman Uwe Krupp, but they don't have enough depth to consider leaving a player like Hecht off the squad.

Calgary Flames - Matchsticks & Gasoline

Jay Bouwmeester - "Pack your bags"

There are lots of great defenders to choose from for Team Canada, but it's hard to argue against Jay Bouwmeester's inclusion: not only is he capable at both ends of the ice, he's regularly been a league leader in terms of ice time for the last several seasons. He's frequently played against the best in the business during his career and only recently turned 26 years old.

Jarome Iginla - "Pack Your Bags"

Iginla is not only a sure thing to make team Canada, but most expect him to be it's captain. Recently named as one of the best players of the last decade by Puck Daddy, Jarome's 12 goal month has re-solidified his claim to a place on the club. As such, Vancouverites will get to the experience the unfamiliar feeling of cheering for an effectual captain for once this winter.

Carolina Hurricanes - Canes Country

Pack Your Bags:

Joni Pitkanen

The defenseman has been injured a lot this season for the Canes, but if he is healthy he should be a no-brainer addition for Team Finland.

Tuomo Ruutu

Ruutu put up career best numbers last season, has started out this season with a bang, and is another easy selection for Team Finland.

Jussi Jokinen

The skilled winger was supposedly a borderline case during the summer, but his solid start to this season should push him over the bubble and into the lineup for Team Finland.