Alessandro Seren Rosso
Registered User
Let's talk about the next Olympics. How will Russia look then?
Talent-wise Russia will probably be worse in 2018 than it is now.
Datsyuk and Markov will not be there. They will be 40 in 2018.
Kovalchuk will be 35 in 2018 then and his career is slowing down due to injuries. I doubt he will play.
Ovechkin will be 33 and Malkin will be 32 in 2018. They should still be around in 2018 but they will probably have declined from their current form.
Radulov will also be 32 and he should still be around. He is playing a less grueling style of play in the KHL which should help the longevity of his career. But Radulov is neither going to improve, but rather decline.
Hopefully Kuznetsov can turn his career around because Russia is going to need him. He is better and more talented than Tarasenko, who I don't think will ever be an impact player for national team. Nichushkin is a big question mark. I don't know if he will turn into a new superstar or just a solid power winger. But he should be a key player for Russia in 2018, because Russia does not have too many young wingers to select with.
Anisimov will be 30 and should be a serviceable player for Russia in 2018. Hopefully he will be nothing more than a 4rd line center though, but that would require one or two centers to come from 1995-1998 age groups who are good enough to play ahead of Anisimov.
Defenders Tyutin, Nikulin and Medvedev will (hopefully ) be gone by 2018. Russia is desperate for good young defensemen. Emelin and Nikitin will be 32 in 2018 and could crack the roster. Maybe Belov too, who will also be 32 then (1986 was a great age group for Russia).
Zadorov and Voynov should play in leadership roles. Hopefully Kulikov and Orlov have managed to turn their careers around. They will be in their prime in 2018.
But you have to admit that this defense looks shaky and Russia needs Zadorov and one or two more defensemen from 1995-1998 age groups to really step up before 2018.
Well 4 years ago we didnt think Nichushkin or Tarasenko would make the roster (and maata, vatanen, barkov, etc.) so it's early