Level of players in these Olympics

[Ducks76]

Time for the superleague. NHL vs KHL.

No chance for KHL! Look this Olympics with much KHL-Players has extremly lower level than 2014 ore before with NHL participation. SKA and CSKA are KHL-Premium but the rest isn t better than SHL,Liiga etc..

 

[BigBadBoar]

No chance for KHL! Look this Olympics with much KHL-Players has extremly lower level than 2014 ore before with NHL participation. SKA and CSKA are KHL-Premium but the rest isn t better than SHL,Liiga etc..

I suppose the few top KHL teams could and probably would beat the few bottom NHL teams in a play off series. But overall, NHL has obviously so much higher quality. Especially the bottom KHL teams indeed are nothing great, they are even barely on the level of SHL, Liiga, Czech Extraliga or DEL. NLA is an interesting league, many matches have higher quality than the average KHL matches, because there aren't these bottom feeders, or rather there is max. one such team each season.

 

[Ducks76]

I suppose the few top KHL teams could and probably would beat the few bottom NHL teams in a play off series. But overall, NHL has obviously so much higher quality. Especially the bottom KHL teams indeed are nothing great, they are even barely on the level of SHL, Liiga, Czech Extraliga or DEL. NLA is an interesting league, many matches have higher quality than the average KHL matches, because there aren't these bottom feeders, or rather there is max. one such team each season.

Yes okay! But NLA is overrated too. Many tactical and defense deficit!

 

[Faterson]

Time for the superleague. NHL vs KHL.

I'm sure a world-wide hockey league will happen one day, with an American and a European (Eurasian?!) conference. It might take a few decades, but we'll get there.

 

[Blue prez]

No chance for KHL! Look this Olympics with much KHL-Players has extremly lower level than 2014 ore before with NHL participation. SKA and CSKA are KHL-Premium but the rest isn t better than SHL,Liiga etc..

Actually, KHL top 7-8 are better then european top. But the rest is indeed unspectacular (yet having 10 mil of bucks salary budget)

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

Actually, KHL top 7-8 are better then european top. But the rest is indeed unspectacular (yet having 10 mil of bucks salary budget)

The situation though may be better if C/SKA weren't collecting players. Spreading out a few stars wouldn't change much for them, but will raise the quality for other teams much more.

 

[Blue prez]

The situation though may be better if C/SKA weren't collecting players. Spreading out a few stars wouldn't change much for them, but will raise the quality for other teams much more.

Noo, even 5 years ago it was like this. Overall quality of an average russian KHL player is just to low

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

Noo, even 5 years ago it was like this. Overall quality of an average russian KHL player is just to low

Of course. They suck. Just like everevery o thing regarding Russia, right?

 

[Hanji]

It would depend on the ice surface.
I don't think even the top KHL defenses could hold up on smaller NHL ice. International ice would be a different story. I could envision a St. Petersburg or Red Army making the NHL playoffs if games were played on an international surface.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

I think a KHL All-Star team would do pretty well against NHL competition.
Recent KHL players like Panarin, Radulov, Kovalchuk, Voynov, etc would have no problem performing against any competition. They're world class players.

The problem comes once you get past those elite examples.

 

[Ducks76]

I think a KHL All-Star team would do pretty well against NHL competition.
Recent KHL players like Panarin, Radulov, Kovalchuk, Voynov, etc would have no problem performing against any competition. They're world class players.

The problem comes once you get past those elite examples.

A KHL All-Star teams has no chance vs NHL All Stars. NHL All-Stars are very strong in depth.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

A KHL All-Star teams has no chance vs NHL All Stars. NHL All-Stars are very strong in depth.

Of course that’s why I said NHL competition.

 

[Blue prez]

Of course. They suck. Just like everevery o thing regarding Russia, right?

No, not totally suck. They're just not good enough to provide solid depth - that's why KHL is most polarized league in Europe (alongside NLA, by the way)

 

[Blue prez]

It would depend on the ice surface.
I don't think even the top KHL defenses could hold up on smaller NHL ice. International ice would be a different story. I could envision a St. Petersburg or Red Army making the NHL playoffs if games were played on an international surface.

I think it's a little optimistic. These teams surely can compete at NHL level, but somewhere between the play-off and first pick, regardless of rinks.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Level is very very poor, so crappy tournament. Who ever wins the gold, I don't value it at all.

 

[Troubadour]

It is great actually. Really enjoying the tournament. Really shows that outside the NHL, Canada and the US are way behind the rest of the world. Even Germany, LOL

 

[djpatm]

It is great actually. Really enjoying the tournament. Really shows that outside the NHL, Canada and the US are way behind the rest of the world. Even Germany, LOL

Outside of the NHL?

So outside of the the 1000 best players in the world that have an NHL contract Canada and the US are pretty weak?

Shocking.

 

[Pouchkine]

Those Germans goals were pretty amazing!

 

[Hanji]

Level is very very poor, so crappy tournament. Who ever wins the gold, I don't value it at all.

How is this a very poor level of hockey?

Traditional mid-level teams like Switzerland and Germany regularly play NHL stacked teams at the World Championships and more hold their own with similar rosters like they have in Korea.

This Swiss team that just stunk up the joint againt ‘inferior competition’ was virtually the same roster talented enough to defeat MacKinnon, Vlasic, Giroux, Marner, Point, Couturier, O’Reilly, Schenn and 15 other Canadian NHLers at last year’s Worlds.

 

[NyQuil]

This Swiss team that just stunk up the joint againt ‘inferior competition’ was virtually the same roster talented enough to defeat MacKinnon, Vlasic, Giroux, Marner, Point, Couturier, O’Reilly, Schenn and 15 other Canadian NHLers at last year’s Worlds.

Takes awhile to gel.

That is one advantage this Team Canada had.

 

[VictorLustig]

Level is very very poor, so crappy tournament. Who ever wins the gold, I don't value it at all.

Is it very poor because Canada lost?

Canada sends teams consisting of only NHL players to the WC every year, still they sometimes lose to teams heavy on European based players. The best play in the NHL no doubt, but let's not exaggerate the difference.

 

[Pouchkine]

The German goals today were of VERY HIGH QUALITY!

 

[stampedingviking]

lol really??? c'mon now

She hasn't got a clue about sport unless it's horse racing.

 

[stampedingviking]

Sure, the talent level in the Olympics is "elite" on a global scale compared to Joe Schmoes.. The guys aren't scrubs. However, these Olympics suck. The mystique is completely gone. In America, there's practically no mainstream media or fan interest this year. I'm sure it's different in Europe, and probably Canada. Here, nobody has a clue or cares tbh. My issue is, I don't like how it's a mashup of the amateurs and pros who just happen to be eligible. Instead of taking the absolute best, even if only at amateur level (boxing), it's a mix and match of guys good enough to play who don't happen to be under contract with the NHL. The Olympics are supposed to be about premiere and elite competition, and this is anything but. I used to treat the Olympics as a bonus Stanley Cup Playoff, and watch every game I could. It was just awesome. Not this year though, I just can't get into it.

Blame Bettman and the greed of the owners.

 

[SotasicA]

Level is very very poor, so crappy tournament. Who ever wins the gold, I don't value it at all.

Nah. It's exciting. The whole setup is like from a Rocky movie. The underdog who no-one gave a chance in hell versus the evil (systematically doped up) superpower with 20 Dolph Lundgrens and a propaganda machine.

Lake Placid 2.0