Predict the teams for Olympics 2014

So in contrast to the predict your team in 6 years, since who knows what player movement will happen, let's do something where we know the players won't get traded. If you had to guess the lines for the Olympics for your country (or any country, if you're so inclined) in 2014 who would you pick?

I'll start with USA:

Kessel-Gomez-Gionta
O'Sullivan-Schremp-Ryan
Higgins-Lewis-Okposo
Brown-Kesler-Umberger
ex: Parise, Bochenski
hm: Fritsche, Gaustad, Cole

Johnson-Johnson
Suter-Komisarek
Ballard-Gleason
ex: Chelios
hm: Welch, Carle

Miller
Dipietro
ex: Howard
hmL Schneider

 

you have to figure there are some guys who hasn't been drafted yet who will make the team(s)

 

XXXX-Crosby-XXXX
XXXX-Staal - XXXX
XXXX-Staal - XXXX
XXXX-Staal - XXXX

Staal-XXXX
XXXX-XXXX
XXXX-XXXX

starting Goalie - Who cares we have the Staals

Coach - Sakic

 

Sweden 2014

I love this guessing games. It's always fun to look back on them a few years later..with very mixed results...

Zetterberg - Bäckström - Pääjärvi
Backlund - Berglund - Möller
D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Bergfors
Steen - A. Sundström - Sjöström

N. Kronwall - V. Hedman
Strålman - Grossman
D. Persson - Tallinder

Lundqvist
Enroth
Idoff

This could be an awesome team if prospects like Backlund, Möller and Pääjärvi develops good. And yet I had to cut some serious talent from the team:
Forwards: C. Söderberg, Loui Eriksson, Robert Nilsson, Påhlsson, Lander, Lagerström, Carning etc...
Defensemen: Öhlund, Bäckman, A. Mylläri, Edler, Rahimi etc.
Goalies: Ridderwall, Daniel Larsson, Gistedt, Modig etc.

Things might look very good for Sweden in 2014!

 

what about viktor hedman

 

i know a few of the forwards but the defence....whoa, no Ohlund, i hope i am thinking of the VAncovour one, if so, then Sweden must be packing some really awesome Defence, which teams are the bolded figures on??

 

LOL Seph! Chelios would be 52!

 

...and...

 

It's almost impossible to predict something 8 years ahead, but I'd have a hard time believing Komisarek, Ballard, or Gleason would make it ahead of Matt Carle.

 

sorry didnt see him.

 

i dont know. he will probably be in the AHL by then. detroit will find out he's to old when he is about 50 and put him on waiwers. dont ask me how he could have cleared waiwers. i have no clue why all the teams passed on such a great player

 

Or Suter.....even the Johnson's perhaps

 

I'll try Canada

Lampman-Trentney-Jones
Fliggington-Spearton-McCaphrey
L'Afflete-Hoffinger-Belacouer
Howardson-Worthy-Mandel

Taxi squad - Trumpman, Goosington

Sleever-L'Abbe
Hortingsmith-Jollifue
Smithers-Burns

Taxi squad - Jockington

Brodeur
Huffrey
Bingaling

I know, I know....Hoffinger over Gorgensmith. I just think 'The Hoff' has better big game upside.

 

There won't be a 2014 Olympics with NHL Players UNLESS the Europeans agree to a) quit excusing themselves for the World Championships and b) The World Cup of Hockey is brought back on a 4 year basis

 

He'll be playing for the Leafs.

 

Maybe, maybe not. It's of course all guesses, really. But personally, I'm not sold on Carle's defense as of yet, hence the other three getting the nod at this point. That can of course change. In truth, many of the hms have as good of a chance as anyone else to make the rosters.

Age can not stop Chelios.

 

He could very well still be good enough for the team. But he will be 37 or 38 by then, so he might be to slow or even retired by then...
Öhlund or Anton Mylläri are the next in line of making the team IMO.

 

good god

thats like asking for the winning lotto numbers for the next year. i will be 44 in 2014 and thinks i could make team USA or team Germany in 2014, since i'm canadian with an american father/grandfather of german origin and obviously not good enough to make team canada

 

The NHL won't be in olympics in 2014.

Once 2010 wraps up they are done with that.

 

I can see Smithers, but Burns? People are talking about how old Chelly will be...

You hafta consider Van Houten in nets. Simpson used to be way better but he's really come on in recent years.

 

Hedman plays for MODO Juniors and is a top prospect for the draft 2009. Anton Strålman born in 86 plays for Timrå in the SEL and Grossman plays for Iowa Stars.

 

I think it really does depend on how Canada or the USA fares at the tournament. I can't see Canada winning in 2010, and then the NHL saying "Okay, no more Olympic tournaments." It would really cheapen the win somewhat for Canada (or USA), since the NHL can arbitrarily decide when it wants to compete at the Olympics. It seems like much of the negativity about the Olympics this time around, from an NHL perspective, resulted from the poor showing of the North American teams. If Canada had won the gold in Turin, I'm not sure whether there would be such angst at competing at the Olympics.

It's remarkable how much the mood of the NHL towards the Olympics changed from 2002 to 2006. 2002 was heralded as a massive moment in Canadian hockey history and a success for hockey period (fans were clamouring for the NHL to change to Olympic rules), and four years later, there is suggestion they want out of the Olympics. I'm guessing, Vancouver will be a success for North American teams, and that the appetite for more Olympic hockey will return.

 

It'll be interesting to see who Christ plays for when he returns.

Seriously, predicting a roster for an Olympics 7 years away is pretty damn impossible especially if it goes back to amateurs.

 

According to HFBoards, he will be playing for Russia, wearing #71.