Combine rosters outside the big 6 and tell me how they would fare?

[Macbanan]

I'm doing 3: Switzerland + Germany + Denmark.
I don't claim to possess great knowledge on these teams.

Kahun, Draisaitl, Boedker
Fiala, Hischier, Andrighetto
Jensen, Eller, Plachta
Hofmann, Regin, Storm

Josi, Weber
Holzer, Muller
Jensen, Diaz

Grubauer
Berra

They would certainly compete for the gold but my guess would be they'd end up with silver.

Edit: Andersen is not at the WHC

Click to read more...

 

[ViD]

That’s a gold contender there.

Btw, Switzerland is on par with Czech Republic, in my opinion

 

[that is unfortunate]

That’s a gold contender there.

Btw, Switzerland is on par with Czech Republic, in my opinion

Stop. 43 to 13 NHL players, 4 of the top 5 players are Czech, Czechs have a bunch of recent top prospects in Zadina, Necas, Chytil and Hronek and very good prospects like Kaut, Hajek, Dostal, Skarek etc. while the Swiss have nobody.

Switzerland is better than Slovakia right now so they're 7th, a distant 7th.

 

[smitty10]

I don't think Slovakia is good enough to be considered in the top 7 anymore. Too close to Switzerland for them to be a top team. Including players from Slovakia, my team would be:

Meier-Draisaitl-Zuccarello
Tatar-Kopitar-Bjorkstrand
Ehlers-Hischier-Niederreiter
Fiala-Nielsen-Grabner
Eller

Josi-Cernak
Chara-Sekera
Muller-Weber
Kukan

Andersen
Halak
Grubauer

This team would win the tournament.

 

[FiLe]

Switzerland is better than Slovakia so technically they're now a part of the old "top 6" but they're a distant 6.

Which one of Canada, Sweden, Russia, Finland, USA, and the Czech Rep (that's six) is below Switzerland?

 

[smitty10]

That’s a gold contender there.

Btw, Switzerland is on par with Czech Republic, in my opinion

Not even close. Switzerland is on par with Slovakia and will likely surpass them soon. However, the Swiss don't have the high-end talent of Pastrnak, Voracek, Krejci and Hertl. Nor do they have the depth of 34 current NHL players.

 

[thomaspalmer]

I don't think Slovakia is good enough to be considered in the top 7 anymore. Too close to Switzerland for them to be a top team. Including players from Slovakia, my team would be:

Meier-Draisaitl-Zuccarello
Tatar-Kopitar-Bjorkstrand
Ehlers-Hischier-Niederreiter
Fiala-Nielsen-Grabner
Eller

Josi-Cernak
Chara-Sekera
Muller-Weber
Kukan

Andersen
Halak
Grubauer

This team would win the tournament.

Just a heads up: I think the premise of the post was to combine the actual rosters at the WC from the countries outside of the top 6 (not just choose the best players from the remaining countries).

So, many of those players wouldn't qualify as "eligible."

 

[FiLe]

Just a heads up: I think the premise of the post was to combine the actual rosters at the WC from the countries outside of the top 6 (not just choose the best players from the remaining countries).

So, many of those players wouldn't qualify as "eligible."

The OP didn't use solely WHC participants either.

 

[thomaspalmer]

The OP didn't use solely WHC participants either.

Ah. You're correct. Missed that. My bad.

 

[FiLe]

Ah. You're correct. Missed that. My bad.

Gotta say though, your limitation would make this a lot more interesting. After all, this isn't exactly a hypothetical anymore - it's the very thing they did in the last World Cup (barf). So we also know exactly how well such a team could fare.

For those who have forgotten (willfully or naturally), Team Leftovers made the finals.

 

[ViD]

Not even close. Switzerland is on par with Slovakia and will likely surpass them soon. However, the Swiss don't have the high-end talent of Pastrnak, Voracek, Krejci and Hertl. Nor do they have the depth of 34 current NHL players.

Meier, Josi, Niederriter, Hischier are all top level players

 

[SovietWings]

On the other hand, medal count from recent years (2011-2018) looks like this:
Czech Republic - 2 x bronze
Switzerland - 2 x silver
Slovakia - 1 x silver
So, there definitely is an argument for having those teams on same level. But of course, Czech Republic has better record.
And none of those teams had a shot for a medal in best on best tournament (although Slovakia and Switzerland managed it together in the WC 2016).

 

[jonas2244]

This is a discussion which leads nowhere. If you have a look at draft-picks and high-end talent and depth there is no question that CZE is ahead of SUI. But SUI has the better record recently and the games between those two were pretty open. It always a question whats more important to you.

IMHO there is a top-6 and Switzerland is behind that, but is also clearly above the rest right now. But this can change quite fast.

 

[Macbanan]

Just a heads up: I think the premise of the post was to combine the actual rosters at the WC from the countries outside of the top 6 (not just choose the best players from the remaining countries).

So, many of those players wouldn't qualify as "eligible."

The OP didn't use solely WHC participants either.

Oh yes it was my intention to combine only the current rosters but I missed that Andersen didn't play. I think that's the only one. But I didn't specify so people can combine however they like.

 

[Eye of Ra]

austria + germany

reider - drai - kahun
grabner - raffl - vanek
kuhnhackl - komarek - zwerger
macek - sturm - bokk

seidenberg - seidenberg
holzer - seider
muller - muller

greiss
grubaeur

 

[Nexon]

This is a discussion which leads nowhere. If you have a look at draft-picks and high-end talent and depth there is no question that CZE is ahead of SUI. But SUI has the better record recently and the games between those two were pretty open. It always a question whats more important to you.

IMHO there is a top-6 and Switzerland is behind that, but is also clearly above the rest right now. But this can change quite fast.

The Czech Republic depth is rather regressing last 10 years, we still have very good young talents but as you can see on junior and u18 level, few talents cannot drag whole team forward. There are less and less Czech players in NHL, Swiss will catch us eventually pretty soon in this department.

 

[Zenos]

Including players from Slovakia, my team would be.....This team would win the tournament.

That totally depends on what the other (top) nations are sending.
Your team assumes every player is available/uninjured/answers the call. Imagine Canada, Sweden, USA, Russia under the same circumstances... I'm not sure it'd be such a cake-walk for team Europe.

 

[Namejs]

Even if you don't use any of the big 6+2 (Switzerland + Slovakia), you still get a pretty decent team

Ehlers - Draisaitl - Zuccarello
Boedker - Kopitar - Dawes
Bjorkstrand - Nielsen - Grabner
Da Costa - Eller - Balcers
Kahun, Blueger

Dietz-Dallman
Larsen-Holzer
Bailen-Holøs
Seider

Grubauer
Andersen
Merzlikins

It's kind of weird how few homegrown elite defencemen are among the 2nd tier countries. Actually, there are none.

But, yeah, definitely a gold medal contender despite the mediocre D.

 

[Nexon]

Even if you don't use any of the big 6+2 (Switzerland + Slovakia), you still get a pretty decent team

Ehlers - Draisaitl - Zuccarello
Boedker - Kopitar - Dawes
Bjorkstrand - Nielsen - Grabner
Da Costa - Eller - Balcers
Kahun, Blueger

Dietz-Dallman
Larsen-Holzer
Bailen-Holøs
Seider

Grubauer
Andersen
Merzlikins

It's kind of weird how few homegrown elite defencemen are among the 2nd tier countries. Actually, there are none.

But, yeah, definitely a gold medal contender despite the mediocre D.

Seider has potential to become NHL top defenceman.

 

[MaxV]

Comparing country's strength based on number of NHL players is a bit of a flawed logic, but I do agree that at this point Czech Republic is ahead of the Swiss.

Czechs also have some decent talent in Europe.

 

[swissexpert]

Counting all aspects as domestic league, NHLers, WJC, WC etc.


#6 Czech Rep
#7a Switzerland
#7b Slovakia
#9 Germany

Not really debatable imo.

 

[Namejs]

Counting all aspects as domestic league, NHLers, WJC, WC etc.


#6 Czech Rep
#7a Switzerland
#7b Slovakia
#9 Germany

Not really debatable imo.

Switzerland is clearly superior to Slovakia in almost every respect. The domestic league is incomparably better, the national team is clearly better and the Swiss roster has a lot more depth.

There's no need for this 7a 7b joke. The only thing separating Germany and Slovakia is more Slovakian top-end talent, but that is probably going to change in 5 years or so and Germany is going to overtake them.

 

[Gereth]

On the other hand, medal count from recent years (2011-2018) looks like this:
Czech Republic - 2 x bronze
Switzerland - 2 x silver
Slovakia - 1 x silver

That was quite convenient to start at 2011. Guess what happened in 2010.

 

[geisterpanthers]

For me its a Top 5 right now rather than Top 6. Czechs are clearly behind the rest. IMO Switzerland is closer to the 6th place than the Czechs are to the worst of the big 5. Slovakia is clearly behind Switzerland and not much better than Germany at all. Not far behind them are Danmark, they really got an impressive amount of NHL players.
It's like a first tier of 5 and a 2nd tier of another 5 teams.

 

[FinnishSniper]

Stop. 43 to 13 NHL players, 4 of the top 5 players are Czech, Czechs have a bunch of recent top prospects in Zadina, Necas, Chytil and Hronek and very good prospects like Kaut, Hajek, Dostal, Skarek etc. while the Swiss have nobody.

Switzerland is better than Slovakia right now so they're 7th, a distant 7th.

Honestly though, when Finland plays the Swiss I’m way more anxious than when we play the Czech