Rank The 2014 Olympic Hockey Rosters

[Roof-Daddy]

Just on paper, how would you rank the rosters revealed over the last couple weeks?

My rankings:

1. Canada
2. Sweden
3. USA
4. Russia
5. Finland
6. Slovakia
7. Czech Republic
8. Switzerland
9. Austria
10. Norway
11. Slovenia
12. Latvia

1. Canada/Sweden clearly the best two rosters on paper IMO.

2. USA/Russia are neck and neck IMO, but I like the Americans defence and goaltending better.

3. Finland/Slovakia/Czechs are the next pretty even tier as far as I'm concerned, but the Czechs did themselves no favors not selecting the clear cut best players, and they have the weakest goaltending of the three IMO, and the Finns have the best goaltending of the three....thus my rankings.

4. Switzerland is a cut above the rest IMO.

[CaptainYooh]

Finland's team is better than Russian.

[SuperMatt18]

1. Canada
2. Sweden

3. USA

4. Russia
5. Finland
6. Czech Republic
7. Slovakia

8. Switzerland
9. Austria
10. Norway
11. Slovenia
12. Latvia

Canada and Sweden are clearly the top two teams on paper, the USA is a tier below that. Russia, Finland, and Czechs all sending weaker than usual rosters IMO.

In a one game elimination tournament any of the top 6 can win it though, and Finland's holes can be covered up if any of their goalies get hot.

[skudr248]

Latvia won't be last, guaranteed

[Table 5]

I really like that Swedish team, they have a pretty solid line-up all around. With them being perhaps a little more used to international ice as that's what they grew up playing, I would say they might have a slight edge right now against Canada.

Canada on paper, even with some questionable calls, looks like a monster in terms of skaters. Their biggest hole is of course goaltending...which is a pretty damn important hole to have, and the reason why I put them as #2.

My Top 6.

1. Sweden
2. Canada
3. Finland
4. Russia
5. US
6. Slovakia

[19Yzerman19]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Just on paper, how would you rank the rosters revealed over the last couple weeks?

My rankings:

1. Canada
2. Sweden
3. USA
4. Russia
5. Finland
6. Slovakia
7. Czech Republic
8. Switzerland
9. Austria
10. Norway
11. Slovenia
12. Latvia

Yeah I think you nailed it, though everyone after 8th doesn't matter.

[19Yzerman19]

Incidentally, the team from Snublandia would slot in probably 2nd or 3rd.

Forwards
Sean Bergenheim, Finland
Logan Couture, Canada
Claude Giroux, Canada
Taylor Hall, Canada
Patric Hornqvist, Sweden
Jiri Hudler, Czech Republic
James Neal, Canada
Kyle Okposo, USA
Bobby Ryan, USA
Alex Semin, Russia
Eric Staal, Canada
Marty St. Louis, Canada
Joe Thornton, Canada
Radim Vrbata, Czech Republic

Defense
Dan Boyle, Canada R
Jonas Brodin, Sweden L
Mark Giordano, Canada L
Sergei Gonchar, Russia L
Victor Hedman, Sweden L
Jack Johnson, USA L
Brent Seabrook, Canada R
Keith Yandle, USA L

Goalies
Ben Bishop, USA
Corey Crawford, Canada
Cory Schneider, USA

[_Q_]

1. Canada
2. Sweden

3. USA

4. Finland
5. Russia
6. Slovakia

7. Czech
8. Switzerland

9. Austria
10. Latvia
11. Norway
12. Slovenia

Top two teams are clearly Canada and Sweden. I give the slight edge to Canada because of superior forwards and defence, but I think Sweden's goaltending has the potential to steal the show.

I think USA is a tier below those two, but again, they have very strong goaltending.

Finland to me while they don't have the star power of Russia, their defence and goaltending is vastly superior that's why I give them the edge in this group. Slovakia also has a surprisingly solid team on paper with the likes of Chara, Gaborik, Hossa and Halak, they might surprise a few.

The Czech team, to me is a complete disaster. The Swiss team is OK, but they just don't have the depth to compete with the top 6 or 7 in this tournament.

The rest, I really don't know much about, so I just picked teams in order of most to least impact NHL players.

[moon]

1. Canada
2. Sweden

3. Russia
4. US
5. Finland

6. Czech
7. Slovakia
8. Switzerland.

Canada and Sweden a clear level above everyone else. I am not sure that Lundqvist right now is much, if any, step above Price and if he gets hurt the other two guys are awful.

Russia just ahead of US because their top end forwards are amazing and they are at home. I think Russia could ride those top end guys to the final or go out in 7th like last time. US is good but not great. Okay, forwards and defense with goalies that can steal it. They need outstanding goaltending to be anything better than 4th/5th. Finland much like the US needs to rely on its stellar goaltending. The skaters are very underwhelming.

The benefit all second tier teams have is in a one game elimination you can shortened the bench and rely on the top guys a lot more than in a 7 game series. It neutralizes the much better depth that the Swedes and Canadians have to a certain extent. If this were a 7 game elimination tournament I can't see how it wouldn't be Canada-Sweden in the finals.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by _Q_

1. Canada
2. Sweden

3. USA

4. Finland
5. Russia
6. Slovakia

7. Czech
8. Switzerland

9. Austria
10. Latvia
11. Norway
12. Slovenia

Top two teams are clearly Canada and Sweden. I give the slight edge to Canada because of superior forwards and defence, but I think Sweden's goaltending has the potential to steal the show.

I think USA is a tier below those two, but again, they have very strong goaltending.

Finland to me while they don't have the star power of Russia, their defence and goaltending is vastly superior that's why I give them the edge in this group. Slovakia also has a surprisingly solid team on paper with the likes of Chara, Gaborik, Hossa and Halak, they might surprise a few.

The Czech team, to me is a complete disaster. The Swiss team is OK, but they just don't have the depth to compete with the top 6 or 7 in this tournament.

The rest, I really don't know much about, so I just picked teams in order of most to least impact NHL players.

Nailed it with these observations.

[Table 5]

The Czech team always has way too much drama going on. Kind of goes with their personality, but man, they always seem to screw themselves out of good results with self-inflicted melodrama and mind games.

[Fire]

Canada has the best roster on paper, but based on previous results on international ice they should probably be ranked after Sweden, Finland and Russia.

[Locke]

I'd definitely put Russia under Finland.

[Coach]

1. Canada
2. Sweden

3. USA
4. Finland

5. Russia
6. Slovakia

7. Czech Republic
8. Switzerland

9. Austria
10. Norway
11. Slovenia
12. Latvia

I'm even tempted to put Slovakia over Russia, but Russia just has too many gamebreakers, despite the rest of their team.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by MattyC

1. Canada
2. Sweden

3. USA
4. Finland

5. Russia
6. Slovakia

7. Czech Republic
8. Switzerland

...

Ditto

[GirlySports]

ditto Canada and Sweden a clear 1-2. USA 3rd.
Russians and Czechs are a disaster.

[macrov]

Overall:
1 Canada
2 Sweden
3 USA

4 Russia
5 Slovakia
6 Finland

7 Czech
8 Switzerland



Forwards:
Canada
Sweden
Russia
USA
Finland
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Switzerland

Defense
Canada
Sweden
USA
Slovakia
Russia
Czech Republic
Switzerland
Finland

Goaltending
Tier 1: Finland, USA,
Tier 2: Canada, Slovakia
Tier 3: Sweden
Tier 4: Russia
Tier 5: Switzerland, Czech Republic

[macrov]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Finland's team is better than Russian.

Finland looks awful. Their defense is an embarrassment. i doubt they will medal.

[GreenLantern2814]

Canada's defense is going to make the goaltending issue way less of a factor than people think.

Bouwmeester-Pietrangelo
Keith-Weber
Subban-Doughty
Vlasic-Hamhuis

You can't dump the puck in on that group, it'll be like forechecking against the wind. They'll have to carry the puck into the zone, and there isn't a defensive liability among our entire forward group.

1. Canada
2. Sweden
3. USA
4. Russia
5. Slovakia
6. Finland
7. Czech Republic
8. Switzerland

The other nations are irrelevant.

Now I know this is insensitive, but I'd really like to see a Czechoslovakian national team.

[dammage79]

I'll counter Finlands terrible D with the fact they have the best goaltending. If Rask won't get it done, Niemi is right there. Only other country to have comparable goaltending would be the U.S.A but I still give it to Finland. And they can score. Watch for Barkov and Granlund to surprise.

1.Canada
2.Sweden
3.Russia
4.U.S.A
5.Finland
6.Czechs
7.Slovaks
8.Swiss

Why is Russia so high on the charts for me? Home ice advantage and international ice advantage goes to the KHL guys feeding Ovie and Malkin on the big ice. Goaltending is weakest of the superpowers though.