This is a preview for the upcoming World Cup Tourny, it is a team by team analysis including grading, team notes and 3 players from each team to watch (none of the players to watch will be goalies because I think goalies are a given in any game or series).

 

Alberta

 

Forwards: C     Defence: B     Goaltending: C-     PP: C+     PK: B

 

Players to Watch: Eaves, Nylander, Point

 

Team Notes: Good mix of defense, got solid shut down guys in Bouwmeester and Phaneuf but got guys like Spurgeon, Parayko and Greene who can provide some offense from the back end as well. This team features a top line that will have to do all the heavy lifting and that is also why they are our 3 Players to Watch in Eaves, Nylander and Point. The goaltending may be the worst on paper in tourney with Ward, Dell and Irving. The PK has some good high end DF forwards ( Brodziak, Upshall, letestu, Holden) who will play a big role to hold off some of the powerhouse Power Plays in the division.

 

British Columbia

 

Forwards: B-     Defense: B+     Goaltending: A     PP: B-     PK B

 

Players to Watch: Benn, Weal, Weber

 

Team Notes: Bright spot is goaltending with Price and Jones. Blueline is led by Weber, solid shut down D core but has offense coming most likely from just Weber and Reilly. Grant will be leaned on heavily for the forward PK duties being the only 86 DF which then drops down to the next closest guy being 75 DF.

 

Canada

 

Forwards: B     Defense: B     Goaltending: A     PP: B+    PK: B

 

Players to Watch: Marleau, Toews, Getzlaf

 

Team Notes: Big question with this team is yes they grade fairly well across the board however the top players will get spread thin between all the top 6 and special teams time and Conditioning may become an issue as the month goes on. This is a real good shut down D Core but the only Dman with any offense is Severson so for that PP I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few forwards on that blueline which adds to my previous point. Dubnyk and Reimer is a really good tandem.

 

Czech

 

Forwards: B     Defense: B     Goaltending: B+     PP: B-     PK: B-

 

Players to watch: Chara, Pastrnak, Hossa

 

Team Notes: Budaj and Francouz will have to carry this team, their best chance at a win will be low scoring grind it out games. Even the blue line led by Chara is a really good defensive shut down unit but they are not supporting much offense. And for the PK they have not great DF forwards so everything will come down to that blueline and goaltending and if the forward group led by young Pastrnak can produce enough to squeek out some wins.

 

Finland

 

Forwards: B     Defense: B-     Goaltending: A     PP: B-     PK: B-

 

Players to watch: Ristolainen, Laine, Granlund

 

Team Notes: Rinne and Rask are a solid 1a and 1b goaltending set which will come in huge in a series. Outside the net this team is led by youth. We get our first look at high end prospect and what is assumed to be future Kings prospect Laine. They have a real good top 4 D but will have a weaker bottom pairing that which will put a lot more ice time on the top 2 pairings. Another team where conditioning may start to be an issue depending how thin the top players like that blueline are spread around to cover the bottom portion of the roster.

 

Maritimes

 

Forwards: C+     Defense: D     Goaltending: B     PP: B-     PK: C-

 

Players to Watch: Crosby, Marchand, MacKinnon

 

Team Notes: this is a 1 line team but what a line. If they have any success Allen will have to stand on his head and these 3 produce. Probably the worst blueline in tourney with McQuaid being the only defender over 80DF (he 83). When that line is out there they have a chance but the other 65% of the time they are relying soley on Allen.

 

Ontario

 

Forwards: A+     Defense: A+     Goaltending: B+     PP: A+     PK: B+

 

Players to Watch: McDavid, Stamkos, Scheifele

 

Team Notes: All star lineup up front, will be rolling 3 very good offensive lines. Same with the blueline just a solid well rounded group. However the weakness of this team may be the goaltending, don’t get me wrong Murray and Smith is a good Tandem but neither is a top rated guy, imagine they get rotated through round robin until one guy steals the job by quarter finals. The other weaker spot is the PK up font, after Richardson there really isn’t another great DF forward. If Ontario runs into penalty trouble it may be their downfall.

 

Quebec

 

Forwards: C+     Defense: B+     Goaltending: A-     PP: B-     PK: B

 

Players to Watch: Letang, Drouin, Vlasic

 

Team notes: This team’s success is depending on their top 4 Defensemen. Beuachemin, Savard, Letang and Vlasic are the focal point to this squad and the bottom pairing is going to be weak so they will be run hard for ice time and expected to be in charge of both special teams units. They have a very poor supporting cast of forwards in front of them led by young Drouin. Crawford is a very good goalie and Bernier should be a descent backup to him which will be huge to help that top 4 D pairing.

 

Russia

 

Forwards: A+     Defense: B     Goaltending: A+     PP: A+     PK: B+

 

Players to Watch: Malkin, Kucherov, Tarasenko

 

Team Notes: this team can roll 3 probably 4 lines of pure offense and will be most likely using the approach “your best defense is offense”. Bobrovsky, Sorokin and Vasilevsky are all rated like starters and Bobs is the top rated goalie in BRHL coming up. Which is good because they will have to pull up the slack for a lack luster D led by young blueliner Provorov. The weak spot is that blueline mixed with good young youth and older shut down players that have lost a bit of a step in their game with age. The PK will also be interesting because after Kovalchuk and Kalinen there is just no DF forwards.

 

Sweden

 

Forwards: A     Defense: A     Goaltending: A+     PP: A+     PK: B-

 

Players to Watch: Karlsson, Backstrom, Hedman

 

Team Notes: probably the best goaltending set up in tourney. Not the usual King Hendrick but a bunch of top tier guys from the Swedish league in Jonsson, Hogberg and Alsenfelt who are all rated as not just good but top starters. Probably the deepest blueline as well with superstars like Karlsson and Hedman who will probably have guys like Ekholm, Brodin, Klefbolm and Enstrom rotating out that 3^rd pairing. They also have 3 lines they can roll that present a great offensive threat on any shift. Only blemish on this roster is Silverberg is on DF forward over 80DF so they just need to stay out of the box and not get drawn into short handed situations.

 

United States

 

Forwards: A     Defense: A     Goaltending: B     PP: A     PK: A

 

Players to Watch: McDonaugh, Mathews, Eichel

 

Team Notes: We get to see the other sim debut of what is assumed to be the next 1^st overall pick for the Caps in Mathews. Here we have another super deep blue line with like 6 Dmen over 89 DF. The PK will be fine as long as they run that first forward unit hard. This forward group is young very skilled and lots have ratings to put the puck in the net however only 3 have a PA rating over 80 and may run into issues offensively if they can’t learn to share the puck and some scorers step into more of a playmaking role. Gibson is still a good rated starter but will be expected to carry the duties in net on his shoulders because if he faulters old Jimmy Howard isn’t going to carry much weight. If Gibson can’t hold his own in the elimination series expect this to be the squads Achilles heal

 

World

 

Forwards: B     Defense: C+     Goaltending: B+     PP: B     PK: B

 

Players to Watch: Draisaitl, Ehlers, Zuccarello

 

Team Notes: Andersen and Taylor are a good rated goalie duo and will need to pull up the slack for a very very possibly worst blue line in tourney. However they have some really good DF forwards who are going to have to play really responsible to help the back end out. They are the only team who will be relying on forwards for their PK. But they got some good young talent up front and good goaltending which can make up for a lot of defensive deficiencies so you never know is they can pull off some upsets.