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We’ve known for a while now that the NHL won’t be going to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. It’s best not to get into the exact details of that decision, mostly because it’s extremely maddening for just about everyone in the world other than 31 ownership groups and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, but the fact is that viewers will be “treated” to teams comprised of former NHLers, as well as those in other leagues across the globe.

It remains to be seen whether Canadians will be drawn to the screen to watch Andrew Ebbett and Mason Raymond represent their country (odds are that while viewership will almost certainly take a massive blow, Canadian hockey fans will still tune in).

It’s still fun, however, to imagine what the Olympic rosters for different countries would look like, and which Vancouver Canucks would make appearances. While the Canucks aren’t having a great season, the team would certainly be represented at least a couple times on the different countries in the tournament.

The No-Brainers



Thomas Vanek - Team Austria

This one is a bit of a cheat, since Austria didn’t technically qualify for the tournament. If they had though, Vanek would be a shoo-in. One of three Austrians in the NHL (Philadelphia Flyer Andreas Nodl and former Canuck Michael Grabner, now with the New York Rangers, are the others), Vanek has long been considered the best player from the European nation.

Of course, last time Vanek represented his country at the Olympics (as team captain), things didn’t go so smoothly.

Sven Baertschi - Team Switzerland

Unlike Austria, Switzerland will be playing at the Olympics, and the always-plucky team is guaranteed to be underdog threat as usual.

Baertschi wasn’t selected to join Switzerland’s team at the 2014 tournament, but he’d be one of the best players on the team now, as he’s third in points among active Swiss players, trailing only Roman Josi and Nino Niederreiter.

The Swiss team would actually have been one to watch at the tournament — a first line of Baertschi with youngsters Kevin Fiala and Nico Hischier would be very entertaining. Oh well, all three will probably be better when the NHL (most likely) turns heel in 2022 in order to promote the game in Beijing.

The Good Bets



Daniel and Henrik Sedin – Team Sweden

It’s hard to imagine a Team Sweden without the Sedins. Yes, they’ve definitely declined since their last Olympics appearance in 2014 (Henrik didn’t play due to injury), but the twins have shown enough life to earn a spot on their country’s roster.

ESPN predicted that the Sedins would indeed make the team, and we have to agree, despite the fact that Team Sweden is quite stacked with players in their primes. The twins are still producing and would be effective as a depth line and the main pieces on a second powerplay unit, despite the larger ice size.



Should they just go this year?

Jacob Markstrom – Team Sweden

The list of Swedish goalies who have played games in the NHL this season is literally seven names long. The Canucks have two of them. And unless Team Sweden went outside the NHL to find a third goaltender who probably wouldn’t play much anyway, the discussion for the final netminder spot would be between Markstrom and Anders Nilsson.

Henrik Lundqvist and Robin Lehner would likely grab the first two spots, leaving Markstrom as the obvious choice as the third ‘tender. Maybe in 2022 both Canucks will be in Sweden’s crease after Lundqvist retires.

The Maybes



Markus Granlund – Team Finland

Travis Green’s favourite utility tool would definitely be in contention for Team Finland’s roster. He’s exactly the type of player that embodies Finland’s usual playing style—versatile, responsible and defensive—and would get a long look to fill out a penalty killing/ depth forward role.

He’d likely battle players like Eric Haula and Joel Armia for that job, but it’s easy to see him making the team as an extra forward (each team brings two extra forwards and defencemen).

Loui Eriksson – Team Sweden

This is an interesting one.

Eriksson was a big part of the Swedish team that went to the Gold Medal Game in 2014 (eventually losing to Team Canada), scoring the game-winning goal in the semifinals against rival Finland.

But he’s experienced a drop off since coming to the Canucks on a six year, $36 million contact. If it were up to Canucks fans, they’d take almost any other player likely to be on Sweden’s roster over Eriksson, and on a team likely to feature players like Gabriel Landeskog, Henrik Zetterberg, Rickard Rakell and William Nylander in third and fourth line roles, there’s probably no place for Eriksson.

The veteran would also have to battle with young players having great seasons like Jesper Bratt of the New Jersey Devils and William Karlsson of the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Dark Horses



Brock Boeser – Team USA

An absolute lock for 2022 if NHLers go, it would be tough for Team USA to bring Boeser along for 2018, even with the way the Canucks rookie is filling the net.

The Americans would be bringing a stacked group of forwards to the Games, and every player that would be under consideration has accomplished a lot more than Boeser.

That being said, it would be hard for Team USA’s brass to leave such an obvious game changer at home after doing so in 2014 when they didn’t pick Phil Kessel and—surprise!—couldn’t score goals. It would be a torturous choice, but Boeser wouldn’t have done enough in one rookie season to make the roster.

Alex Edler on Twitter

The Long Shots



Alexander Edler – Team Sweden

Like Eriksson, a former mainstay of Team Sweden who has seen a decline in skill since 2014.

But Edler would be even more doubtful to make Team Sweden than Eriksson, as Team Sweden has seen its defence corps blossom wonderfully since the last tournament.

Team Sweden’s defensive unit would look something like this:

Erik Karlsson-Victor Hedman

John Klingberg- Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Mattias Ekholm-Anton Stralman

That is a top six that could compete with any country, and there’s no conceivable spot for Edler. That’s true even in the two extra spots, where rearguards like Niklas Hjalmarsson and Hampus Lindholm have surely shown more than Edler in recent years.

Chris Tanev – Team Canada

Unfortunately, there wouldn’t be much space for arguably the Canucks’ best player on the tournament’s biggest juggernaut.

If Tanev was left-handed, we could maybe see it, as Team Canada has an obsession with having the same amount of right and left-handed defencemen. It’s the same thinking that has led to roster spots for the likes of Dan Hamhuis and Jay Bouwmeester, and Tanev’s current skill level is comparable to what those two brought when they made the team in 2014.

However, he’s not, and Canada’s right-side is absolutely stacked with perennial Norris Trophy candidates. Consider that P.K. Subban was a spare on the 2014 team, and likely would be again in 2018.

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