World Cup Preview: North America

Kicking off our World Cup Preview at the Oilers Rig is Team North America, AKA the team that has the most Oilers playing in the World Cup (tied with team Europe with two). 

I am really excited for the World Cup of Hockey for multiple reasons. First off, I am a firm believer that more hockey is great. It’s been far too long without seeing Connor McDavid tear up the ice in a game. Second, I miss the World Cup of Hockey. Re-entering the spotlight as a potential Olympic replacement, the World Cup has not been played since 2004.

However, if there is one reason in particular why some people might not be a fan it’s the “gimmick teams” like Team North America and Team Europe. They are an amalgamation of players from different countries with specific guidelines. In Team North America’s case, it’s any North American player under the age of 23 is eligible to play.

Team North America represents the young talent that feeds the NHL today and I think will be a team that will catch some by surprise.

Projected Line Up Preview

Gaudreau-McDavid-MacKinnon

Saad-Schieffle-Eichel

Larkin-Monahan-Drouin

Schieffle-Couturier-Nugent-Hopkins

Extras: Auston Matthews, J.T Miller

Rielly-Ekblad

Gotisbehere-Trouba

Murray-Jones

Extras: Parayko

Gibson

Extras: Hellebuyck, Murray

Strengths

The term ‘speed kills’ really applies for Team North America. Those top two forward lines are ridiculously fleet of foot. Led by none other than Connor McDavid, the forwards represent an extremely skilled and fast attack. McDavid is not alone in the speed department: Dylan Larkin, Jack Eichel, Nathan MacKinnon, Johnny Gaudreau and Jonathan Drouin can all skate with him. The forwards are just as deep as any other team in this tournament. However, it’s tough to project the line up here because there are so many good pieces. On top of the high-poweredoffenaive forwards, there are also defensively responsible players like Couturier, Monahan and Nugent-Hopkins to balance the attack.

Weaknesses

While the forwards are stacked, there are some questions on defence. When compared to the powerhouses of Sweden and Canada, I feel that Team North America pales on defence and goaltending. A team made of players under 23 has a distinct lack of experience. The defence is not too shabby; I like Ekblad and Morgan Rielly together, but goaltending is definitely a wildcard with John Gibson in net. It’s not so much if they are capable, it’s just a bit lackluster compared to other countries. I’d say it’s more middle of the road.

Who to Watch

Connor McDavid is the obvious choice here. The future Oilers captain will have all eyes on him as usual in this tournament as one of the most dynamic players in the NHL. McDavid can really play with anyone on this roster and that gives the coaching staff some flexibility when it comes to line mates. Make no mistake, McDavid is the number one centre. Another Oiler, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, made the team and is always worth watching. I’m hoping for a good tournament from 93.

Biggest Snubs

When it comes to the oddly specific teams like this one, it’s more difficult to find snubs, especially compared to Canada or USA.

Jerseys

After seeing the jerseys the first time, I instantly hated them. The jerseys were not traditional! However, after a few months, they have grown on me. I really like the subtleties of the jersey. For example, I like the roman numerals adding up to twenty-three under the North America logo. The colours are different but neutral to both countries. The grey is a bit weird looking, but I really like the logo as it reminds of some classic baseball logos. 

Prediction

I have Team North America finishing fifth in this years tournament. Team USA, Canada, Sweden and Finland (in no particular order) should finish better than the amalgamation team in the western hemisphere. While Team North America should offer plenty of speed and skill, I feel that their goaltending will be their biggest weakness. That said, Team North America should be better than Czech Republic, Russia and Team Europe.