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Oilers That Could Go To The 2022 Olympics

September 3, 2021, 12:18 PM ET [0 Comments]
Sean Maloughney
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Today it was officially announced that an agreement is in place between the IIHR, the NHLPA, and the NHL for players to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympic games. Once again we will have the privilege of watching the best in the NHL face off on the international stage. In celebration of this fact, let's take a look at which Oilers players have a chance at competing on the world stage.

TEAM CANADA


CONNOR MCDAVID
Seven years into his NHL career, Oilers fans and hockey fans will finally have the privilege to see Connor McDavid play for a gold medal in the Olympics. McDavid is obviously a lock for Team Canada and the first line as well. I also wouldn't be surprised to see him named as captain as well. It would be one more impressive laurel for what has already been an incredible NHL career.

ZACH HYMAN
Hyman is a good player but is not the type of player that immediately jumps into your mind when you're putting together your mock Olympic rosters. Hyman making the team is likely going to come down to how much time he plays with McDavid and how well he does in that role. The obvious comparable would be Chris Kunitz back in 2014. Kunitz had an impressive season but many felt that players like Martin St. Louis, Logan Couture, or Claude Giroux were more deserving. Kunitz was brought on because of the natural chemistry he had with Sidney Crosby. If Hyman and McDavid click, a similar scenario could occur.

DARNELL NURSE
There are going to be some excellent names available for Canada to pick for their blueline and Darnell Nurse will be in the conversation. Nurse had a strong 2020/2021 season putting up good numbers at 5 on 5 and finishing 7th in Norris votes. Nurse moves the puck well and brings a level of physicality that combined is a unique skill set. In Edmonton Nurse has also shown he can log big minutes on a nightly basis. Nurse will need to at the very least match his success this season in order to be in the conversation.

TYSON BARRIE
Personally I believe this option to be unlikely but Barrie puts up points playing with top end players both at 5 on 5 and on the powerplay. There will be no shortage of PP specialists available to Team Canada and that might make the addition of Barrie a redundant choice. That being said if he is posting points at close to a ppg pace than he will certainly get some looks.

MIKE SMITH
Another name that should fall into the highly unlikely category but not completely out of the realm of possibility. Carey Price will surely be a lock for the team and depending on how his season goes I could see Fleury as another lock but goaltending might easily be the weakest position for Canada. Names like Hart, Binnington, Kuemper, Driedger, and Talbot will be in the mix and if Mike Smith posts numbers like he did last season than he should be considered in that same mix.

TEAM GERMANY
Another lock for his respective nation. Leon Draisaitl has proven himself as one of the most dominant scoring players in the NHL over the past few seasons and after winning a Hart he has shown he is far more than just a great complimentary option for McDavid. Again I see Draisaitl not only as a lock for the top line, but arguably more than McDavid I see Leon as a lock for the captaincy for Team Germany. I am actually very excited to see what Draisaitl can do with fellow countryman Tim Stützle.

TEAM FINLAND

Jesse Puljujarvi

Young JP may also have an opportunity to play for his country in the 2022 Winter Olympics. After a rough start to his NHL career back when he was still 18, young Puljujarvi came back last season and not only established himself as an NHL player, but as a real scoring threat in the top six. As long as Puljujarvi continues to improve and score like he did last season than he should be in the mix with other talented Finnish wingers like Rantanen, Laine, and Terevainen.

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If I was to guess right now, I would suggest that McDavid, Draisaitl, Nurse, and Puljujarvi will play in the Olympics for their respective countries. The fact that there are a number of Oilers players in the conversation is a sign of the talent that exists in this organization and hopefully a sign of good things to come.
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