V3 Canucks GM, BOG
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,932
Likes: 653
Canada and the US will be in tough this year. Canada's forward group is severely lacking in firepower and the US defense is very thin.
I honestly think Sweden has the best team at this tournament. Even if Nylander isn't released, they still have tons of talent up front, Pettersson and Andersson could be the two best forwards at the tournament and Boqvist, Jonsson Fjalby, Soderlund and others are a great supporting cast. Filip Gustavsson will be solid in net and having Dahlin, Liljegren and Brannstrom on defense is just unfair.
Finland's defense with Juolevi, Heiskanen, Valimaki, Jokiharju, Vaakanainen, Salo and Rasanen is ridiculously good and they also have a ton of skill up front with Tolvanen, Vesalainen, Kuokkanen, Heponiemi, Ikonen and Kupari.
The Czech Republic also look to have one of the best teams they've had in years with Chytil, Necas Zadina and Safin up front. Their defense isn't great though.
MY PREDICTIONS (I am a Canadian and I will be cheering for them, but my predictions may be slightly influenced by the fact that I'm pissed at team Canada for cutting Kole Lind and Michael DiPietro):
GROUP A:
Finland beats Canada (OT)
United States beats Denmark
Canada beats Slovakia
Finland beats Denmark
United States beats Slovakia
Canada beats United States (OT)
Finland beats Slovakia
Canada beats Denmark
Finland beats United States
Slovakia beats Denmark
Finland: 11 points
Canada: 9 points
United States: 7 points
Slovakia: 3 points
Denmark: 0 points
GROUP B:
Czech Republic beats Russia (OT)
Sweden beats Belarus
Switzerland beats Belarus
Russia beats Switzerland
Sweden beats Czech Republic
Russia beats Belarus
Czech Republic beats Belarus
Sweden beats Switzerland
Czech Republic beats Switzerland
Sweden beats Russia
Sweden: 12 points
Czech Republic: 8 points
Russia: 7 points
Switzerland: 3 points
Belarus: 0 points
QUARTERFINALS:
Finland beats Switzerland
United States beats Czech Republic (OT)
Sweden beats Slovakia
Canada beats Russia
SEMIFINALS:
Finland beats United States
Sweden beats Canada
BRONZE:
United States beats Canada (OT)
FINAL:
Sweden beats Finland