The NHL, NHLPA and IIHF officially announced on Friday that they have reached a joint agreement confirming NHL players will participate in February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing.
NHL players did not go to the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, making it the first Winter Olympics without NHL players since 1994.
So, with the NHL back in, which Bruins could be heading to China in February? We already know general manager Don Sweeney and head coach Bruce Cassidy will be part of Team Canada as an assistant GM and assistant coach, respectively.
But what about the players? Let’s go country-by-country and take a look at who’s a lock (barring injury, of course), who’s a possibility and who’s a long shot.
United States
Lock: Charlie McAvoy. The 23-year-old is one of the best defensemen in the world, coming off a fifth-place Norris Trophy finish. His two-way ability will allow him to be used in any situation, with his defensive prowess in particular making him a possibility for matchups against opponents’ top lines. McAvoy and Adam Fox should hold down Team USA’s top two spots on the right side of the blue line, with some combination of John Carlson, Seth Jones and Jeff Petry behind them.
Long shots: Jeremy Swayman, Matt Grzelcyk, Brandon Carlo. The 22-year-old Swayman likely simply won’t have enough time to climb his way into the U.S. goalie discussion, but it’s at least worth wondering if a really strong start -- combined with his excellent first impression last season -- could get him into the conversation. Connor Hellebuyck would appear to be locked in as the starter, but there is a pretty open competition for the second and third spots, with the likes of John Gibson, Thatcher Demko, Jack Campbell, Spencer Knight, Alex Nedeljkovic and Cal Petersen among those battling it out.
Grzelcyk and Carlo are probably further away. On Grzelcyk, it’s at least worth mentioning that the left side of the U.S. defense is not as settled as the right. Jaccob Slavin and Ryan McDonagh are probably locks, and Zach Werenski is likely close to a lock. Quinn Hughes would seem to have the inside track as a more mobile, offensive-minded option. Former teammate Torey Krug would probably still rate ahead of Grzelcyk as well, and even he would seem to be on the outside looking in. Ryan Suter is still good enough to at least be in the discussion, too.
As outlined above, the right side of the U.S. defense is just too stacked for Carlo -- a solid, defense-first D-man -- to really get a sniff. We didn’t even mention Justin Faulk or Brett Pesce, who would pretty clearly be ahead of him as well.
Canada
Locks: Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron. Marchand is arguably the best left wing in the world. Bergeron is still one of the best all-around forwards. Canada could and probably should reunite the two of them with Sidney Crosby. Bergeron and Crosby have long been linemates in international competition, Bergeron and Marchand have long been linemates for the Bruins, and the three of them together absolutely dominated at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, leading Canada to the title. This would be Bergeron’s third Olympics and Marchand’s first.
Possibility: Taylor Hall. The 29-year-old left wing was certainly rejuvenated by the midseason trade from the Sabres to the Bruins, and it’s possible that has put him back on Hockey Canada’s radar. Hall will likely need a red-hot start to the 2021-22 season to have a real chance of making the final roster, but if he’s doing everything right, you can bet Sweeney and/or Cassidy will at least bring his name up.
Czech Republic
Locks: David Pastrnak, David Krejci. OK, OK… Krejci isn’t a Bruin anymore. Whatever. We’re mentioning him anyways because there’s still that long-shot chance he plays for them again at some point, even if it’s not this season. And he will certainly be on the Czech roster.
As will Pastrnak, who will be his country’s star offensive player and their best hope to make any real noise in the tournament. The Czechs may very well choose to put Pastrnak and Krejci together on their top line, as the two have played together at times in Boston. Tomas Hertl would be the other option to be their No. 1 center.
Possibilities: Jakub Zboril, Tomas Nosek. As you can probably tell, the Czech roster is not going to be as deep as Canada’s or the United States’. The bottom of their defense group, in particular, may be looking for anyone who’s just close to NHL-caliber, which Zboril is. Nosek, whom the Bruins signed as a bottom-six forward this offseason, could be in the mix for a similar role on his national team.
Finland
Possibilities: Tuukka Rask, Erik Haula. The big question with Rask is whether he’ll be healthy enough and up to game speed by February after offseason hip surgery. If he is, he should be on the team, even if it’s in more of a platoon role with Juuse Saros than as the full-time starter.
Haula, a free-agent signing who figures to slot into the Bruins’ third line, is certainly in the mix when it comes to Finland’s depth forwards. A good start to the season could land him on Finland’s fourth line or as one of their two extra forwards.
Sweden
Possibility: Linus Ullmark. The Bruins’ new goalie is probably closer to a lock, as Sweden’s goaltending situation looks pretty straightforward, at least in terms of who makes the team. Barring something crazy, Ullmark should join Robin Lehner and Jacob Markstrom on the roster, with the only question being what order they’ll land in on the depth chart. Longtime Sweden staple Henrik Lundqvist is now retired.
Anything else? Not really. The Bruins don't have any Russians and they also don't really have anyone from any of the non-powerhouse countries. We will note, in case you're wondering, that 44-year-old Zdeno Chara will be a lock for Slovakia if he's planning to play. Chara is currently a free agent after playing for the Capitals last year, as he has neither announced his retirement nor signed with a new team.