By Jack Klinck, the hockey news intern
While the confrontation of the 4 nations ends in Boston, some fans could wonder why team n ° 4 in the world male IIHF ranking is not in the tournament.
Despite being the defending world champions, the Cheychy was not invited in advance to ensure the rest of the best world hockey countries.
But what happens if they had been asked to play? Benefiting from stars such as David Pastrnak and Martin Necas, with the emerging goalkeeper Lukas Dostal, the Cheche has the talent to be competitive on the world stage. They have proven it lately, a medalist in two of the last three world championships, taking gold at the tournament last year and capturing bronze in 2022.
A challenge for Czechs was their lack of representation in the NHL. Given that the confrontation of the 4 nations is not associated with the IIHF, the lists must be composed entirely of players with NHL contracts which are under lists of the NHL.
Some of the best talents in the country do not play in the NHL. The four best best top scorers in the gold medal of last year in the worlds all play in Europe and could not be called for the confrontation of the 4 nations.
The Czech Captain Roman Cervenka led the team by scoring with three goals and 11 points in 10 games in the world championship. With Pastrnak, Necas and Pavel Zacha joining the game through the tournament after staying at the NHL qualifiers, Cervenka won the honors of player of year IIHF at home.
Not being able to bring their best players was not the only problem for chechy. Although they can find 20 skaters, there are only five defenders born in Czech who played in the NHL this year.
With the NHL announcing the return of the Hockey World Cup in 2028, it is only a matter of time before seeing the Czechs in a better tournament managed by the NHL for the best tournament.
But what was the team like Tzechia to be felt in the confrontation of the 4 nations looked like? If we shed a little – we will – and forget the NHL list rule, a few AHL defenders are needed on NHL contracts to operate the team. Here is a potential list for the Cyon’s team:
Attacker
Ondrej Palat – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak
Jiri Kulich – Tomas Hertl – Martin Necas
Filip Chytil – David Kampf – Radek Faksa
Jakub True – Tomas Nosek – Jakub Lauko
Extra: Ivan Ivan
In a short tournament, the Czechs keep their first line of the world championship of last year, featuring the teammates of Bruins Zacha and Pastrnak.
In the second line, Kulich played the last time internationally when he was captain of the Cheche at a bronze medal in the 1920s World Juniors. The recruit of Buffalo Sabers, combined with nien swimming stars and the veteran center hertl, would give the Czechs a two -headed monster of six top six legitimate attackers.
The third line centered on Kampf is the best CNOCHé shot in a defensive verification unit. Although the depth is not the strength of CNOCHEA, a former 20 -goal scorer in Vrana with the veteran Nosek and the Pesky Lauko complete a fourth solid line. And the recruit of the Colorado Ivan avalanche can intervene as more if necessary.
Defense
Jan Rutta – Filip Hronek
Radko Gudas – David Jiricek
John Ludvig – David Spacek
Extra: Filip Kral
The weak point of Cyon is his defense body.
Hronek is the light guy n ° 1. Since he was exchanged at the Vancouver canucks in 2022-23, Hronek and his partner Quinn Hughes have formed one of the best pairs of the NHL. While Rutta is not Hughes, he is a double champion of the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning who spent time playing on the best duet of the team with Victor Hedman.
Although he has not yet worked in the NHL for Jiricek, the Wild D-Man was a point-in-game player for the Cheche for the World 2023 juniors. Associated with Gudas veterans bruiser, the two include a second pair solid. Ludvig, the last NHL player in this group, is equal to Wild Prospect Spacek, who led Czechia’s D-Men by scoring five points in 10 games in their gold career, to complete a thin defensive group.
Kral, who is under contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, has two experiences in the NHL as seventh defender.
Goalkeepers
Dostal by Lukas
Karel Vejmelka
Jakub Dobes
What CNOCHEA is lacking in the back, they compensate for the goalkeepers.
After having led the Czechs to gold on the world scene with a percentage of stops of .939 and three whitening, the Dostal is fourth in the NHL in the goals recorded above expected with 20.2, according to Moneypuck.com. He was one of the light points of a weak team from Anaheim Ducks. Few goalkeepers in the match take place better than the Dostal.
With 10.5 goals recorded above expected and a percentage of .909 stops, Vejmelka makes a solid backup option. To complete the three Czech goalkeepers, the Dobes of the Recruit des Canadiens de Montréal. As the third goalkeeper, the 23 -year -old would probably not be suitable, but the experience would be precious for one of the future Czeie goalkeepers.
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