New Jersey Devils Who Should End Up On Olympic Teams
By Nick Villano
New Jersey Devils players will likely be able to play in the next Olympics.
The latest rumors surrounding the collective bargaining agreement negotiations show that the players are likely going to be able to play in the Olympics in 2022 and 2026. That’s still two years away, but the New Jersey Devils have a lot of players who will be looking forward to that date.
The Devils missed out on the Olympics last go around. In 2018, missing one of the best moments of a lot of these players’ careers was a real blow. Obviously, the return-to-play format gave the players a little more negotiating power here and that put the Olympics back on the table. It’s very important for the game of hockey to play in the Olympics, and it could help put some Devils players in the limelight that they aren’t used to.
There is a plethora of players from many different countries on the Devils. Right now, the Devils roster represents seven different counties. Obviously, the hardest teams to make will likely be Team USA and Team Canada. This is the best we’ve seen from the United States when it comes to hockey possibly ever. The U.S. hasn’t won Olympic Gold since 1980, when the Miracle On Ice pushed the U.S. ahead in the Cold War.
Look at today’s Americans. Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, Johnny Gaudreau, Patrick Kane, Zach Werenski, John Carlson, John Gibson, Connor Hellebuyck, the list goes on and on. Of course, the Canadians always put together some of the most insane rosters we’ve ever seen. A center core of Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and possibly Nathan MacKinnon give them the ultimate advantage always.
Still, despite the absolute tanks that are on both these teams, there is room for some Devils to make the roster. There are plenty of Devils who can make these rosters.
It’s hard to project what the Devils will look like in two years, but we will attempt to pick the players who will still be here. Also, we have to project correctly some of their prospects and young players. These players will appear on Olympic rosters when they head to Beijing in 2022.