Pucks and Pitchforks
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5 New Jersey Devils Who Missed Out On Their Chance At Olympics

By Nick Villano

Canada's gold medallists Rick Nash, Pk Subban, Jeff Carter and Sidney Crosby celebrate during the Men's Ice Hockey Medal Ceremony at the Bolshoy Ice Dome during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 23, 2014. AFP PHOTO / JONATHAN NACKSTRAND (Photo credit should read JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images)
Canada's gold medallists Rick Nash, Pk Subban, Jeff Carter and Sidney Crosby celebrate during the Men's Ice Hockey Medal Ceremony at the Bolshoy Ice Dome during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 23, 2014. AFP PHOTO / JONATHAN NACKSTRAND (Photo credit should read JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images) /
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New Jersey Devils
Carey Price #31 and P.K. Subban #76 of the Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images) /

P.K. Subban – Team Canada

P.K. Subban is one player who was probably a lock to make the 2018 Olympic team. He played for Team Canada in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where he helped them win the gold medal. When the Canadians were set to go into the 2018 Olympics, the Canadians were by far the favorites. Subban probably has an empty case where another gold medal should be right now.

Subban still has a chance to make the Canadian roster in 2022, but it’s highly unlikely. Subban was not one of the best defensemen in the league last season by a long shot, and he’s on the wrong side of 30 years old. There was a clear decline last season.

Then, look at the roster of Canadian defensemen in front of him. Morgan Rielly, Dougie Hamilton, Cale Makar, Shea Weber, Drew Doughty, Alex Pietrangelo, Thomas Chabot, Aaron Ekblad, Brent Burns, Kris Letang, Mark Giordano, and Shea Theodore are all ahead of Subban right now. That’s a long list of players to jump. That’s not even including some of the young players that could make the roster.

Honestly, Ty Smith might have a better chance of making Canada’s roster than Subban. We don’t see him making it either, but he has a shot. Other young players like Bowen Byram, Jamie Drysdale, and other young players could step up and force their way on that roster with the right things falling their way.

Subban’s fall is upsetting for Devils fans, but it’s very upsetting to think one of the best defensemen of our generation lost his last chance to play in the Olympics because of a squabble with the NHL and the IOC.

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