A fantasized look at the Olympic hockey games
Week Two Olympic Men's Hockey Preview
This is the week where a single loss will knock you out of contention for the Gold or Silver. On Tuesday the teams taking the long way in will be facing off in the qualifiers. Most notable will be Russia, who has the most to lose, but I can't say I am surprised that they have struggled given that they are now no different than any other country with players coming together from numerous teams. The good news for Russia is that they don't have the US or Canada in their bracket and could find themselves sneaking into the Gold medal game.
The biggest disappointment for me is that the US and Canada will not be playing for the Gold and will likely meet up on Friday in the semifinals, assuming no surprises in Wednesday's quarterfinal games.
You can view the complete bracket on the NBC website.
Surprises
Michael Grabner RW NYI 7% owned - He had been a disappointment to owners all season, but has two multi-goal games in the Olympics. If he can translate this success back to the NHL he would be a good speculation pick this week. Grabner could also see his opportunities increase once Vanek is traded.
Drew Doughty D LAK 98% owned - Doughty is no surprise, but he has put up 4 goals in his 3 Olympic games when he has had only one in his last 11 in the NHL. He had a quiet January and could be a nice steal from an uninformed owner.
Sami Vatanen D ANH 1% owned - Vananen is leading defenders in assists, but scored most of his points against weak teams. Keep an eye on him and he could worth a pickup in really deep leagues if he carries any momentum back from the Olympics.
Valeri Nichushkin RW DAL 11% owned - The 18 year old rookie winger has been turning heads with his skating during the Olympics. He's has a respectable first season in the NHL with 13 G/15 A. He's worth a pickup, especially in a keeper league.