Olympic Hopes Dwindling: Which NHL Stars Need To Pick It Up?

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter

To be fair, it's very early in the NHL season. That said, today’s NHL stars have huge expectations thrust upon them, and, to date, there is a long list of “stars” that are not shining right now, which may jeopardize their spot with their respective Olympic teams.

In Anaheim, Ryan Getzlaf, a favorite to represent Canada at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, has just one goal through 10 games. Conversely, Anaheim forward Bobby Ryan, who many expect will represent the United States at the Olympics, has a paltry two goals and two assists through 10 games.

For Anaheim, the bloodletting does not end there. Veteran All-Star defenseman Scott Niedermayer, who is another Olympic hopeful, has one goal and seven points through 10 games but is also an alarming minus-7.

Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, who is expected to occupy one of Team USA’s three goaltending spots, is off to a tough start, posting a 4-3 record with a 2.97 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage—good numbers but well off his All-Star numbers of 2008-09.

In Calgary, Canadians Jarome Iginla, Dion Phaneuf, and Jay Bouwmeester are getting it done. Finnish forward Olli Jokinen has just one goal and four assists through 10 games and, with a 5.9 percent shooting percentage, clearly needs to step it up.

The Carolina Hurricanes have struggled out of the gate; much of the blame has fallen on the shoulders of Eric Staal. Staal, who is known for his quick starts, has just three goals and one assist through 10 games—simply not good enough.

Even more alarming is the fact that Staal has 34 penalty minutes. If Team Canada is looking to take disciplined players to the Olympics, it's safe to say Staal is not impressing Steve Yzerman and Co. at the moment.

In his rookie season, Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason lit the NHL on fire with his sparkling 33-20-7 record, 2.29 goals-against average, and tremendous .916 save percentage.

The 2009-10 season hasn’t been as kind to Mason. Through eight games, Mason has a 5-3 record, which on the surface is adequate. But his 3.51 goals-against average and
.883 save percentage makes him a long shot to crack Team Canada’s lineup.

In Detroit, Henrik Zetterberg is a lock to make Team Sweden, but with just one goal in 10 games, there must be some concern about his level of play thus far. The same can be said for Zetterberg’s Russian teammate, Pavel Datsyuk, who has just two goals through eight games.

Clearly, Zetterberg and Datsyuk have tremendous NHL resumes and, by all accounts, should rebound to have a solid 2009-10 campaign, but, to date, they have been underachievers.

Admittedly, the Minnesota Wild have played some horrendous hockey thus far, but with just one goal, four assists, and a minus-10 rating through nine games, Martin Havlat must be giving members of the Czech Republic Team fits.

In Montreal, Carey Price remains consistently inconsistent. His 2-4 record, bloated 3.36 GAA, and terrible .886 save percentage make his selection to Team Canada a pipe dream (not that it already wasn’t).

In Nashville, Finland’s Pekka Rinne has been equally terrible in goal, posting a 1-3 record, 3.79 GAA, and .882 save percentage. The sophomore jinx is alive and well, my friends!

New York Rangers centre Chris Drury is having another lackluster year, posting two goals and three assists through 12 games with the high-flying Rangers. With competition sure to be fierce to make Team USA, Drury may make the team, but his role is likely to be reduced unless he can raise his level of play.

In Ottawa, two players stand out as underachievers—Alex Kovalev and, to a lesser degree, Jason Spezza. With a reputation for only playing when he feels like it, the Russian native Kovalev has three goals and one assist through nine games and a minus-4 rating to boot.

In Spezza’s case, with eight assists through eight games, he is getting it done in the assists department. Trouble is, Spezza is yet to register a goal and, with Canada looking for players that can get it done in all aspects of the game, Spezza may find himself watching the Olympics on TV if he doesn't light the lamp soon.

Another Olympic hopeful for the United States is T.J. Oshie of the St. Louis Blues. Through eight games, Oshie has one goal, two assists, and a minus-1 rating. Three points in eight games will get you noticed for all the wrong reasons; clearly, if he wasn’t before, Oshie is on the bubble.

Vincent Lecavalier will need to do better than one goal, seven assists, and a minus-4 rating through nine games with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The competition will be stiff to make Team Canada, especially down the middle. Lecavalier needs to pick it up.

Thought to be Canada’s No. 1 or 1A goalie, Roberto Luongo has had an up and down season with the Vancouver Canucks. Through 12 games, Luongo has a record of 6-6 with a 2.79 GAA, and a .902 SV percentage. Nobody is suggesting Luongo will not be there when everything is all said and done, but his starting assignment is in jeopardy, especially after suffering a hairline rib fracture this week.

With so many other NHL players having great starts, collectively they are serving notice to the so-called “favorites” to make their respective Olympic Teams, that there will be plenty of options for their Country’s hockey minds to pick from.

In the end, an Olympic selection will be based on a combination of factors, including, but not limited to, a player's history, ability to play out of position, chemistry with linemates, ability to play in all zones, leadership qualities, and past Olympic experience.

That said, many Olympic GMs are on record as saying they want to bring the players that are playing their best hockey at the time of the games. If that rings true, then one has to figure that one or more of the above noted players may end up on the sidelines when the Olympics roll around.

Fortunately for these underachievers, the NHL season is in its infancy, and there is plenty of time for these players to impress. Fortunate, indeed!

Until next time,

Peace!