While most of Oil Country will be cheering for Connor McDavid and Team Canada at the Olympics, undoubtedly a large portion will be cheering for an underdog as well. Leon Draisaitl and Josh Samanski will represent Germany, giving the Edmonton Oilers three current representatives at the Olympics.
Draisaitl is the focal point here, not only as the greatest German player of all time, but also as one of the best players in the world, and one of the greatest Oilers of all time. His exploits have brought Oil Country and German hockey fans closer together.
Twelve years removed from the last Olympics with NHL players, a lot has changed. A big part of that change is the emergence of new powers in hockey. Germany is hardly alone in assembling the greatest team in their country’s history, but they might be a smart pick to be the surprising upstart of the tournament.
Switzerland and Denmark, perhaps even Latvia will have a good chance to prove themselves at this tournament. The emergence of new hockey powers is a great sign for the game. Still, Germany has a great chance to punch above its weight in this year’s tournament, perhaps even enough to medal.
Let’s take a closer look at the team and what their path to success is.
Team Germany full of star power
Team Germany has a clear strength, as Draisaitl is not alone as a difference maker down the middle of the ice. Of course having one of the world’s top centres is a big deal, and something of a game breaker for the Germans. Still, Draisaitl is backed up by legitimate talent down the middle. Tim Stutzle offers a second dynamic scoring centre behind Draisaitl. Nico Sturm is a rock steady checking centre, while Josh Samanski brings youth and upside along.
Naturally there is a clear distinction in quality between the top two centres and the rest of the group, but it is an entirely respectable group. Depending on how one values high end talent versus quality of depth, it might be argued that Germany has the third best centre ice group in the tournament behind Canada and the USA.
While this claim might sound bold initially, upon a deeper look it really is not so far fetched. There are some injuries that change the equation here, as Sweden is without Leo Carlsson and Finland is without Sasha Barkov. Carlsson and Barkov would likely be the top options for their countries. Both countries have more depth down the middle than Germany, but cannot compete with the high end duo of Draisaitl and Stutzle.
A strong offence for Germany
The Germans will need to be tight defensively to have a chance against tougher opponents. Still, they will need their skill to shine through to punish teams that are in close games against them. Again, Draisaitl is a huge focus here.
For now, it seems that the Germans will opt for a two pronged offensive attack at even strength. Germany has one high level scoring winger in JJ Peterka, who has often played alongside Stutzle when representing their country. This will force opponents to decide on who will get their defensive focus. By extension, one of these lines will get a more favourable matchup, which could be a deciding factor against some of the weaker teams in the tournament.
Another huge piece of Germany’s offence will be the power play. Draisaitl, Stutzle, and Peterka form a strong trio to build a unit around. Joined by a potential Norris Trophy candidate in Moritz Seider, the Germans have a quality top power play unit. Even if the team has trouble generating offence at even strength, a strong power play elevates the upside for the team. If the unit gets clicking, Germany could be primed to upset teams.
An organized defensive corp
Here, Seider is the big factor. A physical force, Seider is among the best defencemen in the world. Surely he will play a huge volume of minutes in this tournament, as the rest of the blueline is absent name brand depth. It does require some imagination, but Seider gives Germany a legitimate talent to build on.
The team will have to play a tight and organized system to withstand some of the tournament’s better teams. Against tougher opponents they will need to survive being out possessed, hoping to capitalize on a chance later on.
Luckily, Philipp Grubauer is having a strong bounce back season at the perfect time for this tournament. Through his years behind an inconsistent Seattle Kraken team Grubauer’s performance has suffered. Naturally, a less than ideal contract does not help public perception.
Regardless, these things have little bearing on the tournament at hand. Grubauer comes into the tournament playing well, and has a Stanley Cup victory to prove his ability to perform in the biggest moments. Having a goalie of his stature offers hope that the Germans can be stingy enough to frustrate tougher opponents, allowing them the chance to upset with their high end offensive talent.
Germany’s schedule for the games
Germany is in group C, which many consider to be the weakest of the three groups. Team USA are the favourites to win the round robin, but one might argue that Germany should be expected to finish second in the group. Germany begins the tournament with games against Latvia and Denmark, both of which they will be favoured to win. A game against team USA to end the round robin will offer a measuring stick, as well as a chance to win the group outright.
Regardless, the round robin sets up nicely for Germany to earn a favourable knockout round matchup. This means that Germany will not have to pull off any major upsets against Canada, USA, or Sweden to find themselves in striking distance of a medal. Of course, teams like Czechia and Finland would be favoured against Germany, while Switzerland might be in a similar position. Switzerland has a bit more depth, especially on the blueline, but Germany’s high end talent gives them a path.
Where will Germany stand?
Unfortunately, Germany’s stars are not supported by a lot of depth. Perhaps this is a nation on the rise, ready to assert themselves into the global pecking order. At the same time, the lack of depth might be a significant that their star players are more anomalous.
Regardless, now is the perfect time for Germany to make a statement. Their best players are all in their primes. Time will tell if their national program can continue to add depth in the coming years, which could quickly vault them up the ranks.
In a way this could be a crossroads for German hockey. A watershed moment for their flag bearer Leon Draisaitl and a strong finish to the tournament could vault the program to new heights in the future. Draisaitl is not alone, and Oiler fans know well how much of an impact he can make.
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