If Group A is destined to feature two teams trying to chase down Canada, Group B appears poised to be a little more competitive during the group stage. Consisting of Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, and host Italy, the second group for our Winter Games preview looks like it'll be a beast to get through. In it, there is one current Hurricane and several more former Canes.
As the headliners in the group, one of the most anticipated games during the group stage will be a Scandinavian battle between presumed favorites Finland and Sweden. Interestingly enough, every player with Raleigh ties plays on those two teams. The winner of that game is likely to win the group, though I wouldn't count Slovakia out just yet.
Finland has the most players with Carolina ties at the Winter Olympics
It was no surprise when the first six selections were announced over the summer that Sebastian Aho would be amongst Finland's picks. He has a long history of representing his home country, most notably winning gold at the World Juniors in 2016 in front of the home crowd. As the Canes' leading scorer and one of their most important players, there will be high expectations placed on him in Italy.
He'll have a few more teammates from that 2016 Finnish World Juniors team joining him, including Roope Hintz and Niko Mikkola, but the captain of that team happened to be short-time Hurricane Mikko Rantanen. The Olympics will also reunite the most prolific scoring duo in franchise history, potentially giving us Aho and Teuvo Teravainen on the same line for a little more Finnish magic.
The final two former Hurricanes were part of a trade together. Like Rantanen, both Erik Haula and Eetu Luostarinen had short-lived tenures with the Hurricanes before being traded in 2020 to the Panthers for Vincent Trocheck at the trade deadline. While Haula has bounced around, Luostarinen has played a big part in Florida's back-to-back Stanley Cup wins.
The Canes are also represented on Team Sweden. Elias Lindholm was a first-round pick of the Canes in 2013. After an okay start to his career, Lindholm was traded to Calgary in 2018 and put together some great seasons with the Flames, though things aren't going as smoothly in Boston. Technically, Gustav Forsling never played for the Canes, but he was in the Canes' system for a minute.
Bland Prediction: Italy finishes last in the group
I mean no disrespect to the host country in my assessment of their chances at this year's games, but history is not on their side. Italy is the only country in the tournament without an NHL player. Their best finish was 7th in 1956, also in Italy. They wouldn't be participating if they weren't the hosts. We've seen miracles happen at the Olympics before, but this might take something even crazier.
That being said, this is just as much about how solid Finland, Sweden, and Slovakia are. Neither Finland nor Sweden is perfect, but they're easily the most skilled rosters in the group. Slovakia has slowly started becoming a serious threat, featuring players like Juraj Slafkovsky, Erik Cernak, and Martin Fehervary. Italy might not have a fun time over the next two weeks.
Bold Prediction: Sweden and Finland both compete for medals
There are five or six teams that I feel are legitimate threats to win the gold medal in Italy on February 22. Two of them are in this group, and they'll likely finish first and second in Group B. There's a decent chance that both Finland and Sweden find their way to byes into the quarterfinals, putting both in a prime position to make a run to the medal rounds.
Injuries to Leo Carlsson and Jonas Brodin are tough, but Sweden boasts a stout roster throughout. Finland's defense is its weakest point, but they have some game-changers up front and a good goalie group, led by Juuse Saros. It wouldn't surprise me to see these two powerhouses lasting until the bitter end. Sweden probably has a chip on its shoulder after losing to Finland at the 4 Nations.