For the record, we're not going to include countries like France, Italy, Latvia, and Denmark. These countries don't have a realistic shot of getting a gold medal, especially when you compare them to countries like the United States, Canada, and Sweden.
Therefore, it's high time that the lower seeds be put out to pasture. So long, sweet princes. It's been nice knowing you. Hopefully, your teams get better for future Olympic iterations and put together a viable team.
This edition, we're focusing on the teams with the byes. Now, that doesn't mean that teams like Sweden or the Czech Republic can't make a run at a gold medal. They have plenty of talented superstars who can carry their respective countries on their backs and lead them to glory.
But this edition will focus on the top four seeds that have the inside track to a gold medal. You know the names and how they have all the superstars. So, let's rank them and see how their pathways play out. Who has the easiest paths, who has the toughest paths, and whose paths don't actually matter?
4.) Slovakia
On one side is a Slovakian team that can't take an American team lightly. As mentioned, the United States has started slowly in all three games. However, they gotten going and have pulled away from their opponents in dramatic fashion.
The Slovaks must also look at a German team with potent offensive weapons. That includes Leon Draisaitl and Tim Stutzle, stars who can light up the score sheet without hesitation. That Cinderella story can run out quickly if Slovakia isn't careful with the Germans.
3.) United States
It's been mentioned how the United States was hoping for a good draw, only to see Sweden looming in its vicinity. That's the roughest draw that the Americans can hope for, especially for a team that hasn't gotten off to the fastest starts.
The Swedes have loads of talent in all positions, making them a potent threat for the United States. Even Latvia has given America trouble in the first game before the United States pulled away. That's not even mentioning how Slovakia has surprised people, should they advance.
2.) Finland
The Finnish team is positioned to win based on the potential quarterfinal matchup alone. Switzerland is a potential troublemaker based on the pieces they've had (i.e. Nico Hischier and Roman Josi). But Kevin Fiala's gone, leaving a massive hole in the forward group.
There's also an Italian team that's just... happy to be there. Oh well, at least they're having fun. Their potential semifinal opponent, on the other hand...
1.) Canada
Canada deserves the top spot based on its forward group alone. Take your pick among the various superstars, whether that's Nathan MacKinnon, Macklin Celebrini, or Connor McDavid.
Therefore, does the opponent really matter? Does it matter if it's the Czech Republic or Denmark? Regardless, they're getting a heavy dose of scoring from the Canadians, especially with Sidney Crosby and Mark Stone waiting in the wings.