San Jose Sharks At The 2016 World Cup of Hockey

August is notoriously boring when it comes to hockey. However, there will definitely be more activity in August next year; that’s when the hockey world will be gearing up for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey set to begin on the Sept. 17, 2016. It should be an exciting event where hockey’s best talents will square off against each other. Several San Jose Sharks players should feature for competing teams, which can potentially pit Sharks teammates against each other. With the use of our “crystal ball,” we look at the San Jose Sharks players who have a shot at participating in next year’s World Cup of Hockey.

Joe Pavelski

Extremely Likely/Lock/Sure Thing

Pending any unforeseen circumstances, the Big Pavelski would definitely be on the roster for Team USA. When comparing his last season’s performance to other players hailing from the Land of the Free, Pavelski ranked first in goals, third in points, and fourth among forwards in blocked shots.

Pavelski represented Team USA on the Olympic level twice, winning silver in 2010. He has been one of the best all-around players in the NHL over the past few seasons, and a player of his caliber would be a lock on almost any team (apart from Team Canada). Unless Pavelski is injured, he will be one of the better players on the team. Extremely likely, almost definitely, a lock, a sure thing – however you want to call it, Joe Pavelski will be representing the Stars and Stripes.

Tomas Hertl

Quite Likely

The Czech Republic native has competed on several levels of competition for his country. He was part of the U18, U20, Euro Hockey Tour, and World Championship squads over the past few years. Hertl ranked 14^th in the NHL scoring last season amongst his fellow countrymen when he scored 31 points in his somewhat disappointing sophomore campaign. If Hertl will be able to improve on his last season’s performance, he is likely to make the Czech team. However, another step in the wrong direction, and he may just be left out of the roster.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Brent Burns

Likely->Maybe

Feb 4, 2015; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (44) skates during the warmup period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary Flames won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

The headache of choosing defensemen from a list of All-Star players is something many other countries would love to have, and it’s certainly something that Team Canada has to do. When you have players such as Duncan Keith, Shea Webber, Drew Doughty, Alex Pietrangelo, P.K. Subban in the mix, it becomes really hard to break into the fold. It is quite likely that next season’s performance will help shape the defensive corps for Team Canada.

It is tough to put any sort of probability on Vlasic’s and/or Burns’ chances on making the team. Vlasic represented Team Canada during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, and remains one of the most underrated and reliable defensemen in the game. Burns was tied for first place among all NHL defensemen in terms of points, and was one of many bright spots for Team Canada during this year’s World Championship. Considering the level of competition, there would not be a massive outrage if both players won’t play in the tournament. However, seeing both make the cut would not come as a shock either. These two are certainly on the bubble – they will either just make it, or will just miss out.

Mirco Mueller

Likely->Maybe

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Even after combining several European countries outside Russia, Sweden, Finland, and Czech Republic into Team Europe, the team does not strike as one that can adequately compete against teams from Canada or the USA. Consider the following statement – Mirco Mueller, who played in only 41 games in the NHL, and is the third pair defenseman for the Sharks, has pretty good chances of making Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Mueller will likely be joined by two other Swiss defenders – Roman Josi from the

Nashville Predators

and Luca Sbisa from the

Vancouver Canucks

. If Mueller keeps his spot on the Sharks roster – he is expected to make Team Europe.

Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau

Maybe

Just when you thought that picking players from the pool of Canadian defensemen was hard, wait until you see the list of all the forwards that are available. Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Toews, John Tavares – all these and many more players are masterpieces as far as what hockey players could be.

However, Patrick Marleau has been able to make the cut for the past two Olympic selections, and managed to make an impact as well. Last season’s performance hurts his chances, but an improved 2015-16 season will likely put Marleau on the verge of making the team. At this stage he appears to be more on the outside looking in. A lot will be hanging on next season for Logan Couture as well. Couture is now in his prime years, and was really close to making the roster for the 2014 Winter Olympic Team Canada. A good season from number 39 could go a long way and will keep him on the radar for Canada’s GM Doug Armstrong.

Paul Martin

Maybe->Unlikely

Feb 17, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Paul Martin (7) reacts on the ice against the Washington Capitals during the third period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Washington won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Martin was on the Olympic roster for Team USA in Sochi, but it is not certain if he will feature for the Americans during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He would certainly be on the radar for Team USA General Manager Dean Lombardi, but there is some good competition for the spots. Players like Ryan Suter, Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Shattenkirk, and John Carlson are only a few of the possible candidates to fill in the spots on the defensive unit for Team USA. If the expected Martin-Burns partnership clicks for the Sharks next season, Paul Martin’s chances may be elevated. At this stage, Martin is somewhere in the Top-10 of American defensemen eligible for the team, so there will surely be some discussion about his candidacy.

Joe Thornton
Unlikely->Very Long Shot

Joe Thornton was omitted from an overloaded Team Canada for the 2014 Winter Olympics. He has not done anything exceptional over the past one-and-a-half years to change anyone’s mind. He remains a productive player with incredible ice vision, and steady passing, but it is so hard to crack the talented Team Canada roster.

For more information on the 2016 World Cup of Hockey please follow the link to the official NHL webpage.

Next: San Jose Sharks 2014-15 Review: Tomas Hertl

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