Just how many Bruins will participate in 2022 Olympics?

Author Ty Anderson

September 7th, 2021 7:25 PM

Eight years after their trip to Sochi for the 2014 Olympics, and after skipping the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, the NHL will make its triumphant return to the Olympics in 2022.

The Bruins know of at least two members of their organization who will be partaking in this year’s festivities, with Don Sweeney and Bruce Cassidy both part of Team Canada’s staff. Sweeney’s trip to international play will come with him as an assistant general manager on Doug Armstrong’s staff, while Cassidy will serve as an assistant coach alongside Pete DeBoer and Barry Trotz on a team coached by the Lightning’s Jon Cooper.

But who else will be making the trek to Beijing alongside Cassidy and Sweeney?

• Patrice Bergeron (Canada)

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  Starting over the border, a healthy Patrice Bergeron seems like a lock for what will be his third trip to the Olympics, and eighth time representing Canada on the international stage.
  
  Still one of the best two-way centers and faceoff men in the league, Bergeron's longtime chemistry and connection with projected Canadian captain Sidney Crosby only further helps his odds, on top of the... y'know... top-line production even as Bergeron begins to approach his late-30s.
  
  Bergeron, who is one of 29 players in the Triple Gold Club (an Olympic gold, a World Championship gold, and a Stanley Cup), played with Crosby on Canada's top line during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and finished with four goals and seven points in six games on the way to a gold finish over Team Europe.

• Brad Marchand (Canada)

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  You can't have Bergeron with Brad Marchand, and Team Canada probably feels the same after watching the way the duo played with Crosby as a line during that aforementioned 2016 World Cup of Hockey, as the trio combined for 25 points in six games. Marchand alone contributed five goals and eight points in six contests.
  
  Rewind back to 2016 and you'll see that Marchand was extended the invite to Team Canada after a career-high 37 goals and 61 points during the 2015-16 season, and four goals and seven points in 10 games at the 2016 World Championships.
  
  And fast forward to today and you'll see that that 2016 invite and involvement in Team Canada led to what's been a simply absurd offensive explosion from the 5-foot-9 wing, with 426 points in 350 games since the start of the 2016 season. Only Leon Draisaitl (446) and Connor McDavid (526) have scored more points. Marchand also ranks sixth in goals over that span, with 166, trailing only David Pastrnak (175), Draisaitl (178), McDavid (179), Auston Matthews (199), and Alex Ovechkin (205).
  
  In addition to the Hart-level production, Marchand has additional value to Team Canada as one of the game's premier penalty-killing threats, with a league-leading 26 shorthanded points over his last five seasons.

• Charlie McAvoy (United States)

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  Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy's big 2021-22 is almost sure to include a trip to Beijing.
  
  The face of the Boston defense following the 2020 departures of Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara, McAvoy finished the 2021 season fifth in Norris Trophy voting, and is slated to be part of a loaded Team USA right-side defense grouping that's expected to feature McAvoy, John Carlson, Seth Jones, and Jacob Trouba.
  
  McAvoy won gold at the 2017 World Junior Championships, and was part of the United States team that won bronze at the 2018 World Championships, with three goals and nine points in six games.
• Linus Ullmark (Sweden)

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  Henrik Lundqvist's retirement has opened up an opportunity in Sweden's crease. And new B's netminder Linus Ullmark will surely be among those who now sport a chance with The King out of the picture for Tre Kronor.
  
  Ullmark was one of eight Swedish born netminders to appear in at least one game last year, and ranked third in wins (nine) behind Jakob Markstrom (22) and Robin Lehner (13), and this is is where we mention that Ullmark played behind a downright dreadful Buffalo team. His nine wins are probably worth more than Lehner's 13 behind Vegas if we added some sort of 'weight' factor to the equation. But that didn't stop the 28-year-old from posting the top save percentage among that group (minimum 10 games played), at .917.
  
  If Ullmark's move to the Bruins comes with the statistical (and health) boost that many within the walls of TD Garden expect, Ullmark could emerge as a potential favorite for the No. 1 gig in Sweden.

• David Pastrnak (Czech Republic)

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  Bruins winger David Pastrnak has already cemented his status as a Czech hockey legend. Now comes his first step onto Olympic ice representing the Czech Republic. As crazy as it may sound given his international experience (35 games as a junior and another 24 as a senior), Pastrnak has yet to play for his country in the Olympics.
  
  That will certainly change in 2022, with Pastrnak expected to be the face of the Czech team.
  
  The 25-year-old Pastrnak is coming off a 2021 campaign that included 20 goals and 48 points in 48 games (and seven goals and 15 points in 11 postseason contests), and a Rocket Richard Trophy win in 2019-20.
  
  Pastrnak last represented his country in 2018 at the World Championships, with four goals and six points in five games.

• Tomas Nosek (Czech Republic)

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  After a career-high eight goals and 18 points in 38 games with the Vegas Golden Knight in 2021, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Nosek could make a case as a potential bottom of the roster option for the Czech Republic in 2022.
  
  It'll be interesting to see how Nosek's 2021-22 season helps his chances, too, as the Bruins are entering the season with the expectation that Nosek will center the team's fourth line.
• Jakub Zboril (Czech Republic)

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  2015 first-round pick Jakub Zboril finished the year out of the rotation for the Boston defense, but a relatively thin Czech defense should certainly have room for him in 2022. One of just six Czech-born defenseman to play in the NHL last year, Zboril's nine points were the third-most among Czech defenseman in 2021 (only the Wings' Filip Hronek and Florida's Radko Gudas were more productive), and Zboril's 17:03 per night also ranked third among that group.
  
  It's worth mentioning that that group did not include the Capitals' Michal Kempny, who missed the entire NHL season after suffering an Achilles injury in Oct. 2020, but again, it's not the deepest grouping for the Czechs.
  
  Zboril has not represented the Czech Republic as a pro, but appeared in 29 games of international play in juniors, with six goals and 18 points in 29 games over six international tournaments from 2013 through 2017.

• Erik Haula (Finland)

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  Another bubble option, a strong bounce-back season with the Bruins could put forward Erik Haula back on Finland's radar.
  
  Haula, who is still trying to recapture the magic of his career-best 2017-18 season in Vegas, scored nine goals and 21 points in 51 games for the Predators last year, and finished with one goal and four points in six postseason appearances.
  
  That was good enough for 12th-most among Finnish skaters in the NHL last season. But one problem for Haula: Finland's forward group is loaded at both center and with left shots. That could put Haula at a potential disadvantage as a bubble player.

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Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.

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Author Ty Anderson

Category:

• Bruins
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• Ty Anderson

Tags:

2022 Olympics,boston bruins,brad marchand,charlie mcavoy,david pastrnak,erik haula,jakub zboril,patrice bergeron,tomas nosek