Time to think about WHC.
Looks like available players at the end of regular season will be:
-Players that should be locks:
Dadonov - Anisimov(because center depth)
Provorov - Zadorov (stay healthy this time. both of you!)
-Players that might get an invite... or not:
Buchnevich(hate to say it, but this season doesn't make him a lock in my book), Namestnikov(see Anisimov), Kovalchuk(not likely).
-Longshots I'd go with:
Yakovlev, Lyubushkin, Barbashev at least for camp. Barbashev could be a good 4th liner.
... and not go with:
Goldobin
-Bold move:
Gurianov. I am most of the time against picking AHLers, but he might be worth a look.
Possible 1st round exits:
Svechnikov(sorry, Carolina, it's not the regular season. even if they make it into the playoffs.)
The hilarious NHL playoff formula is just great
We might see WSH, PIT, CAR, CBJ clash in the first round. We will actually at least one pair of them. And one of the three latter will draw Tampa if Montreal does not go on a tear and catch'em with their pants down.
Time for Malkin to do something for his country again
.
Also pulling for Boston. I grew to dislike Toronto for many reasons and I'd rather see Zaytsev and Ozhiganov on this side of the pond in May.
So in a perfect world WSH, BOS and TBL advance and we get Svechnikov, Zaytsev, Ozghiganov, Panarin or Malkin.
STL might meltdown easily, but I am a bit concerned with Tarasenko's recent injury. Maybe he should rest and heal. He needed long enough to get on track after the surgery.
Radulov will be available probably, but the old grudges...
Which brings me to my wishlist:
Panarin - Malkin - Kaprizov
Gusev - Shipachyov - Dadonov
Kagarlitskiy - Anisimov/Namestnikov - Svechnikov
Whoever are the 4th liners.
HM: Buchnevich, Gurianov and from the KHL Grigorenko, Barabanov, Mikheev.
Provorov - Zadorov
Zaytsev - Ozhiganov
Gavrikov - Medvedev
Chudinov - Yelesin
HM: Lyubuskin, Yakovlev, Antipin.