Filip Chlapik (Czech Republic)
The Ottawa Senators are all about the future right now, so with that in mind let’s close out the list with another player who’s just breaking into the NHL. While Chlapik hasn’t looked out of place in his 56 NHL games to date, he’s likely the longest shot on this list to represent his country and the Sens in Beijing.
That’s not so much a knock against him as it is a testament to the country’s sneaky deep forward pool. While the top of the lineup sees well-known stars Tomas Hertl, David Pastrnak, and David Krejci, the next tier is littered with young talent including Martin Necas, Filip Chytil, Dominik Kubalik, and Ondrej Kase. While Chlapik should take major steps forward in the next year and a half, so should most of the other players he’ll be battling this, so while it’s certainly possible for him to make the team, I wouldn’t get my hopes up.
Olympic Chance: 15%