The first real Olympic line look for Matthews and Nylander is in
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Auston Matthews got to figure out who his linemates were ahead of his first Olympic game meanwhile we have a pretty good idea of where William Nylander will play.
The Winter Olympics are taking place in Milan and while we have to wait a little bit for the ice hockey portion, we are starting to see more news come about regarding what we can expect.
Auston Matthews was named captain of Team USA, meanwhile William Nylander was unfortunately not selected to be part of the leadership group though that doesn't mean he won't be able to lead by example.
Team USA reveals lineup, Team Sweden has a projected group
But it then becomes a question of who is going to line up with these two players (as well as defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson) and with everyone looking for a prime spot in the lineup; who knows where they'll end up.
Well, that mystery has seemingly been solved in day one of practice.
Auston Matthews was placed on a line centering Jake Guentzel and Matt Boldy, and for his first Olympic Games, it's not a bad grouping to be put with.
All three are wildly talented offensive players and a player like Guentzel -- who has won a Stanley Cup, can help with guiding them through rough waters.
Nylander's lines haven't been officially announced though NHL.com put out their projected lineups and the Maple Leafs winger takes the top spot:
Olympic lines are starting to get fans excited
The NHL places defensive forward Jesper Bratt as well as veteran star Mika Zibanejad alongside Nylander and the combination of playmaking, defense and scoring is sure to bring Tre Kronor fans a lot of hope for a gold medal.
Going to how impressive both lines are, the trio of Matthews/Boldy/Guentzel combine for 170 points (84 goals, 86 assists) meanwhile Nylander/Zibanejad/Bratt have 145 points (44 goals, 101 assists).
You've got a lot of goal-scoring with Team USA but Sweden has the playmaking advantage.
It will be interesting to see how these lines adapt given the games played will always leave room for changes but for now it seems like Team USA and Team Sweden are in good hands.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 8|1286 ANSWERS The first real Olympic line look for Matthews and Nylander is in Who has the advantage going into the Olympics? | ||
| Team USA | 683 | 53.1 % |
| Team Sweden | 603 | 46.9 % |
| List of polls | ||