NHL players are heading to the Olympics for the first time since 2014. After a rousing success at the 4 Nations Face-Off last year, the league is hoping to capitalize on an all-time Canada-USA rivalry. Team Canada has their roster for the Olympics and maintains Gold Medal expectations. Will they win it all for the fourth time since 2002?

The obvious argument against Canada in the Olympics is the goaltending. Jordan Binnington was great for them at the 4 Nations, but he has been dreadful this year. Before the tournament last year, he had a .897 save percentage for the St Louis Blues. This year, after allowing seven goals to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, he has a .871 save percentage. Canada has an issue with their starting goalie, but has a hero rising.

Logan Thompson made the team thanks to a fantastic season with the Washington Capitals. He is second in the league in Goals Saved Above Expected, per MoneyPuck, and has been a big reason for Washington's record so far this year. Because of Binnington's dominance last year, he will be the de facto starter to begin the Olympics. But Team Canada does not have a goaltending issue because they took Thompson.

Team Canada was always going to put together a fantastic forward unit. They did that and more by taking 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini to Milan amid his MVP-caliber season. All 14 forwards coming to Milan can score at an elite rate, and they have one of the best goalies of the year in net in Thompson. The roster questions come from the blueline, where the same eight players are coming back from the 4 Nations.

Elite scoring, which Team USA left at home, will be the reason Canada wins the Gold Medal. But the defense could hold up the defending champs.

Team Canada's biggest detractor could cost them Gold

Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada forward Connor McDavid (97) celebrates scoring in overtime to win with defenseman Devon Toews (5) and defenseman Cale Makar (8) and forward Mitch Marner (16) against Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game at TD Garden
Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

At the 4 Nations Face-Off, Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore got hurt. That meant Canada had to call in a defenseman from the snub pile and went with Dallas Stars youngster Thomas Harley. With an extra spot on the Olympics roster, both Harley and Theodore are heading to Milan. Cale Makar, Drew Doughty, Travis Sanheim, Devon Toews, Colton Parayko, and Josh Morrisey round out the unit.

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There was one player who made a lot of noise in the Canadian Olympic roster race this season. 18-year-old Matthew Schaefer has blown all expectations out of the water for the New York Islanders. His electricity on the ice has galvanized the entire Islanders organization. He has also proven to be a key part of Canada's international squads moving forward, but is not going to Milan.

The defensemen are the only group that provides some weakness for other teams to prey on in the Olympics. But the Americans did not bring some of their top scorers, like Jason Robertson and Alex DeBrincat. Canada did bring the best scorers in the world, even leaving Connor Bedard at home just because there wasn't enough room.

Canada's dominance at an international level is decades old. But in the Olympics, they went from 1952 to 2002 without a Gold Medal. With NHL players not participating for many of those years, they were not fielding their best roster. In the two cycles without NHL players, Russia and Finland won the titles. Now, Canada is back and looking for another title.

The 4 Nations Face-Off proved that Canada and the US are very close at the highest level of hockey. But the rosters the respective countries built drastically favor the Canadians. Connor Hellebuyck is the most important piece to the rivalry, as the defending MVP and multi-time Vezina Trophy winner. But with injuries hampering the Winnipeg Jets' goalie, Canada's power could sway the rivalry even more.

Canada opens their Olympic schedule on February 12 against Czechia. At the World Junior Championships, Czechia has eliminated Canada three years in a row. The seniors will look for revenge before facing Switzerland and France to finish off the round robin. They are heavy favorites to make it out of the round robin, where the real tournament will start.

Canada built an incredible roster up front and has a hot goalie in Logan Thompson. That will propel them to a Gold Medal, despite some questionable choices on the blue line.