The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi are about a month away, and the entire hockey world will have its eyes on a tournament that happens only once every four years. Rosters have been announced for most countries and while there have been some questionable selections to each team, the excitement of the Winter Games should be at an all-time high.
While every bit of this year's tournament will be fun to watch, there are certain players in particular that should be extra interesting to follow. Here are the top five players to watch in this year's Olympics.
Ilya Kovalchuk - Russia
Kovalchuk shocked the hockey world this past summer, leaving the NHL and his massive contract with the New Jersey Devils behind for the Kontinental Hockey League back home in Russia.
This will be the first time many North American hockey fans will have heard from the former NHL superstar, and there will be no shortage of storylines to follow him around. First of all, Kovalchuk will be playing on a team with three of the most talented players of the past decade in Alexander Ovechkin, Pavel Datsyuk and Evgeni Malkin. It is unclear who Kovalchuk's linemates will be, but he will certainly be playing alongside some of the most talented players in the world.
Speaking of talent, the bigger ice surfaces should allow for more offensively-laden games. This will benefit Kovalchuk, who is now used to playing on Russian ice again, as well as the rest of the Russian team in that it is based on talent and finesse.
Chris Kunitz - Canada
Canada GM Steve Yzerman has drawn a lot of scrutiny for selecting Kunitz over a number of worthy players. Kunitz was never regarded as an elite player until he started putting up monster numbers...next to Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh.
Without Crosby by his side, would Kunitz come anywhere close to consideration for a spot on Team Canada? Very unlikely. Nevertheless, Kunitz was brought in to play alongside Crosby because, sometimes, chemistry is more important than talent.
Henrik Lundqvist - Sweden
Lundqvist, normally thought of as the best goaltender on the planet, has struggled uncharacteristically this season. Despite his issues, he will still be between the pipes for an extremely talented Swedish team. If he can improve his play by then, the Swedes will be a top contender for a medal. If not, they could be eliminated sooner than anticipated.
Roberto Luongo - Canada
Arguably the only concern for Team Canada this year is goaltending. Countries like the United States, Finland and possibly Sweden will have advantages in goal over our moose-riding, syrup-drinking neighbors if everything plays out as expected.
Luongo has faced criticism from everywhere in recent years, but his performance in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics may have been the reason that his struggling Canadian team rebounded and won gold.
He has been playing well this season under new Canucks head coach John Tortorella's shot-blocking system. Will he be able to continue his success as a part of an offensive-heavy team?
John Tavares - Canada
If John Tavares can put up ridiculous numbers with a mediocre New York Islanders team surrounding him, imagine how great he could be while surrounded by essentially an All-Star team. This year's Olympic Tournament has Tavares's name written all over it. He is playing on what may be the most talented Olympic roster of all time, and the bigger ice surface plays right up his alley and opens up the game for more skilled players.