Who defends Canada's Olympic gold now that the NHL is out?

Editor's note: With Monday's news that the NHL will not participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics, we revisit this Tim Wharnsby story from early November on what Canada's roster could look like in Pyeongchang in the absence of NHL players.

The Deutschland Cup came and went in early November in Augsburg, Germany without much fanfare in Canada.

But it was significant for a couple of reasons: the international hockey tournament marked the return of Dave King behind the Canadian national team bench for the first time since the 1999 IIHF World Championship, and it was the first event in Hockey Canada's evaluation of players who could compete in the 2018 Olympics if the NHL decided not to participate in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Hockey Canada's backup plan has been that the Canadian men's hockey roster will consist of professionals who play in Europe and the American Hockey League

"Hockey Canada is a well-run machine and it should have a Plan B," said the 68-year-old King, whose team finished second to Slovakia in the four-team, three-day round-robin tournament. "We had a bunch of dynamic kids [in Germany]. The one thing I noticed is how proud they were to put on a Canadian sweater."

Blue-line impresses coach

King's old national team goalie, Sean Burke, now a pro scout with the Montreal Canadiens, put together the team with the help of King and his Canadian coaching staff of Mike Pelino, Luke Richardson and Mike Stewart.

Pelino coaches in Russia and Stewart in Augsburg. Richardson will be priceless in helping Hockey Canada scope the AHL landscape. He coaches the Binghamton Senators.

King came away impressed with the play of Canada's defence at the Deutschland Cup, particularly Mat Robinson (Dynamo, Russia), Chay Genoway (Jokerit, Finland), Geoff Kinrade (Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, Russia) and Jon Sigalet (Frolunda, Sweden). King liked the way this group skated and moved the puck.

Up front, right wing Kevin Clark (Brynas, Sweden) of Winnipeg led the way with three goals in three games. Canada blanked Switzerland 3-0, dropped a 4-3 shootout decision to Slovakia and defeated Germany 3-1, but finished second behind the Slovakians, who finished a perfect 3-0.

While this was only the first step for Hockey Canada, I asked a Canadian coach in Europe and two NHL pro scouts to help construct a list of players who should be given consideration for the 23-player Olympic "Plan B" roster.

Here's what we came up with*:

Goalies (3) — Michael Leighton (Charlotte, AHL), Kevin Poulin (Russia), Danny Taylor (Russia).

Defence (11) — Andre Benoit (Sweden), Andrew Bodnarchuk (Texas, AHL), Stefan Elliott (Russia), Taylor Fedun (Rochester, AHL), Genoway, Cody Goloubef (Cleveland, AHL), Brad Hunt (Chicago, AHL), Kinrade, Robinson, Sigalet, Jordan Subban (Utah, AHL). 

Forwards (23) — Michael Bournival (Syracuse, AHL), Clark, Matt D'Agostini (Switzerland), Gabriel Dumont (Syracuse, AHL), Andrew Ebbett (Switzerland), Matt Ellison (Russia), Andrew Gordon (Sweden), Curtis Hamilton (Italy), Quinton Howden (Manitoba, AHL), Charles Hudon (St. John's, AHL), Brenden Kichton (Manitoba, AHL), Brandon Kozun Russia), Brendan Leipsic (Toronto, AHL), J.C. Lipon (Manitoba, AHL), Anthony Mantha (Grand Rapids, AHL), Derek Roy (Russia), Greg Scott (Russia), Ben Street (Grand Rapids, AHL), Paul Szczechura (Russia), Max Talbot (Russia), Chris Terry (St. John's), Phil Varone (Binghamton, AHL), Linden Vey (Stockton, AHL).

*Some of the players on this list could be in the NHL next season, which could jeopardize their Olympic status. Mantha, for example, played 60 games for the Detroit Red Wings after this story was first published.