Before we start, let’s be clear about one thing: Slovakia would be a medal contender if Juraj Slafkovský were on the roster. Neither Sweden nor Finland looks as strong as they usually do, and the Olympic MVP, World Championship performer, and Montreal Canadiens first overall draft pick could have exploited that, maybe not just by his play, but also in the belief in the team his presence would provide.
Slovakia is still far from a bad team. Budding NHL prospects Šimon Nemec and Filip Mešár will make this team play well and get them to the quarter-finals, however Slafkovský would have gotten this team even further.