Which players should be concerned about their place?

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The arrival of NHL player Kevin Fiala (LA Kings) to Riga (Let) means that a Swiss qualified for the last two World Cup games is likely to drop out of the lineup. “It’s a nice problem that players come to us later,” says Patrick Fischer. Because that means they’ve been involved in the NHL playoffs longer. “This year we kept a few places open,” explains the national coach, who will generally play with seven defenders and 13 attackers.

But which actors should worry about their place? Especially since Devils captain Nico Hischier and defender Jonas Siegenthaler are also expected in Latvia on Tuesday. Blick mentions shaky candidates.

At the EVZ it is a center. Coach Fischer used the World Cup debutants as a wing against Slovenia and Norway – deliberately as a placeholder for Fiala? A plausible explanation. Because due to the oversupply of strong Swiss centers, the 30-year-old Senteler is the shaky candidate number 1.

He is stable and can play hard. Despite this, his influence on the game since the start of the tournament has been modest. The 28-year-old has not yet been able to show himself against Slovenia or Norway. In terms of physical strength, Herzog has yet to live up to his reputation. That’s why he’s on the list. But head coach Fischer actually seems to trust him: Over the past six years, Herzog has appeared at a number of major tournaments.

There must be a center for Hischier. Denis Malgin and Gaëtan Haas have excelled in this position since the start of the tournament. Enzo Corvi is indispensable as the centerpiece of Captain Niederreiter. Is the ice age now over for Geneva’s master spire? Not necessary. Fischer would have a chance to switch Malgin to the wing position. The national top scorer rocks there too, as he has proven several times. This solution would put even more pressure on Riat, Herzog or Senteler. For Richard it would be a reward for the convincing performance in the first two games.

Last in, first out? It’s not impossible. De Romand was only registered for the tournament when Calvin Thürkauf (shoulder injury) was out. Riat earned his place at last year’s World Cup with his physical presence. But now, with Fiala, one of the best wingers in the world has established himself, who can score goal after goal. Riat doesn’t hit him with that.

After a solid performance against Slovenia, the EVZ defender only had five minutes of ice time against Norway. The reason: Geisser was rested, a shoulder is giving him problems. After the game he had to be examined further. Should the 24-year-old get injured, that would be the easiest solution for Fischer.

De Ticino was the seventh defender in both games and is therefore in the interest of being replaced by Siegenthaler. Because (surprisingly) Andrea Glauser has developed into a defensively reliable and offensively creative player alongside NHL defenseman Janis Moser. The 27-year-old scored his first World Cup goal against Norway. Fora, on the other hand, sometimes reacts a little too hastily at this level.

Source : Blick