Again, I made predictions on other boards, but here you go -
1. RUS - Aliev, Samarin and maybe Kondratiuk. The 1st 2 skaters (IDK about the 3rd) are eligible and can certainly on a good day win this thing. Abundance of riches for the purposes of Nebelhorn. Easy 3rd spot.
2. CAN - Nam Nguyen and Roman Sadovsky are both capable skaters w/ big scores, but aren't both of them a bit hit-and-miss? I still think that one of them can do enough to secure a 2nd spot
3. USA - Another big question. Who to send? IF Zhou is healthy, then he is the best bet. He could actually win if he stands up. Otherwise, I think Yaro Paniot or Maxim Naumov are the more solid choices. We just need someone to place in the top 7. Hiwatashi, Krasnozhon, and Torgashev have been super wobbly.
I think there is a gap here ..
4. Kerry (AUS) - He can land a quad, but also can be hit or miss. He has a PB of 224. However, he usually does enough to make it to the finals at Worlds as of late (when he goes).
5. Litvintsev (AZE) - He has a PB of 230 and is in Plushenko's camp. I read he has had knee problems which probably affected him at 2021 Worlds. If he is healthy, he could be 4th or better if the US / CAN entry cracks up.
6. Fentz (GER) - He also has a PB of 230 but is more prone to subpar skates. I watched him only once or twice and he has simpler skates and can be clean-ish (from what I observed), but the judges were stingy from what I saw
7. Lee (KOR) - He has skated well recently and people seem to like him, although he only has a PB of 218. Didn't he beat Cha at a local competition? Maybe he is on an upswing w/ that victory. IDK how he compares to Fentz, Fa and maybe Kerry.
Siao Him Fa (FRA) - IDK. He has a PB of 220. Even if I didn't include him, it wouldn't surprise me if he nabs that 2nd spot for FRA. These 5 men, Kerry, Litvintsev, Fentz, Lee and Fa are likely the ones competing for 4 spots.