Really something that the "Canadian Open" is the first slam ever where zero Canadian teams even make the semi's (men or women)
I think a lot of it is hangover from trials. I've always thought it was stupid to have trials so close to the Olympics. Our trials are so tough, teams plan their season around peaking for it, have to run the gauntlet, then whomever survives has to try to regroup in mere weeks and gets poured on a plane to go halfway around the world to then try to play for a gold medal. It's too much mentally, if not physically.
We should be doing it the season before, like they did for doubles this time around. Let the teams properly prepare (go to the test event, play a couple bonspiels overseas, let them get used to different ice and opposition) and plan their season around peaking for the Olympics. What success we've had at the Olympics up to now I think was largely in spite of our trials system, not owing too it... and we've struggled pretty badly the last couple Olympics.
It's hard to compete with the Edin's and Mouat's of the world when they're just as skilled as you are, and have also known since spring they were going and planned their seasons around the Olympics. Not that any system is fool proof, but they've giving themselves every chance to compete for gold.
Trials with a short turn around are one thing for individual sports, like speed skating or athletics. But even then, the top contenders have their spots sewn up ahead of time, the trials are largely just to make up the numbers from those on the bubble. For curling in this country it's such a gauntlet just to get out, it's a helluva ask to expect teams to peak for that, get thru, come down from that high, then cram for the Olympics in just a matter of weeks