Heroic Shrimp said:
Having Gordon and Cronin both coaching the US team probably helped.
World Championships
- Thread starter Deebo
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Having Gordon and Cronin both coaching the US team probably helped.
Redleaf
Active member
ontariojames said:
Best players still in the playoffs? Take a look at this developing roster, and tell me ...how many players are the Canadians really missing. Crosby? Toews, Seguin?
Stamkos and Nash declined, but other than those three Forwards, there aren't many players that could possibly make this team a whole lot better. The defence would obviously improve if Weber, Doughty, and Keith were available, but it gives a few of the lessor known names a chance to shine and perhaps surprise.
While I realize this ain't the Oylmpics, it still pretty fun to watch these guys develop line chemistry, and to see how some of the younger guys stack up against the veterans while playing against some pretty good competition.
Does anyone think Phaneuf will look a lot better on the D of this star studded team than he does on the Leafs?
http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/189926/la_id/1/ss_id/173934/
Redleaf
Active member
Nik? said:
Besides Crosby and Toews (and obviously the D) I'd call this line up the B team, but regardless the Canadian always have the ability to send at least two competitive teams to any international tournament. This years team is most star studded as I've seen in some time for this tournament, at least up front.
Kin
New member
RedLeaf said:
Really? You wouldn't call Claude Giroux, the #3 scorer in the NHL, a guy who'd make the A team? You wouldn't take a 40 goal scorer like Neal or Lucic over Teddy Purcell? Wouldn't take the #4 scorer in the league over Ryan O'reilly?
More importantly, would you take a single one of the guys named to that defense over any of the guys I named? Marc Methot doesn't edge out Shea Weber for your A-team? How about Devin Dubnyk over the two goalies Canada brought to the Olympics?
Get real.
Kin
New member
RedLeaf said:
Well, your irrational Teddy Purcell boosterism aside the issue is one that's even more pronounced for other teams than it is for Canada. Russia wouldn't have
Ovechkin-Malkin-Kovalchuk
Radulov-Datsyuk-Semin
That's basically their entire top 6. Do they have another 6 players of comparable ability? Think Slovakia can just replace Chara, Hossa and Gaborik? Think Sweden doesn't need Lundqvist, Zetterberg, Karlsson or the Sedins? The leading Czech scorer in the NHL who didn't make the playoffs was Vinny Prospal for goodness sakes.
Redleaf
Active member
Nik? said:
Not sure what point your arguing now Nik? My original point was that this team, more specifically the group of forwards, represents a star studded group, closely resembling Canada's best, regardless of the players that are unavailable who are playing in the playoffs. Are you arguing that point, or are you inventing new arguments and placing me as the opposition?
Kin
New member
RedLeaf said:
The post you replied to was:
ontariojames said:
You'll notice there's no specific mention of Canada but rather OJ's point about the tournament is dealing with the various countries who compete. Your response led off with
RedLeaf said:
Which, as mentioned, is true for Canada who will not be bringing (at least) their 4 best available forwards, the entirety of their best defense and their best goaltenders but is especially true for the other countries involved.
So OJ's point is spot on the money and, I'm guessing, you confused the plural "countries" for the possessive "country's".
Kin
New member
RedLeaf said:
Well, A) If your point is that Canada's forward roster even vaguely resembles the forward roster they'd be bringing to a real, prestigious best-on-best tournament then I disagree, as mentioned, because I'd lean towards the #4 scorer in the NHL and #4 goal-scorer over Ryan O'Reilly/Teddy Purcell not to mention that Stamkos' and Nash's "injuries" probably wouldn't keep them out of the Olympics but B) Even if we were to accept the idea that Canada's team even vaguely resembles it's best effort it doesn't address the central issue of what an international tournament really means when most countries are sending hastily compiled rosters that don't come close to representing their best and are largely dependent on the outcome of the NHL regular season.
Redleaf
Active member
Nik? said:
Please. This group of forwards doesn't even vaguely resemble the group Canada would send to the Olympics?
F Jordan Eberle
F Ryan Getzlaf
F Evander Kane
F Andrew Ladd
F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
F Corey Perry
F Jeff Skinner
F John Tavares
I would say nearly every single one of these players will be in Sochi if the NHL participates.
Kin
New member
RedLeaf said:
No. For starters, there are 4 guys who absolutely A1 make the team over every single one of those guys. Toews, Crosby, Stamkos, Giroux. Then there's Neal who, again, was the 2nd highest Canadian goal-scorer this season. Then there's Spezza who was, again, the 4th best scorer in the NHL this season. Then there's Nash. Then there's Staal and Thornton and so on.
Then you'd get to a part of the roster where things like defense/grit matter. That's why the last Olympic team featured guys like Bergeron and Morrow and Mike Richards. Rounding out an Olympic roster you'd see guys like that. or Lucic or Patrick Sharp over softer guys like Eberle or RNH. I think of that list you'd probably see Tavares make the team and maybe the guys from the Ducks if they were feeling nostalgic.
edit: And if it's a case of projecting out a couple years to 2014 and Sochi, as opposed to saying what the team would look like if the Olympics were tomorrow(which is what I was doing) then there are young guys like Hall and Seguin and so on who are ahead of most of those guys.
Kin
New member
RedLeaf said:
Well, those two guys did have significantly better seasons than Perry and Getzlaf but I did say the guys from the Ducks would probably make the team. For me, right now, a best on best Team Canada forward group would probably look something like this:
Toews-Crosby-Nash
Tavares-Stamkos-Giroux
Spezza-Getzlaf-Perry
Neal-Bergeron-Lucic
Staal or Iginla
maplesyrup
New member
Nik? said:
I like that group but I'd put Stamkos where you have Toews (Stamkos has enjoyed success on the wing) and drop Toews where you have Stamkos. I'd also need to think about Lucic.
Redleaf
Active member
Nik? said:
Yeah. Going by the stats of a good season is always the best way to pick players for a best-of international team 2 years from now. I'd throw out Spezza and Neal in your line-up and replace them with Eberle and Kane. I'd wait for another season (and this tournament) to get a better read on Nugent-Hopkins and Jeff Skinner moving forward, as I think they both could be a lot better by the time the Olympics rolls around.