World Cup rosters being announced

[CarltonTheBear]

Teams are announcing their preliminary rosters for the World Cup tournament throughout the day. They are required to announce 16 players, and at least 2 of them have to be goalies.

Here's Russia's roster: https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/ovechkin--malkin-headline-russia-s-16-player-world-cup-roster-083747554.html

And Finland's: https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/barkov--maatta--rask-lead-team-finland-s-world-cup-of-hockey-roster-101135246.html

 

[Frank E]

Russia, you look goooooooood.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Russia, you look goooooooood.

Usually their forwards look great but there's a bunch of KHL guys that end up mucking up the works. But with the emergence of Tarasenko, Kuznetsov, and Kucherov they've got a lot more depth there.

Some familiarity there too. Ovechkin-Kuznetsov. Anisimov-Panarin. For a team that's often struggled with chemistry that can be a huge help.

If those are the first 3 defencemen they can think of though...

 

[bustaheims]

If those are the first 3 defencemen they can think of though...

That's been their weakness for a long time. They don't produce high-end defencemen.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

That's been their weakness for a long time. They don't produce high-end defencemen.

It's pretty bizarre really. They haven't developed anyone even close to a top pairing defenceman since Zubov/Gonchar/Markov.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

People are talking about Brad Marchand as if he's a 100% lock to make Team Canada. That's going to make the Young Stars team a little more appealing to me.

 

[L K]

Russia, you look goooooooood.

Usually their forwards look great but there's a bunch of KHL guys that end up mucking up the works. But with the emergence of Tarasenko, Kuznetsov, and Kucherov they've got a lot more depth there.

Some familiarity there too. Ovechkin-Kuznetsov. Anisimov-Panarin. For a team that's often struggled with chemistry that can be a huge help.

If those are the first 3 defencemen they can think of though...

Supposedly they aren't going to send any(?) KHL players to this World Cup but they might starting at the next one.

 

[Kin]

Supposedly they aren't going to send any(?) KHL players to this World Cup but they might starting at the next one.

Since the World Cup is 100% a revenue generating exercise for the NHL/NHLPA it would make very little sense for KHL players to be involved. I know we think it's a joke of a league but you'd essentially be asking KHL owners to risk the health of their best and most marketable players so that the NHL, which they see as a rival, gets richer.

 

[Frank E]

Googled Russian current defenders:

 

[cabber24]

The fact that Canadians will be playing against one another tarnishes this tournament for me. I don't want to cannibalize my own. The patriotism is gone from the tourney. It will be good hockey, better than Switzerland or Kazakhstan so I guess they went with a better on ice product then national pride. I am confused by the whole thing, why not just have a global draft of the worlds best 200 hockey players?

 

[L K]

Sweden's preliminary roster:
G Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
G Jacob Markstrom, Vancouver Canucks
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes
D Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
D Niklas Hjalmarsson, Chicago Blackhawks
D Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
D Niklas Kronwall, Detroit Red Wings
D Anton Stralman, Tampa Bay Lightning
F Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals
F Loui Eriksson, Boston Bruins
F Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators
F Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche
F Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
F Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
F Alexander Steen, St. Louis Blues
F Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings

 

[Kin]

That Russian D is so bad you wonder if Zaitsev, who figures to be in the NHL next year, stands a chance of making the team. 

I like that Swedish defense though. 

 

[Kin]

The fact that Canadians will be playing against one another tarnishes this tournament for me.

Really? I love the idea. I wish they went one step further with it. Instead of a "young stars" team it should be a Canada B team 

 

[Frank E]

That Russian D is so bad you wonder if Zaitsev, who figures to be in the NHL next year, stands a chance of making the team. 

I like that Swedish defense though.

Maybe if Zaitsev is under contract with an NHL team at that point?

And that Swedish D doesn't include Klingberg.  TSN is making a big deal out of that.

 

[Kin]

And that Swedish D doesn't include Klingberg.  TSN is making a big deal out of that.

He sort of seems best suited to that 7th D-Man role PK played for us at the Olympics anyway. Between Karlsson, OEL and Hedman it's not like they need a ton of offense from the point and I think you need Hjarlmarsson/Kronwall/Stralman for PK duties/tough assignments.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Supposedly they aren't going to send any(?) KHL players to this World Cup but they might starting at the next one.

The Czech team has a couple of KHLers announced. One with NHL ties, the other doesn't. I'm a little surprised that they've opened it up to them, since this is primarily a NHL, not IIHF, event. They might have had to keep it open out of necessity though. Finland for example only has 4 defencemen playing on a regular basis in the NHL. I'm sure there's some AHL guys they could look at to fill up the roster but if there's a Finn whose willing to play and whose team is willing to let him play, may as well let him.

 

[Kin]

I'm sure there's some AHL guys they could look at to fill up the roster but if there's a Finn whose willing to play and whose team is willing to let him play, may as well let him.

God god, that's Aki Berg's music.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

The fact that Canadians will be playing against one another tarnishes this tournament for me.

Really? I love the idea. I wish they went one step further with it. Instead of a "young stars" team it should be a Canada B team 

I realize this is crazy and would certainly never happen, but I would definitely watch two management groups draft players for two separate Team Canada's.

 

[cabber24]

I'm sure there's some AHL guys they could look at to fill up the roster but if there's a Finn whose willing to play and whose team is willing to let him play, may as well let him.

God god, that's Aki Berg's music.

I got an Aki Berg story for you. I was sitting 5 rows behind the Leafs bench, had a few pops in me, Aki Berg gets setup on a tee for a slapper and he misses the puck all together and throws his stick down as if he's broken it. I started yelling at him and continue to do so when he comes to the bench that his stick was fine and he just sucks and not to blame the stick. I'm yelling I'll take the stick, it's not broken. At the stoppage of play the ref who heard me picks up the stick inspects it to see that's it's not broken. The players are snickering at Berg's expense. The ref brings the stick to the trainer and signals to the trainer to give me the stick. The trainer wouldn't. The crowd and players were laughing. Berg sucks...

 

[L K]

The fact that Canadians will be playing against one another tarnishes this tournament for me.

Really? I love the idea. I wish they went one step further with it. Instead of a "young stars" team it should be a Canada B team

Team Overlooked?  Set up a young GM who gets to pick a team of players who didn't get selected by their National team and they can try and make their home country look foolish for not selecting them.