Team Canada 2014: What I think the roster should be...
Goalies:
Carey Price-the No.1 goalie option for Canada, a guy who has been the man for Montreal and has the most potential talent among Canadian goaltenders in the NHL.
Roberto Luongo-If Price falters or just can't handle the starting role, then why not give it to the guy who's already won gold before? Calm, cool and collected throughout most of the Vancouver goalie drama days, Luongo has veteran presence and ability to step in if needed.
Mike Smith-The 3rd goalie is a bit of a toss-up, but I like Smith more than the other two goalies at camp. He showed fantastic skills during Phoenix's run to the third round in 2012, and also played a decent game with Yzerman's Lightning back in the 2010 playoffs.
Why not the others? Crawford just won a Stanley Cup and played well to get Chicago there, but I am not a fan of his rebound control, and I'd like to see him start strong before I consider him for the team. Braden Holtby just hasn't proven to me that he is a good enough goalie to rise above the rest. Cam Ward is a guy who could easily sneak into consideration for the No.3 goalie spot, if he starts strong.
Defense:
Shea Weber-An obvious choice, he can do it all, and is already a gold medal winner, scoring 6 points in 7 games in Vancouver.
Drew Doughty-A cup winner, a gold medal victor, and the Kings undisputed No.1 D-man. He eats minutes and skates quite well, an easy pick.
Duncan Keith-The best left shot d-man by a large margin, a two-time cup winner. 6 assists in 7 games for the gold in 2010. I don't need to say more.
Alex Pietrangelo-All-around stalwart in St. Louis, the Blues always struggle when he's not on the ice. He can effortlessly move the puck and has a gold medal from the 2009 World Juniors with Canada under his belt.
Brent Seabrook-It's a joke that he isn't receiving more consideration to make the team, considering he's only become a better d-man since being part of the gold medal winning team in 2010. A natural guy to pair with Duncan Keith, he's shown a knack to score clutch goals and also is a physical presence. Was arguably the most reliable D-man for Chicago during their final two playoff rounds.
P.K. Subban-Just won the Norris, has physical attributes to his game and can work a powerplay. Double gold medalist in back to back world juniors for Canada in 2008 and 2009. Doesn't have to play big minutes, but his dynamic ability makes him a must for the team.
Kris Letang-Like Subban, he's a 2x gold medalist at the world juniors, and he can move the puck well up the ice. I'd like to see Subban and Letang battle it out for ice time on this team.
Dan Hamhuis-One left shot d-man wouldn't be enough for Team Canada to operate, and Hamhuis plays a simple and efficient game. In my opinion, he was the best d-man for Vancouver during their cup run in 2010, and was an enormous loss when he didn't play in the finals. You can swap him for Bouwmeester if you want, but I simply prefer Hamhuis. Hamhuis won gold with Canada at the 2007 World Championships.
Why not the others? Bouwmeester is an interesting guy for me. He eats minutes, he's reliable, and he is an efficient skater. I just don't find him to be an attractive option for this team. Nothing stands out. He isn't special offensively like Subban or Letang, and he isn't overly physical at all either. I don't get the top 4 love he is receiving, although I feel Kevin Lowe on the management staff may be part of it. Dan Boyle and Mike Green are good offensive d-men, but Subban and Letang have been more productive lately and that's why I prefer them as the offensive No.6/7/8 guys over Boyle and Green. Marc Staal (and the uninvited Dan Girardi) are good defensive guys, but in Staal's case, I don't think he's overly better than anyone I listed, and he really has to prove he can reach the levels of defensive stardom he had before the eye injury. Dion Phaneuf isn't as good as the other guys listed, although underrated in a way, because of how many people have been on his case in a negative way lately. As for Alzner, Hamonic, Methot and Vlasic, it's very clear that they just don't reach the level of the others.
FORWARDS:
Patrice Bergeron-A warrior in the playoffs for Boston and clutch as well. He's a guy that can do it all. He's also 4/4 when it comes to gold playing for Canada (2010 Winter Olympics, 2004 Worlds, 2005 World Juniors, 2012 Spengler Cup)
Sidney Crosby-best player in the league. Golden goal. Let's leave it at that.
Steven Stamkos-probably the best pure goal scorer in the NHL, or close to Ovechkin at that. No brainer.
John Tavares-He was my pick for the Hart Trophy this year. Carried the Islanders on his back at several times during the year. No brainer.
Corey Perry-TSN leaving him off of their list frightens me. I don't see why you'd leave him off of the team. Agitates, plays hard, is physical, and has a knack for scoring timely goals. Oh, and he's already won gold before on a line with Bergeron and Crosby.
Jonathan Toews-He was an interesting addition to the 2010 team, and he never looked out of place. In fact, he was the best player on the ice for some games. Two-way guy can shutdown and help with his speed and hockey sense. Two time cup winner as well.
Ryan Getzlaf-Although he's had a rocky time with Team Canada lately, he was still part of the 2010 gold medal team, and the chemistry with Corey Perry is there from the get go. Had an amazing season last year with a nice rebound, and his size will be well appreciated.
Claude Giroux-When he's not getting hurt on the golf course, Giroux is as talented as they come. Has a gold medal under his belt from the 2008 world juniors. No brainer of a pick for me.
Taylor Hall-Has blazing speed for the big ice, can provide physicality, and his booming shot should help the powerplay. Hall was the Oilers MVP last season, and had close to a 90 point pace. For my money, he's the replacement for Rick Nash on this team.
Eric Staal-A natural leader, who had a monster year for Carolina last season. Gold medalist in 2010, with size and goal scoring ability. Sign me up.
Matt Duchene-With his speed and talent, I think he could be a monster on the open ice. He can be used anywhere in the lineup with his versatility, and he's 4/4 for gold medals representing Canadian teams.
Martin St. Louis-Speedy, hard working, and the potential captain of the team. He could play somewhat of a player/coach role, and it's quite hard to simply leave the top scorer in the NHL off of the roster.
Jordan Eberle-After being so clutch at the World Juniors, I had trouble leaving him off of the roster. Skilled, and steps up when the game needs a hero.
Rick Nash-Tough pick, because I was REALLY unimpressed with his playoffs, but he's a big LW with two Olympics under his belt, including a gold medal, so his experience and size is needed here.
Why not the others? Jeff Carter and Mike Richards are both good players, but I don't know if I've been impressed with either of them on an individual level since they left Philadelphia and therefore I decided to include neither of them. Logan Couture and Jordan Staal were both tough to leave off, Staal doesn't have the offensive ability of Bergeron to be the effective 4th line C and I almost don't have a good reason to not include Couture (in fact, him and Nash were basically a toss up call). Chris Kunitz had a great year, but doesn't play hard minutes nearly enough and isn't good enough on an individual level to deserve the spot. Ladd, Lucic and Marchand are guys who are more hard-nosed than talented, so I left them off from the big ice. Neal is in a similar boat with Kunitz. Sharp is a guy who I can see making it so that he can play with Toews, but I thought there were better wingers to include. Joe Thornton isn't slow, but I wanted a fast-ish team, and I didn't think Thornton fit that mold. As for the uninvited guys (Benn, Spezza), I just didn't think they warranted a spot. I believe forwards is the most fluid for seeing who will start hot out of the gate before February.
LINES:
Tavares-Crosby-Stamkos
Staal-Toews-Giroux
Hall-Getzlaf-Perry
Duchene-Bergeron-St.Louis
Eberle/Nash
Keith-Seabrook
Doughty-Weber
Subban-Pietrangelo
Hamhuis/Letang
Price
Luongo
Smith
Carey Price-the No.1 goalie option for Canada, a guy who has been the man for Montreal and has the most potential talent among Canadian goaltenders in the NHL.
Roberto Luongo-If Price falters or just can't handle the starting role, then why not give it to the guy who's already won gold before? Calm, cool and collected throughout most of the Vancouver goalie drama days, Luongo has veteran presence and ability to step in if needed.
Mike Smith-The 3rd goalie is a bit of a toss-up, but I like Smith more than the other two goalies at camp. He showed fantastic skills during Phoenix's run to the third round in 2012, and also played a decent game with Yzerman's Lightning back in the 2010 playoffs.
Why not the others? Crawford just won a Stanley Cup and played well to get Chicago there, but I am not a fan of his rebound control, and I'd like to see him start strong before I consider him for the team. Braden Holtby just hasn't proven to me that he is a good enough goalie to rise above the rest. Cam Ward is a guy who could easily sneak into consideration for the No.3 goalie spot, if he starts strong.
Defense:
Shea Weber-An obvious choice, he can do it all, and is already a gold medal winner, scoring 6 points in 7 games in Vancouver.
Drew Doughty-A cup winner, a gold medal victor, and the Kings undisputed No.1 D-man. He eats minutes and skates quite well, an easy pick.
Duncan Keith-The best left shot d-man by a large margin, a two-time cup winner. 6 assists in 7 games for the gold in 2010. I don't need to say more.
Alex Pietrangelo-All-around stalwart in St. Louis, the Blues always struggle when he's not on the ice. He can effortlessly move the puck and has a gold medal from the 2009 World Juniors with Canada under his belt.
Brent Seabrook-It's a joke that he isn't receiving more consideration to make the team, considering he's only become a better d-man since being part of the gold medal winning team in 2010. A natural guy to pair with Duncan Keith, he's shown a knack to score clutch goals and also is a physical presence. Was arguably the most reliable D-man for Chicago during their final two playoff rounds.
P.K. Subban-Just won the Norris, has physical attributes to his game and can work a powerplay. Double gold medalist in back to back world juniors for Canada in 2008 and 2009. Doesn't have to play big minutes, but his dynamic ability makes him a must for the team.
Kris Letang-Like Subban, he's a 2x gold medalist at the world juniors, and he can move the puck well up the ice. I'd like to see Subban and Letang battle it out for ice time on this team.
Dan Hamhuis-One left shot d-man wouldn't be enough for Team Canada to operate, and Hamhuis plays a simple and efficient game. In my opinion, he was the best d-man for Vancouver during their cup run in 2010, and was an enormous loss when he didn't play in the finals. You can swap him for Bouwmeester if you want, but I simply prefer Hamhuis. Hamhuis won gold with Canada at the 2007 World Championships.
Why not the others? Bouwmeester is an interesting guy for me. He eats minutes, he's reliable, and he is an efficient skater. I just don't find him to be an attractive option for this team. Nothing stands out. He isn't special offensively like Subban or Letang, and he isn't overly physical at all either. I don't get the top 4 love he is receiving, although I feel Kevin Lowe on the management staff may be part of it. Dan Boyle and Mike Green are good offensive d-men, but Subban and Letang have been more productive lately and that's why I prefer them as the offensive No.6/7/8 guys over Boyle and Green. Marc Staal (and the uninvited Dan Girardi) are good defensive guys, but in Staal's case, I don't think he's overly better than anyone I listed, and he really has to prove he can reach the levels of defensive stardom he had before the eye injury. Dion Phaneuf isn't as good as the other guys listed, although underrated in a way, because of how many people have been on his case in a negative way lately. As for Alzner, Hamonic, Methot and Vlasic, it's very clear that they just don't reach the level of the others.
FORWARDS:
Patrice Bergeron-A warrior in the playoffs for Boston and clutch as well. He's a guy that can do it all. He's also 4/4 when it comes to gold playing for Canada (2010 Winter Olympics, 2004 Worlds, 2005 World Juniors, 2012 Spengler Cup)
Sidney Crosby-best player in the league. Golden goal. Let's leave it at that.
Steven Stamkos-probably the best pure goal scorer in the NHL, or close to Ovechkin at that. No brainer.
John Tavares-He was my pick for the Hart Trophy this year. Carried the Islanders on his back at several times during the year. No brainer.
Corey Perry-TSN leaving him off of their list frightens me. I don't see why you'd leave him off of the team. Agitates, plays hard, is physical, and has a knack for scoring timely goals. Oh, and he's already won gold before on a line with Bergeron and Crosby.
Jonathan Toews-He was an interesting addition to the 2010 team, and he never looked out of place. In fact, he was the best player on the ice for some games. Two-way guy can shutdown and help with his speed and hockey sense. Two time cup winner as well.
Ryan Getzlaf-Although he's had a rocky time with Team Canada lately, he was still part of the 2010 gold medal team, and the chemistry with Corey Perry is there from the get go. Had an amazing season last year with a nice rebound, and his size will be well appreciated.
Claude Giroux-When he's not getting hurt on the golf course, Giroux is as talented as they come. Has a gold medal under his belt from the 2008 world juniors. No brainer of a pick for me.
Taylor Hall-Has blazing speed for the big ice, can provide physicality, and his booming shot should help the powerplay. Hall was the Oilers MVP last season, and had close to a 90 point pace. For my money, he's the replacement for Rick Nash on this team.
Eric Staal-A natural leader, who had a monster year for Carolina last season. Gold medalist in 2010, with size and goal scoring ability. Sign me up.
Matt Duchene-With his speed and talent, I think he could be a monster on the open ice. He can be used anywhere in the lineup with his versatility, and he's 4/4 for gold medals representing Canadian teams.
Martin St. Louis-Speedy, hard working, and the potential captain of the team. He could play somewhat of a player/coach role, and it's quite hard to simply leave the top scorer in the NHL off of the roster.
Jordan Eberle-After being so clutch at the World Juniors, I had trouble leaving him off of the roster. Skilled, and steps up when the game needs a hero.
Rick Nash-Tough pick, because I was REALLY unimpressed with his playoffs, but he's a big LW with two Olympics under his belt, including a gold medal, so his experience and size is needed here.
Why not the others? Jeff Carter and Mike Richards are both good players, but I don't know if I've been impressed with either of them on an individual level since they left Philadelphia and therefore I decided to include neither of them. Logan Couture and Jordan Staal were both tough to leave off, Staal doesn't have the offensive ability of Bergeron to be the effective 4th line C and I almost don't have a good reason to not include Couture (in fact, him and Nash were basically a toss up call). Chris Kunitz had a great year, but doesn't play hard minutes nearly enough and isn't good enough on an individual level to deserve the spot. Ladd, Lucic and Marchand are guys who are more hard-nosed than talented, so I left them off from the big ice. Neal is in a similar boat with Kunitz. Sharp is a guy who I can see making it so that he can play with Toews, but I thought there were better wingers to include. Joe Thornton isn't slow, but I wanted a fast-ish team, and I didn't think Thornton fit that mold. As for the uninvited guys (Benn, Spezza), I just didn't think they warranted a spot. I believe forwards is the most fluid for seeing who will start hot out of the gate before February.
LINES:
Tavares-Crosby-Stamkos
Staal-Toews-Giroux
Hall-Getzlaf-Perry
Duchene-Bergeron-St.Louis
Eberle/Nash
Keith-Seabrook
Doughty-Weber
Subban-Pietrangelo
Hamhuis/Letang
Price
Luongo
Smith