WJC: 2014 — Canada Roster Talk (Part II)

[1Gold Standard]

I went Monahan to come. It's better for Team Canada if he does. Anything to make us better. However, I'm explaining why it doesn't usually turn out that way.

As for Skinner, I don't see what being released for WJC would have done for him. He was,playing well. His problem was been injuries. That has nothing to do with WJC. And honestly before his injury he looked pretty good this year, so you can't say his development has gone no where.

Of course, you do question hockey Canada's scouting when a guy isn't deemed good enough to make their team but wins the Calder in the NHL as an 18 year old the next season

Everybody takes facts and presents them in a manner that best supports their argument... My argument is that missing 12 NHL games for 7 World Junior has no negative impact on a player's development. ZERO, NADA! And nobody will ever convince me otherwise.

Injuries have impacted Skinner no doubt...I say again, Rookie of the Year be damned, he would have been better off staying in junior. I'm not a really a Skinner fan anyway and doubt he'll ever amount to much.

When they cut Skinner from the junior team in his draft year, I really didn't have an opinion on the decision, other than it's the choice they made. I was more put out by the Seguin decision. I'm more of a Seguin fan anyway. Skinner not so much.

Take a look at the 2010 team... you think we could have used a few more skilled guys in the gold medal game? I get that you want a "team" and not an "all star team" but under Pendergast and his band of merry losers they did nothing more than create a glorified "club team"... (more than half that team are still toiling in the AHL and few of them will sniff any sort of career in the NHL other than injury replacement and then off to Europe to try to eek out a living. When Canada was sending club teams to this tournament we couldn't win it and b/c we couldn't win it with a club team we created the National Junior Program. So ****ing use it.

So let's see if the guys who replaced Pendergast have a different approach or is it just more of the same BS from HC bureaucrats.

 

[butter sheep*]

So let's see if the guys who replaced Pendergast have a different approach.

Thank god Pendergast is gone. We don't need any other 18 year olds being cut that are in the NHL now. So good that their NHL teams won't send them back. :

 

[PantherStriker]

3 points:

1. I don't understand how some people have Laughton pegged for the 4th line on Team Canada this year. I watch many Oshawa games and he is an absolute beauty. Assuming there is no Monahan, Laughton will be at worst the 2nd line C and can play in any situation you want him. He will be crucial to Canada's success.

This. However, I can understand putting him on the bottom 6 as his intangibles are through the roof. Leading the O with shorties last time I checked. It's possible the coach would rather play him bottom six for that reason. It would be nice to see him 1st line though

 

[1Gold Standard]

Thank god Pendergast is gone. We don't need any other 18 year olds being cut that are in the NHL now. So good that their NHL teams won't send them back. :

Pendergast was a piece of work wasn't he.. In the run up to last year's WJHC in an interview he didn't even know the age requirement for the WJHC. He said, "it's a tournament for 20 year olds"... Uhmmm Kev, it's actually 19.

Funny how the chief scout with the responsibility of scouting players for that one tournament doesn't even know that tournament's age restrictions. I got to hand it to him though, how he managed to eek out a career as a scout...it's good to have friends in high places.

 

[butter sheep*]

Laughton is a sure lock

 

[Playmaker09]

3 points:

1. I don't understand how some people have Laughton pegged for the 4th line on Team Canada this year. I watch many Oshawa games and he is an absolute beauty. Assuming there is no Monahan, Laughton will be at worst the 2nd line C and can play in any situation you want him. He will be crucial to Canada's success.

2. I hope McDavid makes the team. I could see him get the Tavares treatment as a 16 year old where he starts out mostly on the PP and gets more responsibility when it is earned.

3. Looking at the forwards I see a huge amount of left-handed shooters. Mantha plays RW and shoots left and the only other player I could be close to a "lock" as a right handed shooter is Curtis Lazar, and he would be very useful as a center since there are few good centers that shoot right. It looks like someone might have to convert to RW, one player I could see doing this is Charles Hudon. A couple right handed shooters that come to mind are Scott Kosmachuk, Connor Brown from the OHL.

Poirier plays RW. He likely competes for a bottom 6 role. Reinhart likely converts to RW for the tournament as well, on the 2nd or 3rd line.

Hudon - Drouin - Mantha
Domi - McDavid/Horvat - Lazar/Shinkaruk/Petan
Horvat/Shinkaruk - Laughton - Reinhart
Rychel - Gaunce/Horvat - Poirier/Lazar

HC seems to really like that Domi/McDavid combo. Horvat/Lazar are likely locks, just a matter of what line and position they play. Bold would be my current preferred scenario.

 

[199991]

Should Canada they take 13 forwards instead of 7 d-mans?

 

[199991]

Should Canada they take 13 forwards instead of 7 d-mans?

They could take McDavid as the 13th forward and give him more responsability more the tournament goes.

 

[HejdasGonnaHate]

Poirier plays RW. He likely competes for a bottom 6 role. Reinhart likely converts to RW for the tournament as well, on the 2nd or 3rd line.

Hudon - Drouin - Mantha
Domi - McDavid/Horvat - Lazar/Shinkaruk/Petan
Horvat/Shinkaruk - Laughton - Reinhart
Rychel - Gaunce/Horvat - Poirier/Lazar

HC seems to really like that Domi/McDavid combo. Horvat/Lazar are likely locks, just a matter of what line and position they play. Bold would be my current preferred scenario.

Nice team, pretty close to what i'm thinking with the options. It would be interesting if a 16 year old was in the Top 6 from the start but I doubt it. Hudon played well with Drouin/Mantha but I think anyone would and he'll be a bottom 6 guy, I'd switch him and Reinhart.

But all in all well done

 

[1Gold Standard]

Should Canada they take 13 forwards instead of 7 d-mans?

I think rosters are 23.

3 goalies
7 d-men
13 forwards.

That's the way it was last year.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I think rosters are 23.

3 goalies
7 d-men
13 forwards.

That's the way it was last year.

Are they 23 or is all IIHF competition 25 now?

 

[Loffer]

Canada should win the gold easily once again if they don't underachieve once again.

All you need is all-out offensive scoring 1st line and three shutdown lines - and you will be the champs.

Like this:

Drouin - McDavid - Petan
shutdown lines
--------------- Simple.
-nuff said.

 

[1Gold Standard]

Are they 23 or is all IIHF competition 25 now?

My understanding was that the 25 man roster was for Olympics only. I could be wrong though.

Typically Hockey Canada only names 22 players to the junior team, last year was 23. The 1 extra being the 3rd. goalie. Only b/c in the event of an injury, it's a long haul to Ufa to call in a goalie on injury replacement.. if I remember correctly that's what the talking hockey pucks at TSN said last year. but they are often wrong. so who knows. We'll find out soon enough.

 

[PhilMick]

Canada should win the gold easily once again if they don't underachieve once again.

All you need is all-out offensive scoring 1st line and three shutdown lines - and you will be the champs.

Like this:

Drouin - McDavid - Petan
shutdown lines
--------------- Simple.
-nuff said.

Lol I think the Swedes and the US might keep it from being too simple. Also I'd be tempted to replace Petan on that line with a pure sniper like Mantha (or in my wildest Canuck dreams, Shinkaruk )

Seriously, still no news on the selection camp? It's gotta be in the next couple of weeks right? I need to book my days off!

 

[edmontonfan59]

Any idea when and where December selection camp is?

 

[Christien]

Canada should win the gold easily once again if they don't underachieve once again.

All you need is all-out offensive scoring 1st line and three shutdown lines - and you will be the champs.

Like this:

Drouin - McDavid - Petan
shutdown lines
--------------- Simple.
-nuff said.

You really don't like Mantha do you? Why wouldn't you put the best right winger in the CHL on the first line? Even worse, you put Petan on the first line. Pretty small line huh? Why not put a 6'5 offensive threat on the first line?

 

[Christien]

Any idea when and where December selection camp is?

Idk. I think sometime in December.

 

[IrishInOntario]

I don't know why everyone hates on the "Q's" defensemen so much. They may not have the hype of the guys in the OHL or WHL, but I've watched each of the Super Series games so far (and attended the game in Gatineau) and I thought as a corps the Q's defensemen significantly outplayed the OHL's defenseman... Were they incredible? No. But did they hold their own. Yes.... I Thought Fournier, Weegar and Walcott, especially, were composed, made smart choices in their own end and moved the puck really well in transition. They're also often accused of being "soft", and although they weren't throwing devastating hits, I thought they played tough and more importantly, smart. When they checked, they did so with a purpose.

I'm not saying that they deserve to make Team Canada simply because of their performance, but I think it would be a shame if at least 2 of them weren't invited to World Junior Camp to get a closer look vs the other kids from across the country. I've never been big on projection (I.E. where are guy is drafted). I want to see guys put up, or shut up. I thought the "Q's" D-men showed up and played their ***** off and, ironically, the most highly touted of the group (Morin) was probably the shakiest of the bunch (until Brouillard played as a sub in the 2nd game).

I watched the OHL's defensemen closely the other night, and for the most part, I wasn't impressed. I'll be watching closely again tonight, hoping they show up a lot better in Sudbury.

 

[BeardyCanuck03]

I don't know why everyone hates on the "Q's" defensemen so much. They may not have the hype of the guys in the OHL or WHL, but I've watched each of the Super Series games so far (and attended the game in Gatineau) and I thought as a corps the Q's defensemen significantly outplayed the OHL's defenseman... Were they incredible? No. But did they hold their own. Yes.... I Thought Fournier, Weegar and Walcott, especially, were composed, made smart choices in their own end and moved the puck really well in transition. They're also often accused of being "soft", and although they weren't throwing devastating hits, I thought they played tough and more importantly, smart. When they checked, they did so with a purpose.

I'm not saying that they deserve to make Team Canada simply because of their performance, but I think it would be a shame if at least 2 of them weren't invited to World Junior Camp to get a closer look vs the other kids from across the country. I've never been big on projection (I.E. where are guy is drafted). I want to see guys put up, or shut up. I thought the "Q's" D-men showed up and played their ***** off and, ironically, the most highly touted of the group (Morin) was probably the shakiest of the bunch (until Brouillard played as a sub in the 2nd game).

I watched the OHL's defensemen closely the other night, and for the most part, I wasn't impressed. I'll be watching closely again tonight, hoping they show up a lot better in Sudbury.

If you look at the majority of predictions it's full of WHL Dmen. The group in the WHL are very strong. Nurse is the only non WHL dman getting much talk in here as a potential World Jrs Dman.

 

[butter sheep*]

I'm actually able to watch a game tonight having had to work the other three games. I'm excited to see what our D men will bring to the table tonight having played so bad the other night. Assuming Baptiste wants an invite to the December camp and the fact that the games on his home barn, I'm looking forward to seeing what he brings to the table tonight .I'm also excited to see McDavid and Domi play together. Should be a good one.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Hoping those WHL defenseman really show up in their opportunity in the Super Series... Watched a talented Halifax team (and not just McKinnon) skate through, by and around Jones, Pouliot, Harrington, Maatta etc, etc... last year at the Memorial Cup. On the flip side, the D-corps that nobody talked about from Halifax (Lewis, Abeltshauser and Weegar) were strong and productive the entire tournament...

Abeltshauser (5 points) and Weegar (4 points) combined for 9 points in last year's Mem cup. They were both top 4 in scoring by defensemen, along with Pouliot (7 points) and Jones (4 points)...

 

[Paxon]

I'm actually able to watch a game tonight having had to work the other three games. I'm excited to see what our D men will bring to the table tonight having played so bad the other night. Assuming Baptiste wants an invite to the December camp and the fact that the games on his home barn, I'm looking forward to seeing what he brings to the table tonight .I'm also excited to see McDavid and Domi play together. Should be a good one.

I'd love to see Baptiste play his way into Team Canada consideration the way Marcus Foligno did. There was actually an article about just that today: Foligno heroics still inspiring Wolves [credit to Sabres mod Woodhouse for linking it on our board]

Nicholas Baptiste and Mathew Campagna don’t have to look far for an example how the SUBWAY Super Series can become a springboard for Canada’s World Junior team.

The Sudbury Wolves’ duo each saw Marcus Foligno, a former Wolves forward, use his size, tenacity and offensive instincts lead to a Team OHL win in 2010 and later a roster spot on Canada’s World Junior team. As the current Wolves look to follow in Foligno’s footsteps with this game also being played in front of their home fans at the Sudbury Community Arena, each aspires at making a similar impact.

“(Foligno) really made his mark at that game for a World Junior invitation and eventually making the team,†says Baptiste, who recalls watching the 2010 game on TV at his home in Ottawa. “That’s something I’m looking forward to hopefully playing well and getting recognized and hopefully getting an invite to camp.â€

It's a long shot but I don't think Hockey Canada would regret bringing him along and letting him bring some punch to the 4th line.

 

[herashak]

Ekblad > nurse? He looked better to me in the first ohl game

 

[YNWA14]

Hoping that Horvat and Lazar end up on the same line. They complement eachother very well and would make for one hell of a tough line to play against.

 

[Loffer]

Lol I think the Swedes and the US might keep it from being too simple. Also I'd be tempted to replace Petan on that line with a pure sniper like Mantha (or in my wildest Canuck dreams, Shinkaruk )

Seriously, still no news on the selection camp? It's gotta be in the next couple of weeks right? I need to book my days off!

You really don't like Mantha do you? Why wouldn't you put the best right winger in the CHL on the first line? Even worse, you put Petan on the first line. Pretty small line huh? Why not put a 6'5 offensive threat on the first line?

I had Shinkaruk there as an alternative but then deleted it for the sake of simplicity. I have come to the conclusion that Petan is one heck of a player; and your 1st line Drouin McDavid Petan would be just impeccable. - Yes, I like Mantha but let's not broke this thing of beauty by power forward stuff.