WC: 2016 Team Latvia

[ergi24]

Edgars Masalskis
Elvis Merzlikins
Ivars Punnenovs

sub. Ervins Mustukovs

Arturs Kulda - Oskars Bartulis
Oskars Cibulskis - Kristaps Sotnieks
Guntis Galvins - Krisjanis Redlihs
Georgijs Pujacs - Eriks Sevcenko

sub. Janis Andersons, Maris Jass, Aleksandrs Jerofejevs

Kaspars Daugavins - Zemgus Girgensons - Roberts Bukarts
Lauris Darzins - Herberts Vasiljevs - Mikelis Redlihs
Gunars Skvorcovs - Gints Meija - Miks Indrasis
Vitalijs Pavlovs - Andris Dzerins - Kaspars Saulietis
13 F.? 14 F. ?

sub. Edgars Kulda, Edijs Brahmanis, Rudolf Balcers, Koba Jass, Martins Cipulis,Janis Sprukts, Aleksejs Sirokovs

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[v-man]

Vasiljevs already retired from the national team, it took some convincing just to get him back to play for the Olympics, so I think it's highly unlikely he'll be in the mix. Nikita Jevpalovs and Ronalds Kenins will surely be there if their teams don't make the cut in the AHL (they're both on the bubble right now). With his poor stats, I don't see Nikita being a black ace with the Sharks in the playoffs, and Vancouver's chances of a post season are not looking too good.

On D, Krišs Rēdlihs is out for the KHL season with an injury, but I'm not sure how far along his rehab is and if he'll be back for the Worlds.

 

[ergi24]

Vasiljevs already retired from the national team, it took some convincing just to get him back to play for the Olympics, so I think it's highly unlikely he'll be in the mix. Nikita Jevpalovs and Ronalds Kenins will surely be there if their teams don't make the cut in the AHL (they're both on the bubble right now). With his poor stats, I don't see Nikita being a black ace with the Sharks in the playoffs, and Vancouver's chances of a post season are not looking too good.

On D, KriÅ¡s Rēdlihs is out for the KHL season with an injury, but I'm not sure how far along his rehab is and if he'll be back for the Worlds.

Vasiljevs was injured last year, before playoff,
otherwise played on WC

 

[ergi24]

It will not play Vasiljevs

Edgars Masalskis
Elvis Merzlikins
Ivars Punnenovs

sub. Ervins Mustukovs

Arturs Kulda - Oskars Bartulis
Oskars Cibulskis - Kristaps Sotnieks
Guntis Galvins - Krisjanis Redlihs
Georgijs Pujacs - Eriks Sevcenko

sub. Janis Andersons, Maris Jass, Aleksandrs Jerofejevs

Kaspars Daugavins - Zemgus Girgensons - Roberts Bukarts
Lauris Darzins - Andris Dzerins - Mikelis Redlihs
Gunars Skvorcovs - Gints Meija - Miks Indrasis
Vitalijs Pavlovs - Aleksejs Sirokovs/Janis Sprukts/Vitalijs Pavlovs - Kaspars Saulietis
13 F.? 14 F. ?

sub. Edgars Kulda, Edijs Brahmanis, Rudolf Balcers, Koba Jass, Martins Cipulis,Janis Sprukts, Aleksejs Sirokovs

 

[nabby12]

Gudlevskis would be potentially available depending on what Tampa does with him come playoff time.

 

[v-man]

Gudlevskis would be potentially available depending on what Tampa does with him come playoff time.

Provided Tampa grabs that last playoff spot, there's no way he's not with the Lightning during the playoffs as the #3 guy, otherwise he's with the national team 100% (unless of course Syracuse makes an unexpected run in their last 25 or so games and miraculously makes the playoffs, which is doubtful).

 

[kabidjan18]

What was the situation with Lauris Darzins, was he let go or something? I can tell you he wasn't the reason I observed for Dinamo's failures.

 

[v-man]

What was the situation with Lauris Darzins, was he let go or something? I can tell you he wasn't the reason I observed for Dinamo's failures.

Yeah, they let him go despite still having a year left on his contract. The guy was second on the team in scoring, but only had one goal in his last 24 games, which I guess wasn't enough to keep him in their good books. The GM (who took over as coach in the last month or so) often criticized the offensive leaders for being missing in action at a time when they were supposed to be making a run at the last playoff spot. The Dinamo Riga leadership still has a very Soviet way of doing things that doesn't often make sense to most people. They sent down Indrasis to the Latvian League farm team for a couple of days at a time when he was the team's leading scorer, apparently to prove a point no one has discovered yet (he didn't dress for the farm team, nor miss a single KHL game). Now the suits are talking about having the team live together in a compound next year like in the Tikhonov days.

 

[kabidjan18]

Yeah, they let him go despite still having a year left on his contract. The guy was second on the team in scoring, but only had one goal in his last 24 games, which I guess wasn't enough to keep him in their good books. The GM (who took over as coach in the last month or so) often criticized the offensive leaders for being missing in action at a time when they were supposed to be making a run at the last playoff spot. The Dinamo Riga leadership still has a very Soviet way of doing things that doesn't often make sense to most people. They sent down Indrasis to the Latvian League farm team for a couple of days at a time when he was the team's leading scorer, apparently to prove a point no one has discovered yet (he didn't dress for the farm team, nor miss a single KHL game). Now the suits are talking about having the team live together in a compound next year like in the Tikhonov days.

Sounds like an amazing idea, why haven't any NHL teams thought of this. Also didn't think Dzerins should've been cut, but I was kinda stunned for Darzins. Kriss Redlihs is in a place where I'm not sure he should be re-signed, the team seems to be less fluid with him on the ice back before he got injured. Also I see the above lines and I assume they're the lines Latvia rolls with but they don't make 100% sense I'd think Indrasis would be better than 3rd line.

 

[v-man]

Sounds like an amazing idea, why haven't any NHL teams thought of this. Also didn't think Dzerins should've been cut, but I was kinda stunned for Darzins. Kriss Redlihs is in a place where I'm not sure he should be re-signed, the team seems to be less fluid with him on the ice back before he got injured. Also I see the above lines and I assume they're the lines Latvia rolls with but they don't make 100% sense I'd think Indrasis would be better than 3rd line.

The team compound idea makes sense for the local guys, since most of them wouldn't be in the KHL if it wasn't for the home team, and they could use the extra focus on the job at hand without other distractions, but they'll be hard pressed to convince any worthwhile import player to join their ranks if it means they'll have little personal freedom. The Darzins decision still doesn't make sense, unless there's some "locker room cancer" stuff I'm not aware of. Stripping his captaincy made sense if they thought he wasn't being enough of a leader, but they won't easily find another guy who puts up his numbers for the same price. If a guy who's scored only once in half a season is your second best producer, that would indicate to me there are 18 other guys who are more deserving of a severance package before him.

Anyway, back on topic: Regarding the lines, I can definitely see Indrasis on the first line instead of Bukarts - his skill set is a lot more in tune with the Daugy and Zemgus than Bukarts.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Daugavins - Girgensons - Indrasis
Darzins - Dzerins - Redlihs
Kenins - Pavlovs - Karsums
Kulda - Blugers - Meija
Bukarts, Jekimovs

Bartulis - Galvins
Sotnieks - Redlihs
Kulda - Cibulskis

Masalskis
Merzlikins

 

[ergi24]

Karsums is injury....Meija, Skvorcovs, Indrasis, they played great together....Nikita Jevpalovs will come...

Kaspars Daugavins - Zemgus Girgensons - Ronald Kenins
Gunars Skvorcovs - Gints Meija - Miks Indrasis
Lauris Darzins - Andris Dzerins - Mikelis Redlihs
Kaspars Saulietis - Vitalijs Pavlovs - Nikita Jevaplovs

 

[v-man]

Well, Bartulis is out. He has a groin injury which he want's to let fully heal after the KHL season instead of risking further aggravation. I guess it makes sense for someone who's as injury prone as he is, sucks for Latvia though.

 

[GX]

Girgensons, Kenins, Gudlevskis all expressed willingness to help.

 

[kabidjan18]

Girgensons, Kenins, Gudlevskis all expressed willingness to help.

If K. Redlihs is out or limited and Bartulis is out then they need defensive help more though...

 

[GX]

If K. Redlihs is out or limited and Bartulis is out then they need defensive help more though...

There's not much defensive depth we can get from NA.

Ralfs Freibergs (ECHL), Karlis Cukste (USHL) seems like the only ones that could be invited to the camp. They are hardly last minute 'NA enforcements' that you usually see, that have a spot waiting for them until the last day before WC.

 

[v-man]

Sounds like an amazing idea, why haven't any NHL teams thought of this. Also didn't think Dzerins should've been cut, but I was kinda stunned for Darzins. Kriss Redlihs is in a place where I'm not sure he should be re-signed, the team seems to be less fluid with him on the ice back before he got injured. Also I see the above lines and I assume they're the lines Latvia rolls with but they don't make 100% sense I'd think Indrasis would be better than 3rd line.

Going off-topic for a brief moment once again, it turns out Dinamo just wanted to get rid of their financial commitments/responsibilities. Both Dzerins and Darzins (along with Bicevskis and Cibulskis) have been offered new contracts with reduced compensation.

 

[kabidjan18]

Going off-topic for a brief moment once again, it turns out Dinamo just wanted to get rid of their financial commitments/responsibilities. Both Dzerins and Darzins (along with Bicevskis and Cibulskis) have been offered new contracts with reduced compensation.

All that said and done who then is actually going to go? There is a certain senselessness in keeping an entire roster of players who weren't successful the year before and not making any changes.

 

[v-man]

All that said and done who then is actually going to go? There is a certain senselessness in keeping an entire roster of players who weren't successful the year before and not making any changes.

The GM said they'll have an identical budget to this season, so I can only speculate that they don't have much choice with limited funds, and they did this to release some money so they can afford better import players as opposed to the scrubs they had this year. Sejejs has had a knack for picking up great marginal NHLers who end up thriving in the KHL (and leave Dinamo after a season or two for bigger bucks elsewhere), but he almost struck out last year, with the exception of Sestito, who had a decent year.

 

[kabidjan18]

The GM said they'll have an identical budget to this season, so I can only speculate that they don't have much choice with limited funds, and they did this to release some money so they can afford better import players as opposed to the scrubs they had this year. Sejejs has had a knack for picking up great marginal NHLers who end up thriving in the KHL (and leave Dinamo after a season or two for bigger bucks elsewhere), but he almost struck out last year, with the exception of Sestito, who had a decent year.

I think Siego was also pretty good, he was the best defenseman on the team in my estimation despite Galvins edging him on the stat sheet. He did finish the season pretty poorly though. It's hard because all the other non-russian teams will play a dozen imports and Riga plays half a dozen. They could try picking up Abols or the younger Bukarts.

 

[GX]

Artūrs Kulda won't play as well - sounds like this is going to be one long WC..

 

[ergi24]

Masalskis
Merzlikins
Punnenovs

Galvins - R. Freibergs
Cibulskis - Sotnieks
Jerofejevs - Sevcenko
Andersons - J. Redlihs
sub. M. Sirokovs

Daugavins - Girgensons - Bukarts
Kenins - Dzerins - Indrasis
Darzins - Sprukts - M. Redlihs
Skvorcovs - Meija - Pavlovs
Jevpalovs, Saulietis

 

[ellja3]

No Dārziņš either.

 

[v-man]

Sprukts hasn't been invited, apparently due to not fitting in to Beresnev's model. Jekimovs, Cipulis and Berzins are also all out of favour. Apparently Ralf Freibergs is joining the defensive corps, even though his ECHL team is leading its division and heading to the playoffs. Odd that a team would let a player leave during the season, even if it's for a higher level of competition.

 

[kabidjan18]

Sprukts hasn't been invited, apparently due to not fitting in to Beresnev's model. Jekimovs, Cipulis and Berzins are also all out of favour. Apparently Ralf Freibergs is joining the defensive corps, even though his ECHL team is leading its division and heading to the playoffs. Odd that a team would let a player leave during the season, even if it's for a higher level of competition.

Seems like the combination of Lipmans and Beresnevs is turning a lot of players off.