WC: 2018 - Team Switzerland

[stv11]

The more I think about it,the more I believe Sannitz could fill that role. He is at the moment the best BP player Switzerland has, and is playing very well on the pp. I would be careful in dismissing him. Not a lot of player bring the same package (bp, pp , experience ) and could very well be a special situation specialist à la gardner.

He's a fine defensive player and good penalty killer, but I don't think he can sustain his current scoring pace. If you look at his career, he's never been anywhere close to being a PPG player, it would be risky to give him a spot on the PP for the national team based on a statistical anomaly.

I guess he'd do well as a 4th line center, but Schäppi is ahead of him for this spot.

 

[SwissGrog]

sannitz can play wing , it should actually. And then use him as pp specialist.
I know it seems a statistical anomaly but Ireland is using him differently from all the previous coaches with more offensive opportunities. So it is difficult to really compare to when it was a pure shutdown player.
And he is money when shit is serious ( see how he improves statistically during playoffs )
Schaeppi has no PP experience ,only BP if i am not mistaken.

 

[Sverra]

Doens't matter what happend with Fischer and Richard, he would be our best Face-Off Player and also has good forechecking. He needs to be on this team, at least he should be on the preparation team.


Sannitz could really be an option again, but it think he's going to be out of gas after the PO.

*Edit: Just realized Ryser is injured

 

[duga]

We were discussing the Sannitz case in here before. Was never expecting that before the Play-offs. He definitely makes himself an option with his level of play.


I think Fischer will probably go with 5 natural centers IMO.

Assuming Hischier won't be an option, I'd break it down like this:

I'm not counting Vermin or Hofmann as centers,
I don't think Rod or Thürkauf will make the roster as centers (yet).
3 locks, if healthy: Haas, Corvi, Suter

So that means, 2 spots still open for 3 guys:
Walser, Schäppi, Sannitz.
All 3 are capable of playing a 4th line role. All 3 physical stronger than the 3 locks as well.

Walser is fresh, Fischer could take a closer look at him. Looked much better than I expected in the prep. games, I've seen. And he's probably the best skaters of the 3 options, but not as physical as the other 2.

Schäppi was part of the team for the last 5 big tournaments. Proven player, physicaly one of the best swiss players. Has played very good POs, although the last 2 games, he wasn't as strong as before IMO. (INnjury?)

Sannitz, while having fantastic POs, is 35 years old, hasn't play for the NT for quite some time. Has to play a lot of minutes for Lugano, evenmoreso with i out. As he isn't an effortless skater and plays with a lot of energy in general, question will be, how much he has left in the tank. His leadership and physical play would be very welcomed though.

If I had to guess, I'd say;

Suter, Haas, Corvi, Schäppi and Walser will be the 5 guys.


For the Wings, the situation looks much more complicate IMO, with all the Bern players looking not as energetic as one would like.

That said I'dont think Rüfenacht will make the team.

 

[duga]

[QUOTE="Sverra, post: 145017845, member: 113147"]Doens't matter what happend with Fischer and Richard, he would be our best Face-Off Player and also has good forechecking. He needs to be on this team, at least he should be .[/QUOTE]


We were wondering for some time, what happened there.

K. Zaugg sucked out some infos out of C. Wohlwend about that case. He acctually didn't want to say anything, but as we all know, he isn't the best at hiding his feelings.

If it's true it's not about Richard's charakter, but his lack of stamina...

Which unfortunately isn't totally untrue, but luckily fixablr.

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

Andrighetto?

 

[stv11]

Richard is injured (or maybe tired, the official reason is "physical problems"). I'm not sure he'd get a spot anyway with Haas, Suter and Corvi more or less set and Schäppi and Vermin who can play both wing and center. I guess he could play with Schäppi on his wing, but then what do you do with Herzog?

(it still feels strange to have depth at center )

 

[jonas2244]

Andrighetto?

He'll surely get an invite (as Niederreiter, Mueller and Hischier). We'll see who is allowed to join the team.

I do think Sannitz would be an option but I also don't think that Fischer sees him as an option. And I just don't see him cutting Rüfenacht whose passion is not only need on the ice but also beside the ice.

 

[jonas2244]

Switzerland can count on Reto Berra (from tomorrow on) and Nino Niederreiter (from next week on).

Possible further adds from NA (out now):
- Nico Hischier
- Mirco Mueller
- Chrisoph Bertschy
- Dean Kukan
- Sven Andrighetto

Still in the playoffs:
- Roman Josi
- Kevin Fiala
- Yannick Weber
- Luca Sbisa
- Timo Meier

 

[stv11]

Finally some good news from North America. Kudos to Berra, he always shows up. I guess the goalies are set now.

 

[Jon Riley]

I guess I was wrong and I am glad I was. Niederreiter and Berra are great addition. The forwards group already looks good, now a couple of good news on the back and we are good to go

 

[duga]

He'll surely get an invite (as Niederreiter, Mueller and Hischier). We'll see who is allowed to join the team.

I do think Sannitz would be an option but I also don't think that Fischer sees him as an option. And I just don't see him cutting Rüfenacht whose passion is not only need on the ice but also beside the ice.

Especially with Ambühl not on the team, I see that too.
But the last few games, I've seen him, I thought he looked somehow tired. Still playing "Rüfi-style", but everything with 90% intensity instead of 110%. As impressive as his path of development was over the last 5 years or so, I just still think, he's only a plus for this team, if he's capable mentally and physically to give it all, he has.

I know his wife just gave birth to their 3rd child (1st son)... that might had an influence or could be a reenergizer.
But maybe he's just worn out, considering his style and amount of hockey he played lately. (As did a lot of Bern players)

If he's fully fit, I'd gladly would see him on the roster.

I guess I was wrong and I am glad I was. Niederreiter and Berra are great addition. The forwards group already looks good, now a couple of good news on the back and we are good to go

Better this way than vice versa

Once again in their careers Genoni and Berra are reunited. As ever it's tricky to say, who's the better of the 2, so different styles with different weaknesses. I always thought, if you would mix eachother's plus sides, you'd have the perfect GK. Berra's size, mobility, athletism and quickness in reflexes with Genoni's calms, smarts, high concentration level, consistency, positioning and rebound control.

Beside the need for help on the defensive side from overseas, I'd think Andrighetto would significantly improve the offensive too. Probably more than Hischier or Bertschy would.

So for me, Kukan, Müller and Andrighetto would be the optimum.

 

[jonas2244]

Berra has pretty solid numbers in the NHL/AHL this season. I'm also curious to see if Fischer fills all roster spots or if he lets some space for late additions. One key in the 2013 medal was that Simpson could integrate Diaz for the Quarters which improved the defensive further. Meier, Josi or Fiala could add an additional boost.

 

[Zippy316]

 

[jonas2244]

And he also said that he'd love to play for Switzerland. We'll see.

Good news on Mueller though.

 

[duga]

Sweet!
Keep them coming, the good news!

 

[Jon Riley]

If the national team manages to bring on the ice the attitude of Lugano's players, this will be a great tournament.
This said, no more freaky injuries during game 7, please.
I know there won't be place for Walker on this national team, most likely, but in the last matche he's been a wonder.

 

[stv11]

Hopefully Hofmann can keep scoring over the next four weeks!

14 playoffs goals, two shy of the record set by Walz and McDougall in 98.

 

[Jon Riley]

..on a side and off topic note, just because I did not find (if it exists) a discussion about NLA...what the hell was Pettersson thinking?

 

[jonas2244]

Probably: I want a free evening on Friday?

 

[stv11]

Still a bit off topic, but.... first I'll have to watch an international tournament without Ambühl, and then I'll also have to watch a season without Kloten?

And more on topic: looks like Praplan completely lost his scoring touch.

 

[duga]

Yeah, Pettersson should have played his last match of the season. Leaving his feet, into the back, in a dangerous distance to the board should seal the deal.

Im not sure though, who would benefit more of his absence, Lugano or Z.

It's hard to believe what happened to Kloten. They look totally frozen in disbelieve.
Congrats to Rappi! Even if I have a hard time thinking of a team I would want less in the NL, but winning this up-hill battle does always deserve huge respect.
And now Kloten, quo vadis? Ending as the farmteam of Winterthur? The window is open now, to chance the long lasting hierarchy in the Kanton of Zurich.

Praplan will rebound I hope, but damn does this guy need some time off hockey.

And yeah, when Walker plays like this, who knows? But he's made a career of underplaying his talent, I guess Fischer was frustrated too from time to time during his Lugano stint.

 

[jonas2244]

It's hard to say but Kloten deserved that. They made so many mistakes in the past 10 years. It's a good sign that you sometimes get punished for such mistakes in Swiss icehockey. I wonder what president Lehmann will do. If he'll stick and try to start from scratch, like Rapperswil did after going down. Build a new base and try to revive their youth-system.

 

[rimpirate]

It's hard to say but Kloten deserved that. They made so many mistakes in the past 10 years. It's a good sign that you sometimes get punished for such mistakes in Swiss icehockey. I wonder what president Lehmann will do. If he'll stick and try to start from scratch, like Rapperswil did after going down. Build a new base and try to revive their youth-system.

From experience (longtime EHCB fan), the first few years are going to be very, very tough, and I don't see Kloten coming back soon. I actually see a lot of similarities to our situation back then (decline, financial troubles, and being relegated against Rappi), and the first few years were consumed by getting the budget in order, paying off debts and slowly building a new culture and mentality. Then Kloten will hit the glass ceiling for some time until one of the NLA teams runs into the same kind of season Kloten (or Langnau before them, or Basel, or Chur, ...) had this year.
Being relegated doesn't have to be all that bad. It may take some time, but the NLB - sorry, the Swiss League - affords some measure of anonymity to clean house and start over fresh, which, to be honest, Kloten should have done already after Bircher.

 

[swisdan]

Why still no news about Kukan and Hischier? Doest it take so long for a medical visit?