GDT: 2024 World Junior Championship (Dec 26 - Jan 5) | Gothenburg, Sweden

[DWGie26]

If only they had some offensive flare they could have added to the roster...

I know a guy!

 

[Ridley Simon]

I know a guy!

Wilson???

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

It’s a bit strange for me personally because I love Canada the country and have friends there but I never liked Team Canada at any level. Maybe it’s because they were real smug for a while or maybe it’s because there haven’t been any recent Caps who were mainstays on the Canadian national teams so I don’t feel any affinity towards them or maybe it’s because the prospects on Team Canada are always overrated because they’re Canadian but I just don’t like them.

I know this makes me petty but it’s nice seeing them struggle to score when they leave guys like Cristall or Nadeau off the roster because they’re stubborn and leave off more talented players in favor of plugs who can play a bottom six role. It’s nice seeing them get fed a slice of humble pie.

 

[Ridley Simon]

It’s a bit strange for me personally because I love Canada the country and have friends there but I never liked Team Canada at any level. Maybe it’s because they were real smug for a while or maybe it’s because there haven’t been any recent Caps who were mainstays on the Canadian national teams so I don’t feel any affinity towards them or maybe it’s because the prospects on Team Canada are always overrated because they’re Canadian but I just don’t like them.

I know this makes me petty but it’s nice seeing them struggle to score when they leave guys like Cristall or Nadeau off the roster because they’re stubborn and leave off more talented players in favor of plugs who can play a bottom six role. It’s nice seeing them get fed a slice of humble pie.

I never root for Canada in these international hockey events. It’s like rooting for the Yankees or Cowboys.

They have their tried and true fans (lots of them), and they win incessantly — so it’s easy to root against them, when you aren’t one of their fans.

It’s pretty hard to be ambivalent towards them (Team Canada…..like the Yankees & Cowboys)

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Last time I rooted for Canada was the 87 Canada Cup…..sweet Jesus that was a time of wonder…

 

[Empty Goal Net]

Chesley with 2 As and Ryan Leonard with goal #4 for the US as they're now up 5-2 on the Slovaks. It may take a few years but the Caps' future isn't exactly bleak.

 

[Langway]

 

[Lou Sassole]

Leonard is basically the center defensively. He's always the first guy back on that line.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Finland wins in the shootout comeback……fun game.

 

[Random schmoe]

Somehow Leonard's plus-minus was 0 in an 8 goal win. Each of the vaunted BC line (Smith, Perrault and Leonard) was even, along with Pohlkamp who only played 6:46.

Chesley was +4.

Yes I know +/- is usually meaningless. But sometimes aberrations can be interesting.

 

[Corby78]

Is it too late to tank for Celebrini? Asking for a friend

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

 

[pman25]

Leonard really should not have been there at #8 for us. San Jose, Montreal, Arizona should have been on him

 

[Bananas]

Loving this pick. Kinda wish we were tanking this year lol.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Let the dust settle. We were in the same spot this time last season.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Loving this pick. Kinda wish we were tanking this year lol.

You may still get your wish. Unless they learn how to score they’ll drop rather quickly in the standings.

 

[Cappy76]

Yea they're almost identical record wise through 34 games as they were last season

2022-23: 17-13-4; GF: 104 GA: 99
2023-24: 17-11-6; GF: 81 GA: 99

 

[Langway]

You may still get your wish. Unless they learn how to score they’ll drop rather quickly in the standings.

Yeah but it's going to be tough to drop into the bottom eight or so. Outside of Demidov dropping due to his passport that seems like the prime area in this draft. There's still some talent outside of it but overall it doesn't look to be a great one. Still a way to go but last year was stronger IMO and perhaps by quite a bit.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Yeah but it's going to be tough to drop into the bottom eight or so. Outside of Demidov dropping due to his passport that seems like the prime area in this draft. There's still some talent outside of it but overall it doesn't look to be a great one. Still a way to go but last year was stronger IMO and perhaps by quite a bit.

Looking at the Tank standings we hold playoff spot right now and 2 points away from top 10 pick with chances of much higher

 

[Langway]

Looking at the Tank standings we hold playoff spot right now and 2 points away from top 10 pick with chances of much higher

They still have some games in hand, though. I can buy 9-12 but there are a lot of bad teams that haven't sold off yet. And it's hard to expect them to fall completely off the map again like last year. Could happen. Wouldn't count on it.

 

[twabby]

I could see them falling apart. It's taken some fantastic goaltending and an unsustainable record winning close games to get them to where they are now: a middling team.

If Lindgren is out for any stretch or cools off, or they start losing a few more close games, then they'll start falling off. They've already banked enough points to likely prevent them from falling into a top 5 pick, but I could see 6-8 being a possibility. Their metrics this year are dire and they've been playing like the ~5th worst team in the NHL

 

[pman25]

I guess there’s still time for them to explode offensively but Canada leaving some of their best scorers at home may not have been wise. They could use some Jagger Firkus, Riley Heidt, Andrew Cristall right about now

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Appreciation time it’s pretty cool to have the best player in the showcase tournament

 

[John Price]

 

[HeyMattyB]

D'oh, Canada.