Are we in Canada paranoid about 2026 or should we not be worried?

[Reds4Life]

Yes, you are.

Canada is by far the best. The only real competition is USA (if they have a good year).

Sweden and Finland (and Russia, if they'll even play) are a step behind.

Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia are multiple steps behind. The rest is even worse.

 

[ORRFForever]

This isn’t the first time we’ve had a bit of a navel gazing exercise regarding Canadian hockey.

When Gretzky and Lemieux were gone, and the best we could muster was Thornton and Iginla, Canadians openly wondered where the next superstars were coming from.

Then we had Crosby, and as he got a bit older, we got McDavid and MacKinnon, and now it’s Bedard and McKenna.

The future appears sound up front, and while our D looked sparse for a little bit as Doughty and Co. aged, Makar came along.

Goaltending is as weak as it’s ever been comparatively speaking but I don’t know how much of it is a function of the higher scoring era and how much of it is a lack of good goaltenders.

For virtually my entire life, Canada has usually has the edge in goal so it’s a bit jarring to be potentially worse than our rivals. Is this just the minor gap like Iginla and Thornton, or a symptom of something else?

Not sure, but rumours of our demise are not new and usually exaggerated.

Great post, NyQuil.

 

[ORRFForever]

I think the days are gone where Canada can play blindfolded and get to the finals. That roster looks good, but it's got a "boys club" vibe for me; bunch of big names that may be at the end of their careers by 2026. I think there will be what... 4-5 players over 36 in there by then?

I also think we are at a point where we need to think about who will do what roles. This lineup is probably going to look a lot the same in 2 years, with a few exceptions that pop up (or retirements?). Look at it and ask yourself; who is your top 6 for powerplay? Who in the people left do you use on PK? Marchand-Crosby-Stone seems ok for Defensive missions. Who else?

I wouldnt say we are paranoid; its mostly that the level of play is evening out and Canada winning is not a given. There wil be deception and hard comings to reality, but i think the times we do win will be more meaningful. Really the only real question mark i have is around goaltending.

The reason the roster is older is :

1) The Top End players continue to be Top End players - Sid, Stamkos, Marchand. How do you say no to Crosby when, even at 36, he's scoring 42 goals?

2) As I always mention, the 2016 - 2019 Drafts are a black hole of talent - Canadian talent went into the draft but never came out! When NHL careers average 4.5 years, it's hard to have 4 drafts IN A ROW that didn't produce. As a result, we've had to rely on the old guard.

Wait until the 2030 Olympics - that Canadian team will be young, uber talented and the class of the field.

 

[ORRFForever]

Watching Benn and Duchene for Dallas...

Players are staying at the top of their games well into their (mid) 30's. In the past, 30 was the beginning of the end for a lot of players. Now... Sid's 36 and great.

 

[ORRFForever]

No points in the last game and no points, tonight, for Wyatt Johnston.

The kid's been absolute garbage ever since he turned 21 on Tuesday.

*****************************************************************************

I want to give MacKinnon credit but, even away from MacKinnon, Druoin's been playing really hard / well.

 

[ORRFForever]

Bad news and good news on Wright...

He's hurt enough to miss a game but, on the plus side, he's also been playing well...

MSN

 

[ORRFForever]

Bouchard outplaying Hughes is a big way. Took him longer to get there but Bouchard is a stud - we have to have that hammer on Blue Line during a Best on Best PP.

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Skinner has been solid.

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Sad to see Perry NOT playing. I'm afraid he's finally done after a spectacular career.

 

[albator71]

Our goaltending scares the shit out of me, other then that we are strong. We'll have to outscore our opponent I guess.

 

[Nucks2001]

Expecting some 90 Point breakouts, if all goes well and these players develop, 2026 team Forwards:

Laf-McDavid-Point
Bedard-Mack-Marner
Marchand-Crosby-Reinhart
Johnston-Thomas-Jarvis
Extras: Byfield and Stone

A return of a kid 4th line for Canada from the 2010 Olympics with the only players over 30 being Crosby and Marchand.

Just misses for me: Celebrini, Fantilli, Konecny, Suzuki, Verhaege

 

[ORRFForever]

Our goaltending scares the shit out of me, other then that we are strong. We'll have to outscore our opponent I guess.

We're all concerned about it. As we have said many times, we don't need goaltending to steal us a game, we just need goaltending to not lose us a game.

 

[PanniniClaus]

I think Cozens has played his way into the 4 nations discussion.

I am backing Binnington to play big in the medal rounds.

 

[ORRFForever]

Sam Bennett has been mocked for most of his career, from not being able to do a chin up (I can't either), to being a BUST for Calgary, but he's turned into a hell of a 200 foot, hard to play against, premier 4th line player.

 

[Nucks2001]

I think Cozens has played his way into the 4 nations discussion.

I am backing Binnington to play big in the medal rounds.

Exactly. Canada is in a weird spot right now due to poor drafting from 2016-2019, players developing at different rates and ages.

The 2014 Team was a perfect storm for Canada with golden draft years from 2002-2006 all developing at the same rates. Crosby, Toews, Bergeron, Getzlaf, Perry, Carter, Nash, Keith, Weber, Vlasic and
were all virtually in their primes. You add in the youth additions from Doughty, Pietrangelo, Tavares, Benn and Subban.

It will be hard for Canada to ever get that same level of talent and perfect storm. Everyone knew who was winning the 2014 Olympics and it wasn’t close compared to 2002, 2006 and 2010. That being said, Canada is still in a dominant position, but is in a gluck with older players still holding on, lagged development from the COVID years, some players not panning out, Canada recent draft years (2020-2024) are just starting to develop and terrible goalie development while the USA has enjoyed its golden draft years from 2016-2019.

I’m not paranoid about Canada, we’re just in a Gluck right now. I don’t doubt that a team could rival the 2014 Team in Canada’s future.

 

[ORRFForever]

Seeing both the Dallas and Edmonton lineup has to make a Canadian feel good.

Unfortunately, Dallas is an insanely DEEP team.

Dallas in (5 or) 6.

 

[AmericanDream]

Don't worry about a thing boys, we will shit the bed this is for sure...

 

[ORRFForever]

Don't worry about a thing boys, we will shit the bed this is for sure...

I truly think the schedule, like you mentioned early, hit you hard. Too many easy games before a tough game against the home club. It was a recipe for disaster.

 

[ORRFForever]

Great day for Canadian hockey. Well done Edmonton.

 

[FastEddie]

We have much better center depth than they do, the US. They have more goal scorers and better goaltending. I am pretty confident that when the chips are down center depth matters more than goal scoring. Goaltending, though. That might be where they have us.

 

[Peiskos]

Personally I don't understand why some Canadians would be worried, Canada continues to win internationally more than anyone else. All these hypotheticals and doom and gloom scenarios. I prefer to look at it wide lens and with perspective and logic.

For starters this is how the 2020's have been so far in terms of medal haul internationally in this good old hockey game.

World Juniors - 2020, 2022, 2023 gold, 2021 silver.

IIHF World Championships - 2021, 2023 gold, 2022 silver.

IIHF U-18 - 2021, 2024 gold, 2023 bronze

Hlinka-Gretzky Cup - 2022, 2023 gold.

Just imagine if another country had this kind of gold medal haul since the start of the decade, nobody has won more than this so far this decade, they'd be boasting and salivating about the future of their hockey program and so excited for 2026, but here in Canada some people still aren't satisfied with how often we're actually winning.

So for the 2026 Olympics Canada is going to be Canada, they will enter the tournament absolutely stacked and deep as usual, media outlets will widely accept and refer to them as gold medal favourites and the team to beat.

 

[ORRFForever]

Personally I don't understand why some Canadians would be worried, Canada continues to win internationally more than anyone else. All these hypotheticals and doom and gloom scenarios. I prefer to look at it wide lens and with perspective and logic.

For starters this is how the 2020's have been so far in terms of medal haul internationally in this good old hockey game.

World Juniors - 2020, 2022, 2023 gold, 2021 silver.

IIHF World Championships - 2021, 2023 gold, 2022 silver.

IIHF U-18 - 2021, 2024 gold, 2023 bronze

Hlinka-Gretzky Cup - 2022, 2023 gold.

Just imagine if another country had this kind of gold medal haul since the start of the decade, nobody has won more than this so far this decade, they'd be boasting and salivating about the future of their hockey program and so excited for 2026, but here in Canada some people still aren't satisfied with how often we're actually winning.

So for the 2026 Olympics Canada is going to be Canada, they will enter the tournament absolutely stacked and deep as usual, media outlets will widely accept and refer to them as gold medal favourites and the team to beat.

Re : "Just imagine if another country had this kind of gold medal haul since the start of the decade, nobody has won more than this so far this decade, they'd be boasting and salivating about the future of their hockey program and so excited for 2026, but here in Canada some people still aren't satisfied with how often we're actually winning."

I've been beefing about this forever. Canadians have an inferiority complex.

 

[ORRFForever]

Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven are flying out there.

I am rooting HARD for Edmonton but... they don't have Dallas' depth.

 

[ORRFForever]

I saw this at the World Championships and it's been happening all thru the NHL playoffs...

Teams get a one goal lead and then go into shot blocking mode. It's next to impossible to score when you have 6 players playing goalie. Not sure what the NHL can do but they need to fix that. The IIHF too.

 

[ORRFForever]

LAF with 2 goals against Florida - including a BEAUTY !!!!

 

[StreetHawk]

We have much better center depth than they do, the US. They have more goal scorers and better goaltending. I am pretty confident that when the chips are down center depth matters more than goal scoring. Goaltending, though. That might be where they have us.

USA easily dominates Canada in net. Plenty of options for them from Swayman, Demko, Oettinger, Helly, Gibson, etc. Canada's best are who?

 

[ORRFForever]

We have much better center depth than they do, the US. They have more goal scorers and better goaltending. I am pretty confident that when the chips are down center depth matters more than goal scoring. Goaltending, though. That might be where they have us.

How does the U.S. have better goalie scorers? In 2023-2024...

Canada has 3 players with 50 or more goals.
Canada has 7 players with 40 or more goals.

The U.S. has 1 player with 50 or more goals.
The U.S. has 2 players with 40 or more goals.