Projected lineups for next year 4 nations tournament

[Bijelo]

Finns now NHL/AHL

A Team

Mikael Granlund - Aleksander Barkov - Mikko Rantanen
Artturi Lehkonen - Sebastian Aho - Teuvo Teräväinen
Matias Maccelli - Roope Hintz - Eeli Tolvanen
Eetu Luostarinen - Anton Lundell - Erik Haula
Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Niko Mikkola - Miro Heiskanen
Esa Lindell - Jani Hakanpää
Olli Määttä - Rasmus Ristolainen
Henri Jokiharju

Right slopes.

 

[Chuck Testa]

It's crazy how Canada's G1 has gone from Price to somebody potentially somebody like Adin Hill.

I mean that with no disrespect to Adin Hill, either. I'm just saying going from a proven stud goaltender in international tournaments to an unproven goaltender.

All that being said, Adin Hill has shown that he can be a great goaltender at the NHL level and maybe this tournament will be a place where he can emerge as a legitimate netminder on the international level as well. This Canadian roster is stacked at forward and defense.

The US has Hellebuyck, Swayman, Demko, Oettinger to choose from for the goaltending position.
Canada has Hill, Skinner, Ingram, etc to choose from. Out of those 3, you go with Hill all day, imo.

 

[MNRube]

Canadian roster looks very soft. Skill & speed are off the charts, but the best versions of TC had guys like Perry, Weber, Getzlaf, Pronger who were hard-nosed. I don’t think you will see 4 lines and 3 pairs of skill players. The architects are going to want to some guys that are hard to play against.

 

[Bijelo]

It's crazy how Canada's G1 has gone from Price to somebody potentially somebody like Adin Hill.

I mean that with no disrespect to Adin Hill, either. I'm just saying going from a proven stud goaltender in international tournaments to an unproven goaltender.

All that being said, Adin Hill has shown that he can be a great goaltender at the NHL level and maybe this tournament will be a place where he can emerge as a legitimate netminder on the international level as well. This Canadian roster is stacked at forward and defense.

The US has Hellebuyck, Swayman, Demko, Oettinger to choose from for the goaltending position.
Canada has Hill, Skinner, Ingram, etc to choose from. Out of those 3, you go with Hill all day, imo.

Price are old and Hill are deputies.

 

[Bijelo]

Canadian roster looks very soft. Skill & speed are off the charts, but the best versions of TC had guys like Perry, Weber, Getzlaf, Pronger who were hard-nosed. I don’t think you will see 4 lines and 3 pairs of skill players. The architects are going to want to some guys that are hard to play against.

Canada's offense worsening since 2004-2014.

 

[Nucks2001]

Marchand are old.

He’s playing on the 4th line in my line-up and is still a PPG guy. His IQ, natural LW, PK ability, playstyle, chemistry with Crosby and Mack (move-up the lineup as needed) is so valuable. The only “old” guy that I would want on the roster aside from Crosby. I excluded Hyman, Stamkos, Stone and Schiefele .

 

[dalewood12]

Team USA

M. Tkachuk - Matthews - Eichel
Robertson - Hughes - Keller
B. Tkachuk - Miller - Connor
Beniers - Larkin - Debrincat

Hughes - McAvoy
Slavin - Fox
McDonagh - Carlson

Hellebuyck
Demko

The way Patrick Kane is playing, you gotta wonder if he cracks the lineup. Might be good to have a vet.

 

[Bijelo]

Fox are only skilled defenseman.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Fox are only skilled defenseman.

Huh?

The way Patrick Kane is playing, you gotta wonder if he cracks the lineup. Might be good to have a vet.

If he's playing like this next year he will be on the team for sure.

 

[Silky Johnson]

When are the teams expected to be named?

If Bedard has a sick start to the season will he make TC. Would love to see a tournament with Crosby, McDavid, MacKinnon and Bedard all playing.

Marchand are old.

You is bad at grammar.

 

[Nucks2001]

Huh?


If he's playing like this next year he will be on the team for sure.

He’ll have a shot, but for sure? Depends on how they want to build the team. Guerin does value veterans and Kane does fill that role, though Guerin opts for bigger and better 2-way veterans. Simply put, the USA can ice 13 guys that are better than a 35-year old Patrick Kane right now and that’s not a shot on Kane. it’s a compliment to USA hockey’s development over the years

 

[Wallet Inspector]

Crosby-Mcdavid-Marner
Stamkos-Mackinnon-Bedard
Hyman-Scheifele-Barzal
Verhaeghe-Point-Reinhart
Stone

D.Toews-Makar
Morrissey-Dobson
Theodore-Doughty
Rielly,

Hill
Jarry
Binnington

 

[Bijelo]

D.Toews-Makar
Morrissey-Dobson
Theodore-Doughty
Rielly,

Little better slopes than our slopes.

 

[Bijelo]

Ullmark
Markström

Poor goalkeeper.

 

[Nucks2001]

Crosby-Mcdavid-Marner
Stamkos-Mackinnon-Bedard
Hyman-Scheifele-Barzal
Verhaeghe-Point-Reinhart
Stone

D.Toews-Makar
Morrissey-Dobson
Theodore-Doughty
Rielly,

Hill
Jarry
Binnington

Stamkos? Your roster already has enough shooters in Bedard, Verhaege and MacKinnon. I’d rather have Robert Thomas or Konency than Stamkos at this point or even some youth in someone like McTavish or Byfield to play on that 2nd line along Mack

Marchand should be somewhere. Maybe take Hyman out

 

[Eye of Ra]

Canadian roster looks very soft. Skill & speed are off the charts, but the best versions of TC had guys like Perry, Weber, Getzlaf, Pronger who were hard-nosed. I don’t think you will see 4 lines and 3 pairs of skill players. The architects are going to want to some guys that are hard to play against.

USA,Swedes,Finns are soft too. Hockey changed, its not 1998

Poor goalkeeper.

2.58

.914

Fox are only skilled defenseman.

Quinn Hughes?

 

[Eye of Ra]

I predict a final between:

Team USA

M. Tkachuk - Matthews - Eichel
Robertson - Hughes - Keller
B. Tkachuk - Miller - Connor
Beniers - Larkin - Debrincat

Hughes - McAvoy
Slavin - Fox
McDonagh - Carlson

Hellebuyck
Demko

and

Team Sweden

Forsberg - Pettersson - Nylander
Bratt - Zibanejad - Landeskog
E. Lindholm - Eriksson Ek - Kempe
Raymond - W. Karlsson - L. Carlsson

Hedman - Karlsson
H. Lindholm - Dahlin
Brodin - Andersson

Ullmark
Markstrom

USA to me is a nobrainer as the most well rounded team in the tourney. Sweden and Canada is a close call, and while Canada is head and shoulders above the Swedes at forward they lack a bit at D and goalies. Sweden is tied with the USA for best D in the tournament while having solid options in the net. At forward they’re stacked with 2-way options from top to bottom and should be tough to face. Canada is a very close 3rd though and it’s a coin flip basically. Finland is a distant 4.

Landeskog might be a shadow of himself if he even comes back. If its the good old Landy, then yes, he will be in. But people are forgetting Arvidsson.

 

[jonlin]

Finnish Ismo Lehkonen, a former coach and Colorado`s Lehky`s dad is saying Finland should go with a pretty different 1-line than most. Here is his:

Aho - Hintz - Rantanen

I suppose our lineup would be this then?

Aho - Hintz - Rantanen
Laine - Barkov - Maccelli
Lehkonen - Granlund - Teräväinen
Haula - Lundell - Tolvanen/Luostarinen

Heiskanen - Lindell
Jokiharju - Mikkola
Välimäki - Hakanpää/Määttä

Saros
Luukkonen

 

[jfc64]

So that we just beat Team Finland:

Kempe - Zibanejad - Bratt
Forsberg - Lindholm - Nyquist
Carlsson - Eriksson Ek - Holmström
Zetterlund - Gustafsson - Fast
Raymond

Lindholm - Andersson
Brodin - Larsson
Forsling - Liljegren
Edvinsson

Wooly
Marky
Wally

 

[Regal]

One guy for Canada I haven’t seen mentioned much is Hagel. He’s killing it this year, is a great ES scorer, would be a good complement to any line and is a better all around player than other great ES scorers like Verhaeghe. Is also a strong PKer. He’d also have chemistry with Point. I’m actually hoping Canada puts more complementary types on the team (the Hyman, Hagel, Konecny, etc guys) than players like Barzal, who are better at driving their own lines but feel out of place if they’re next to a McDavid or a MacKinnon.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

One guy for Canada I haven’t seen mentioned much is Hagel. He’s killing it this year, is a great ES scorer, would be a good complement to any line and is a better all around player than other great ES scorers like Verhaeghe. Is also a strong PKer. He’d also have chemistry with Point. I’m actually hoping Canada puts more complementary types on the team (the Hyman, Hagel, Konecny, etc guys) than players like Barzal, who are better at driving their own lines but feel out of place if they’re next to a McDavid or a MacKinnon.

Hagel was mentioned in this or probably another thread a few weeks ago, but I agree he certainly needs to be on a shortlist for a 4th line role.

Barzal is an interesting case because he has the talent to make a best-on-best team, is having a really good year, and has a fair amount of experience with Team Canada internationally. But I struggle with where to put him in a forward lineup. Like you suggested, I wouldn't necessarily want him with McDavid or MacKinnon. Barzal is someone that needs to have the puck on his stick in the middle of ice, with speed, to create offense, but the problem is - McDavid and MacKinnon are similar players but just better at it. I don't think Barzal would mesh well with either. He's not a guy I'd want on any sort of two-way or "checking" line that would get matched-up against our opponents' top lines. I don't think he has the defensive wherewithal or faceoff ability to play centre at the best-on-best level. He might be suited for a 4th line wing role, but I'd be more inclined to have someone like the aforementioned Hagel or Konecny, maybe Reinhart (although he could be suited for a spot higher up in the depth chart), or even a youngster Byfield on that 4th line that can add a different element to the team at ES. Barzal would benefit from his linemate, Horvat, going on one of his typical heaters and cracking the squad at #4C and they get taken as a package as Horvat can fill in the blanks in Barzal's game. Could happen. Otherwise, maybe Barzal is a guy that simply makes the roster as a 13th/14th forward and dresses if there is an injury or someone isn't performing.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Canadian roster looks very soft. Skill & speed are off the charts, but the best versions of TC had guys like Perry, Weber, Getzlaf, Pronger who were hard-nosed. I don’t think you will see 4 lines and 3 pairs of skill players. The architects are going to want to some guys that are hard to play against.

The players you mentioned were not only hard to play against, but they were also superstars and looking at the players available Canada doesn't have anyone like that at the moment. Players like Marchand and Konecny are annoying and probably somewhat difficult to play against, but obviously they don't have the size or physical advantage that the players you named did. Even someone like Pietrangelo, who has the size, doesn't bring anywhere near the nastiness that Pronger or Weber did.

So Canada can lean into its strengths, acknowledging that the game is different than it was even at the time of the last Olympics and every country is facing the same sort of issue (which may become a non-issue). Or, look to plug perceived gaps with players who aren't quite as skilled as we'd normally want at a best-on-best. I know which approach I'd take, but it'll be interesting to see how the roster is constructed.

 

[MNRube]

USA,Swedes,Finns are soft too. Hockey changed, its not 1998

USA has Tkachuks. Sweden has Eriksson Ek, maybe Landeskog. Every proposed Canada roster we see is full of skill & speed players only.

1998 comment makes zero sense because Canada has brought physical players much more recently.

 

[MNRube]

M.Tkachuk-Matthews-J.Hughes
Robertson-Eichel-Miller
B.Tkachuk-Larkin-Boldy
Keller-Beniers-Tuch

Hughes-McAvoy
Slavin-Faber
Sanderson-Fox

 

[Bijelo]

M.Tkachuk-Matthews-J.Hughes
Robertson-Eichel-Miller
B.Tkachuk-Larkin-Boldy
Keller-Beniers-Tuch

Hughes-McAvoy
Slavin-Faber
Sanderson-Fox

Q.Hughes are this seasonal best slope for United States.