WC: Roster Talk '13 — Canada

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I'm ok with that. You have to admit Simmonds has been very solid so far. He's great in front of a net. And his speed is blazing. And, there is good chemistry between Duchene and the Oilers duo, so no big reason to split them up. With Subban and Hamhuis, I'm pretty confident we can take the gold this year. And then, I'm sure Eric Staal will be better in the playoff.

Not sure...the more you watch it, the more you see a puckhog and 2 trailers.

 

[Pip]

Not sure...the more you watch it, the more you see a puckhog and 2 trailers. floaters

fixed

 

[garbageteam]

Think this totally flew under the radar, but Blues forward Jaden Schwartz was added to the roster to fill it to capacity. No idea where he'll play or who he may be replacing

 

[xxxx]

Think this totally flew under the radar, but Blues forward Jaden Schwartz was added to the roster to fill it to capacity. No idea where he'll play or who he may be replacing

Interesting. Should be a good adition.

 

[frag2]

fixed

You could argue Duchene floats when he doesn't have the puck so keep your Canuck bias against Oilers out of it. The line just doesn't work simply due to styles clashing.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

Good to see Jaden Schwarz being added. He's a player who'll fit in anywhere and contribute!

 

[Turrican*]

Good to see Jaden Schwarz being added. He's a player who'll fit in anywhere and contribute!

Like he did for St.Louis in the playoffs?

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

Like he did for St.Louis in the playoffs?

Performing in the NHL playoffs and here is two completely different scenarios, his game will be more suited to the big ice with his elusiveness and the lack of physical play. It was also his first playoffs playing in the most damaging playoff series in the first round, and he played good minutes as a 20 year old under Hitchcock which is equally impressive.

 

[Theokritos]

Schwartz instead of Tavares?

 

[AlowlyMcOilersfan]

Schwartz instead of Tavares?

Total head scratcher.

He might even be a healthy scratch.

Why not bring in a veteran player?

 

[Pip]

You could argue Duchene floats when he doesn't have the puck so keep your Canuck bias against Oilers out of it. The line just doesn't work simply due to styles clashing.

oh it was a harmless joke

I agree that the line doesn't work, but it was funny to see only Duchene called out there.

 

[Theokritos]

Total head scratcher.

He might even be a healthy scratch.

Why not bring in a veteran player?

It's even more a head scratcher if you consider that the Olympics are just 9 months away. Tavares should play there, right? The more he gets to play on the large ice and with potential team mates before Sotchi the better.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

John Tavares is a lock for the 2014 Olympics, there is no need for him to be here. It's also seeing different players in different roles. As well loyalty is important, all 12 forwards who have been here want to play and help this team. If you bring in Tavares you have to remove one of those players from their position, whereas with Schwarz you bring in a young depth guy who'll take any role he's placed in with the limited minutes he'll see. It's about seeing as many players as possible before Olympic camp and seeing how they can handle different situations. Canada isn't like Russia who takes one group of players and away they go, you want to give different players chances on the international stage.

 

[Theokritos]

If you bring in Tavares you have to remove one of those players from their position, whereas with Schwarz you bring in a young depth guy who'll take any role he's placed in with the limited minutes he'll see. It's about seeing as many players as possible before Olympic camp and seeing how they can handle different situations

Players like Wayne Simmonds and Matt Read don't have a shot at the Olympics. You bring in Tavares, scratch one of them and everything is fine. More familiarity with the large ice for Tavares, for familiarity with each other for the likes of him and Stamkos, Staal, Giroux, Hamhuis etc. Especially since the "Olympic camp" is going to be restricted to one or two training sessions before the first game in Sotchi.

 

[AlowlyMcOilersfan]

John Tavares is a lock for the 2014 Olympics, there is no need for him to be here. It's also seeing different players in different roles. As well loyalty is important, all 12 forwards who have been here want to play and help this team. If you bring in Tavares you have to remove one of those players from their position, whereas with Schwarz you bring in a young depth guy who'll take any role he's placed in with the limited minutes he'll see. It's about seeing as many players as possible before Olympic camp and seeing how they can handle different situations. Canada isn't like Russia who takes one group of players and away they go, you want to give different players chances on the international stage.

So, there are no bubble players that could have gone instead? To me, this is a waste of a spot.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

Players like Wayne Simmonds and Matt Read don't have a shot at the Olympics. You bring in Tavares, scratch one of them and everything is fine. More familiarity with the large ice for Tavares, for familiarity with each other for the likes of him and Stamkos, Staal, Giroux, Hamhuis etc. Especially since the "Olympic camp" is going to be restricted to one or two training sessions before the first game in Sotchi.

Let's scratch him just so Tavares can get more ''familiarity'' with the big ice when Hockey Canada has called this player's whole family over to Sweden to watch him represent his country at this tournament. Everything will be fine then? Players of that calibre need just one or two sessions together to know the other's capabilities. You look at Giroux and Stamkos, one practice and two games and they look like they've been playing for ages. This tournament for Hockey Canada is also about giving players who don't have a ''shot'' at the Olympics and seeing and giving them a chance to see where they stand at the international stage. Hockey Canada is great at doing that and it will remain that way. Loyalty is important in a team environment and it's sad to see people mad because the management just prefers to stay loyal to this ''team''. They've come together well, win or lose, you have to give this group of 23 a chance.

 

[Mehar]

It is clear to me with Team Canada adding Jayden Schwartz instead of asking guys like Tavares, Getzlaf, Perry, Kadri, Lupul to come play for Canada, and already giving spots to Simmonds and Matt Read, that winning is not the Number 1 Priority for Stevie Y. If Canada loses again in the QF for the 4th straight year, Stevie Y will have a lot of questions to answer. Having Tavares there alongside guys like Giroux and Stamkos on the Big Ice, would have only helped Canada evaluate some of the

potential lines for Sochi. All the other countries do not care
about hurt feelings. They care about winning this tournament. Canada every year worries about hurting feelings, and always leave established guys home. Wayne Simmonds, Read and Schwartz will not be there for Sochi. They are wasted roster spots. You have Tavares, Getzlaf and Perry and this team would be pretty much the favourite for the Gold. Sweden just added three guys and did not care about feelings.

 

[Theokritos]

Let's scratch him just so Tavares can get more ''familiarity'' with the big ice when Hockey Canada has called this player's whole family over to Sweden to watch him represent his country at this tournament. Everything will be fine then?

Yep. That's the way it always works in the World Championships.

Players of that calibre need just one or two sessions together to know the other's capabilities.

Right, that's why Team Canada got thrashed by Sweden in the opening game of the 2002 Olympics. Lemieux, Sakic, Kariya, Yzerman, Lindros - players of the highest calibre, but it just didn't click right from the beginning. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

This tournament for Hockey Canada is about giving players who don't have a ''shot'' at the Olympics and seeing and giving them a chance to see where they stand at the international stage.

If that is what the last rehearsal before the Olympics is about for Team Canada they are doing it wrong IMO.

 

[1Gold Standard]

While I'm often critical of Hockey Canada for the decisions they make, I'm fine either way! Yes, having Tavares would have bolstered our chances, but JT has already played in 3 WHC, was a standout in the Swiss league during the lockout, a few extra games on big ice this year in Stockholm does nothing to further the cause for winning in Sochi. Give him a full summer to recoup and train... If we win in Stockholm - great... but it's a B level tournament anyway win or lose.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Like he did for St.Louis in the playoffs?

Seriously you're going to go there? It would help if you'd educate yourself on th cause of the Blues playoff failure. He wasn't the problem. He was probably our best player. He was dangerous every time he was on the ice. Generated chances left and right. If you want to question them taking Jaden over Tavres I'd understand, but your statement is just silly.

 

[Alpine]

No prob with Swartz
Get as many young players involved as possible. We don't want a repeat of Turin.
Sometimes we pick too many players based on stats and not enough on building a well rounded team.

 

[TonsofPuppies*]

Let's scratch him just so Tavares can get more ''familiarity'' with the big ice when Hockey Canada has called this player's whole family over to Sweden to watch him represent his country at this tournament. Everything will be fine then? Players of that calibre need just one or two sessions together to know the other's capabilities. You look at Giroux and Stamkos, one practice and two games and they look like they've been playing for ages. This tournament for Hockey Canada is also about giving players who don't have a ''shot'' at the Olympics and seeing and giving them a chance to see where they stand at the international stage. Hockey Canada is great at doing that and it will remain that way. Loyalty is important in a team environment and it's sad to see people mad because the management just prefers to stay loyal to this ''team''. They've come together well, win or lose, you have to give this group of 23 a chance.

Hurt feelings mean very little to me and should mean even less to Hockey Canada's management. Sorry, but this is the way sports teams work and the players should be understanding of that. When you have a player of Tavares' calibre available to you, you bring him in, no excuses. How about actually trying to win this tournament for once in a decade?

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

If that is what the last rehearsal before the Olympics is about for Team Canada they are doing it wrong IMO.

In 2009 in a team that included veterans, Dan Hamhuis, Ian White, Braydon Coburn, Chris Philips, Stevie Y could have added another veteran to the mix, but he decided to take a 19 year old kid who was no where in the mix at all for the following year's Olympics, do you know who this kid was? Yes, the same fat faced Drew Doughty. And we all know what he did in the Olympics the following year. Canada has depth other countries will never ever have, the purpose of this tournament is to use this depth and see if anyone can jump out and take an Olympic spot like Mr. Doughty did. I think they know a thing or two how to rehearse. There's more to taking the best 23 offensive players when forming a team and they know that.

 

[Theokritos]

In 2009 in a team that included veterans, Dan Hamhuis, Ian White, Braydon Coburn, Chris Philips, Stevie Y could have added another veteran to the mix, but he decided to take a 19 year old kid who was no where in the mix at all for the following year's Olympics, do you know who this kid was? Yes, the same fat faced Drew Doughty. And we all know what he did in the Olympics the following year.

No-one is saying Canada shouldn't give different players a chance. But Doughty impressed right away in 2009 while Read for example has not improved his Olympic stock in 7 games.

 

[YMCMBYOLO]

Like he did for St.Louis in the playoffs?

Oh the irony.