* World Championships.
I guess it’s easy to assume this will happen. But look at the Canada World Cup team from 2016. Corey Perry, Jake Muzzin and Bouwmeester. Granted Keith, Carter, Benn. I mean, I think Jeff Carter circa 2016 is a perfect comparable for why Tavares will make the team over a more deserving player.
I don't want to assume shit, it's not like I've really been a clued up hockey fan for this sort of best on best scenario. I dunno what biases are involved and so on. But that means questioning everything. Like, if I compare Carter in '16 to Tavares now -
Carter had two SC rings, Tavares didn't; Carter has a big game, knockout game rep that I don't think Tavares has
Carter had been part of a Team Canada two years ago, Tavares hasn't been part for 4 years; it's less getting the gang back together.
Carter is a regular PKer, Tavares isn't.
Carter seems more comparable to the case for Mark Stone or Bergeron or Toews getting in after all or O'Reilly if he has a meh year than a guy like Tavares in terms of skill set and gamer rep. Carter was a checking line guy in 2014, right? Easy to see why Babcock wanted him back in the same role; the familiar option. Tavares might have some backing in Canada's org as a whole, looks like he has done depth line stuff for them in the past, but he's arguably no longer as fit for such work and he's not Cooper's guy. In fact, I'm not sure he's got history with any of the guys involved. Cooper might lobby for Point, Trotz for Barzal, DeBoer for Stone, Cassidy for Marchand and Bergeron, etc.etc. but I don't think there's any coaches or GM staff who've really worked with Tavares.
All that said, I can totally see him going. Seems fifty-fifty to me.