Olympics: Would Kesler make team Canada?

[ghostingtaro]

Lol funniest joke I've heard all day.

Kesler would not make TC... He's a guy who would even be questionable to get a orientation invite.

Crosby, Toews, Stamkos, Tavares, Giroux, Getzlaf, Staal, Couture, Benn and Richards

That's 10 Centres alone that would be selected ahead of Kesler. Higher scorers this year and guys like Richards have own Gold Medals and Cups.

Canada is far too good to move a C like Kesler to the wing, even in a 4th line role, you're taking Richards, Possibly Bergeron and wingers like Lucic. Canada doesn't need a diving and disappearing act who hasn't won anything.

I forgot, all hail Kessel, best thing to appear on this planet since sliced bread

 

[RSeen]

Not even close to making it. Only forwards who make it would be Parise, Kane and Kessel.

 

[Kigetsi]

No. He's not good enough.

 

[SoupNazi]

No. Canada is far too stacked for him to make it.

 

[PredragD]

Not even close to making it. Only forwards who make it would be Parise, Kane and Kessel.

I don't think Kessel would make it either; lacks the skills to crack the Canada top 6 nor two-way sense for a bottom 6. Kane is the only lock. Parise might be selected as an extra forward if they needed a wing with leadership and intl experience.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

LOL @ Kesler > Bergeron for a spot on TC.

Yeah, okay there Canuck fans.

Canuck fans: "Yeah, he'd be a lock"

Everyone else: "Nope."

 

[SillyRabbit]

Kesler would be a virtual LOCK for a bottom 6 role on Team Canada based on his play this season.

Look at what he did for Team USA in 2010 as the #1 center.

Without the pressure of carrying the top line, he would excel even further.

Kesler would fill the same role on this 2014 team that Toews filled in 2010 (with Toews now taking a bigger role this time around).

 

[ponder]

I'd put him on the team as a 4th line winger.

 

[Ryp37]

definitely not

 

[lawrence]

All the Canuck homers come out in force! Bergeron is a proven winner. World Championships and Olympic Gold.

all the Canuck haters come out in full force!!!

Of course he can. If Brenden Morrow, or Mike Richards can make team Canada, so can Ryan Kesler if he was Canadian. Kesler is cleary a better player then the above mentioned player. Now don't you guys dare attack me for being a homer.

I don't even want to go into intangibles of Kesler who posted 59 points as winger in 2009, scored 40 goals in 2011 and winning the Selke, anyone who thinks he "has no chance" at cracking team Canada is probably a Canuck hater. He's playing his best hockey since 2010, although I don't expect him to replicate his 2011 season.
He's a 6'2 Centerman, who can skate and hit. He plays the wing, center, plays on the power and the penalty kill.

Did I mention he's a bigger (in terms of height and weight) player and a faster skater then Richards and Bergeron? Did I also forget to mention he puts up more points then Morrow?

epic fail on the "too much depth" He will be a bottom sixer for the team Canada.

 

[EpochLink]

Bergeron didn't do much in 2010 from what I recall, all I remember was 'he had that right hand shot on the face off' nonsense.

To be honest, I don't remember him doing anything significant..Toews on the other hand was all superman on that line.

Kesler would be on the 4th line no less tbh, Team Canada is stacked

 

[Honour Over Glory]

LOL @ Kesler > Bergeron for a spot on TC.

Yeah, okay there Canuck fans.

Canuck fans: "Yeah, he'd be a lock"

Everyone else: "Nope."

Yeah I don't think so. There are better winger options than Kesler and most definitely better center options than him.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Bergeron didn't do much in 2010 from what I recall, all I remember was 'he had that right hand shot on the face off' nonsense.

To be honest, I don't remember him doing anything significant..Toews on the other hand was all superman on that line

Bergeron was there because of his reputation representing Canada and being a solid 2-way player that was one of the better faceoff men in the league, having that advantage for a guy that played W/C was something that was useful, and well...Canada did win Gold that year, go back and see if any of the reasons he was on the team, rang true.

Either way, I still wouldn't pick Kesler for Canada if he was Canadian. I will admit I don't care for the Canucks, not in a I hate you guys kind of way, I'm a Pens fan, I really don't care about your team in any shape or form, I just don't see Kesler as a guy that I would really want on this team, as a winger or a center. I mean depth down the middle - Crosby, Getzlaf, Stamkos, Giroux, Thornton, Tavares, etc...then the guys that can convert to wing as well like well, Stamkos, Duchene, etc. Canada is deep and I have seen enough of Kesler to know he's not necessarily a guy that can go out and generate a lot for his own team mates, he's usually a one man army type of guy, most of the time anyways. Not that I hate Kesler, since his injury troubles and the time he's missed which also helped people forget his diving ways, he's always been a solid player. Not the most consistent player though.

By the way, I wouldn't take Bergeron on Team Canada this time around, there are better options, there's no room for sentimentality when it comes to trying to assemble the best team possible to represent your country to win Gold at the Olympics.

Kesler would be a virtual LOCK for a bottom 6 role on Team Canada based on his play this season.

Look at what he did for Team USA in 2010 as the #1 center.

Without the pressure of carrying the top line, he would excel even further.

Kesler would fill the same role on this 2014 team that Toews filled in 2010 (with Toews now taking a bigger role this time around).

Score....2 goals?

No offense, but if Kesler is your #1 center on a team that represents your country and the best it has to offer...that's not really saying a whole lot. This time around, there are much better options, Kesler is probably the #3 center. I'd probably be more inclined to use Backes and Pavelski ahead of him.

 

[BoHorvatFan]

Yes, he's an absolute warrior, amazing penalty killer, scorer, world class skater, plays in the dirty areas, can't think of a better 4th line winger on an all star type team.

He would be nowhere near the top 6 but as a 12th forward yes! Think a better all around version of Morrow with way more versatility.

 

[me2]

Gauranteed, nope. He'd be in the pack of 2-way defensive forwards competing for the 4th line specialist roles: Bergeron, Richards etc. I'd take him over Couture in a bottom 6 checking role/PK role.

It all depends on how Canada's wants to arrange it's lines and which of the guys around his level are playing the best at that point in time.

 

[sportsdynasty]

Not even close to making it.

 

[BillDineen]

No way Jose.

 

[John Bender*]

He probably would be a bubble guy, but he'd outperform half the forwards if they picked him. Anyone that wants evidence, cue up some tapes of the 2010 Olympics. He was better than any Canadian forward then.

 

[serge2k]

Bergeron was there because of his reputation representing Canada and being a solid 2-way player that was one of the better faceoff men in the league, having that advantage for a guy that played W/C was something that was useful, and well...Canada did win Gold that year, go back and see if any of the reasons he was on the team, rang true.

Either way, I still wouldn't pick Kesler for Canada if he was Canadian. I will admit I don't care for the Canucks, not in a I hate you guys kind of way, I'm a Pens fan, I really don't care about your team in any shape or form, I just don't see Kesler as a guy that I would really want on this team, as a winger or a center. I mean depth down the middle - Crosby, Getzlaf, Stamkos, Giroux, Thornton, Tavares, etc...then the guys that can convert to wing as well like well, Stamkos, Duchene, etc. Canada is deep and I have seen enough of Kesler to know he's not necessarily a guy that can go out and generate a lot for his own team mates, he's usually a one man army type of guy, most of the time anyways. Not that I hate Kesler, since his injury troubles and the time he's missed which also helped people forget his diving ways, he's always been a solid player. Not the most consistent player though.

By the way, I wouldn't take Bergeron on Team Canada this time around, there are better options, there's no room for sentimentality when it comes to trying to assemble the best team possible to represent your country to win Gold at the Olympics.



Score....2 goals?

No offense, but if Kesler is your #1 center on a team that represents your country and the best it has to offer...that's not really saying a whole lot. This time around, there are much better options, Kesler is probably the #3 center. I'd probably be more inclined to use Backes and Pavelski ahead of him.

Good enough to get silver and OT in the gold medal game.