Brule and Setoguchi were born on January 1, 1987, and are eligible to play by one day. I don't think Brule will be on this coming year's team, but if he is, he'll be the best player in the tournament by a very wide margin.
If Brule isn't there, then you'll see a team very similar to last year's team. There won't be any stars, at least not up front, but there will be 13 forwards who will accept any role given to them. Guys like Setoguchi (if he's not in SJ), J. Staal and Little will be expected to be offensive players on this team. I'd really like to see what Kendall McArdle could do, he could be better than Blake Comeau, who was a very dependable player.
Crosby and Brule are two potential franchise players to come out of the 2005 draft, but beyond those two, there aren't many guys who strike me as game-breaker offensive players. Canada doesn't have a Crosby or a Brule in this year's draft, but there are a few players who have strong offensive upsides. I think a guy like Little could rip this tournament apart if given the chance. (He is a late 1987 birthday, so this is his last chance.
If the eligible defencemen return, especially Bourdon, Parent and Staal, Canada will be incredibly difficult to score on. They were three of the top five or six defencemen at last year's tournament, and they'll probably maintain that status. It would not surprise me to see Staal and Bourdon in the show next year, even though I don't think Bourdon is ready. Marc Staal, like his older brother Eric, is extremely mature physically and mentally.
Craig Hartsburg is a great choice for coach. He's had tremendous international success for Canada as a player and a coach. He boasts a tremendous junior track record. He knows a lot of these guys and what to expect. He's not as good as Sutter (who is) but I'm not worried about him as coach.
Toews added
