Are we in Canada paranoid about 2026 or should we not be worried?

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Not good defensively and the right side is already stacked

Canada doesn't have Draisaitl either.

 

[ORRFForever]

If Devon Levi develops in the next few years that could be a potential goalie for Canada.

No offense to Levi but it's crazy that we're so desperate.

 

[Crosby2010]

huh? He played 2 seasons of 59 games of a 68 game season with those missing games being due to the wjc. His 17 year old season was limited because of a COVID shortened season, also only played 6 of the 18 game schedule because he at the U-18s in Texas.


He played 37 playoff games in 3 years. Only games he's ever missed was because of Team Canada stuff.

Not sure why you thought that.

That makes sense. It is easy to forget those...................forgettable seasons let's just say.

 

[Crosby2010]

No offense to Levi but it's crazy that we're so desperate.

I don't know, it is hard to say.

Jarry, Binnington, Keumper, Hart, Hill, Thompson.

We also forget Blackwood a lot. The iron is hot at the moment since he just got a shutout, but I think him being on the worst team in the NHL has made us forget him a bit. In the 2022 Olympic talk I can remember him routinely being brought up.

So basically we have NHL goalies here. Not discounting Levi or another goalie that can step up. With that team in front of us we are fine.

We certainly have a ton of puck moving defensemen too, I guess the only concern with defense is do we have enough defensively strong guys? I can't say I've seen Dobson's games enough to know how sharp he is in his own end, or physical. He's 6'4", Bouchard is 6'3" but I think it is widely acknowledged that Bouchard has a lot of defensive work to do. Is there a reason we never bring up Doughty anymore? He's still around. He's still pretty good too. Would be 36 by the time the Olympics come up, but I don't know if that's an issue or not. Wouldn't one greybeard be good on there?

 

[Strangle]

NHL defensemen and goalies are just shit in general compared to decades of yore

 

[ORRFForever]

I don't know, it is hard to say.

Jarry, Binnington, Keumper, Hart, Hill, Thompson.

We also forget Blackwood a lot. The iron is hot at the moment since he just got a shutout, but I think him being on the worst team in the NHL has made us forget him a bit. In the 2022 Olympic talk I can remember him routinely being brought up.

So basically we have NHL goalies here. Not discounting Levi or another goalie that can step up. With that team in front of us we are fine.

We certainly have a ton of puck moving defensemen too, I guess the only concern with defense is do we have enough defensively strong guys? I can't say I've seen Dobson's games enough to know how sharp he is in his own end, or physical. He's 6'4", Bouchard is 6'3" but I think it is widely acknowledged that Bouchard has a lot of defensive work to do. Is there a reason we never bring up Doughty anymore? He's still around. He's still pretty good too. Would be 36 by the time the Olympics come up, but I don't know if that's an issue or not. Wouldn't one greybeard be good on there?

We'll get there on "D", my friend. You worry too much.

I just think it's funny how desperate we are in goal.

 

[Crosby2010]

We'll get there on "D", my friend. You worry too much.

I just think it's funny how desperate we are in goal.

Probably.

We are good on defense. I just don't think we should look solely at the scoring race for defensemen and pick just those guys. Theodore and Pietrangelo aren't in the top 10 and most of us have both of them on there. We need the well rounded guys who play well in both ends on defense. I do like Power a lot, and he's a left handed shot too.

We never used to be like this in goal. Even in 2022 we had a Price/Fleury/Binnington trio as a potential. 2018 I am trying to remember what the goalies were expected to look like if we went but I seem to remember Price/Holtby/Murray or Fleury being considered. In 2016 it was Price a Hart winner, Holtby the Vezina winner of that year, and Crawford a two-time Cup winner. I wasn't worried at all. And of course 2014 and prior it was a major strength of ours. But now.......................yeah. It still might be the 3rd best among countries, but we never have scraped the barrel this close in net.

Look at 1976. Dryden and Parent are both hurt. Vachon comes in, Cheevers is a back up, Resch is another back up. You still had Tony Esposito who wasn't picked, Dan Bouchard was cut. Even Billy Smith at the time, Gilles Gilbert would have been alright with that team in front of them. Why can't we have that kind of depth again?

 

[ORRFForever]

Probably.

We are good on defense. I just don't think we should look solely at the scoring race for defensemen and pick just those guys. Theodore and Pietrangelo aren't in the top 10 and most of us have both of them on there. We need the well rounded guys who play well in both ends on defense. I do like Power a lot, and he's a left handed shot too.

We never used to be like this in goal. Even in 2022 we had a Price/Fleury/Binnington trio as a potential. 2018 I am trying to remember what the goalies were expected to look like if we went but I seem to remember Price/Holtby/Murray or Fleury being considered. In 2016 it was Price a Hart winner, Holtby the Vezina winner of that year, and Crawford a two-time Cup winner. I wasn't worried at all. And of course 2014 and prior it was a major strength of ours. But now.......................yeah. It still might be the 3rd best among countries, but we never have scraped the barrel this close in net.

Look at 1976. Dryden and Parent are both hurt. Vachon comes in, Cheevers is a back up, Resch is another back up. You still had Tony Esposito who wasn't picked, Dan Bouchard was cut. Even Billy Smith at the time, Gilles Gilbert would have been alright with that team in front of them. Why can't we have that kind of depth again?

Re : "Why can't we have that kind of depth again?"

No idea. Even if we can't have that kind of depth, we should have ONE goalie who is great. The odds/probability of Canada NOT producing a TOP goalie since Price(?) has to be astronomical.

As for the D, even on the defensive side, we are fine... and paranoid. Unless our players are miles ahead (like McDavid or MacKinnon) Canadians always assume every other country is better - even when they're not. It's a Canadian Insecurity thing.

 

[Nucks2001]

Shea Theodore would be top 10 for defencemen in points if it wasn’t for injury. Him and Morrisey are by far the best puck-moving LHD for Canada rn. Our d-cord is fine, though short on defensive defencemen. For the 4 nations, this is what I have:

Toews-Makar
Morrisey-Dobson
Theodore-Pietrangelo

U don’t need Evan Bouchard for the 7th sport when you have Makar, Dobson, Theodore and Moreisey carrying the offensive load. I’d opt for someone like Doughty, Pelech, Weegar or even Owen Power. The only country that matches us on on the backend is the USA imo.

Our goaltending is an embarrassment. But we don’t need to have an elite #1 guy considering the team that will be in front of him.

 

[Nucks2001]

Also might I remind everyone, as a Canucks fan, there is a HUGE GAP b/n Hughes and Makar. The Makar effect on the blueline cannot be understated. He is different

 

[ORRFForever]

WE are so insecure...

The EXACT SAME PLAYER on another team and...

 

[Bijelo]

Toews-Makar
Morrisey-Dobson
Theodore-Pietrangelo

Feels like right defenseman in next Olympics.

 

[Nucks2001]

Feels like right defenseman in next Olympics.

Theodore and Toews are also near-locks I would say. Pietrangelo may regress and be excluded.

 

[Bijelo]

Theodore and Toews are also near-locks I would say. Pietrangelo may regress and be excluded.

Theodore and Toews is far from the team.

 

[ORRFForever]

Theodore and Toews is far from the team.

Who would you include?

 

[Bijelo]

Who would you include?

Not particularly versed with Canada's defenseman besides Makar.

Makar who is the best Canadian defenseman in the league.

 

[ORRFForever]

According to The Hockey News, 3 of the top 5 candidates for the Norris are Canadian...

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjDv6G4o6KFAxUO4ckDHZQXD_4QFnoECB8QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthehockeywriters.com%2F2023-24-norris-trophy-tracker%2F&usg=AOvVaw3-jXN0PZ51FwmmawkOsRLQ&opi=89978449

Not particularly versed with Canada's defenseman besides Makar.

Makar who is the best Canadian defenseman in the league.

But if that's the case, why did you say, "Theodore and Toews is far from the team"?

I agree about Maker.

 

[ORRFForever]

Myself and ALL the other Canadian posters got together and PROMISED that we will NEVER suffer from self doubt or underestimate / sell our Canadian teams short, again...

 

[TheBeard]

According to The Hockey News, 3 of the top 5 candidates for the Norris are Canadian...

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjDv6G4o6KFAxUO4ckDHZQXD_4QFnoECB8QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthehockeywriters.com%2F2023-24-norris-trophy-tracker%2F&usg=AOvVaw3-jXN0PZ51FwmmawkOsRLQ&opi=89978449

But if that's the case, why did you say, "Theodore and Toews is far from the team"?

I agree about Maker.

Thank god because our goaltending flat out stinks.

 

[ORRFForever]

Thank god because our goaltending flat out stinks.

Both Skinner and Binnington looked good tonight.

 

[jj cale]

Both Skinner and Binnington looked good tonight.

Binnington has been well above good every game I have watched him this year, if he is on he can do the job, pretty confident of that.

Armstrong is the g.m too, he knows what he is capable of.

 

[ORRFForever]

Cole Perfetti with a 3 point night - 2G + 1 A.

**

Shane Wright with a goal in his first game up with the Kraken in 2024.

 

[TheBeard]

Binnington has been well above good every game I have watched him this year, if he is on he can do the job, pretty confident of that.

Armstrong is the g.m too, he knows what he is capable of.

Neither skinner nor Bennington nor Hill are even in the same strat as US.

 

[ORRFForever]

Neither skinner nor Bennington nor Hill are even in the same strat as US.

Beggars cannot be choosers.

There are no great goalies in 2024.... period. Fortunately, we only need one and we only need a goalie NOT to lose the game. I'll hope/pray for that.

Binnington has been well above good every game I have watched him this year, if he is on he can do the job, pretty confident of that.

Armstrong is the g.m too, he knows what he is capable of.

My guess : Binnington will be there for Canada at the next Best on Best.

 

[jj cale]

Neither skinner nor Bennington nor Hill are even in the same strat as US.

I am actually getting a little tired of hearing how good the U.S is and you know why? they haven't won anything but kids tournaments yet. And going against the Mackinnons and Mcdavids of the world is a lot different then going against the Matthew Woods and Easton Cowans.

Their goaltending better be a lot better then ours, they very well may have to be. They will see plenty of good quality rubber against us

I get your point and agree on paper they have better options in net but as the old cliche goes................games aren't won on paper.