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

[ORRFForever]

LAF with his 4th goal and 10th point. If you listen, you can hear the chants...

 

[ORRFForever]

A buddy of mine and I did a mock list of the 2026 Canadian Olympic team. I will say one thing, when Canada had 50-60% of the NHLers instead of, say, 40-45% they do in 2024 the names rolled off of your tongue a little easier. But we still put together a pretty good team for Canada in 2026:

Hyman-McDavid-Marner
Byfield-MacKinnon-Point
Reinhart-Bedard-Stamkos
Marchand-Crosby-Stone
Suzuki/Barzal

Toews-Makar
Theodore-Pietrangelo
Rielly-Bouchard
Dobson-Power

Hill
Jarry
Binnington/Skinner
(Hart, we'll see how things work out for him)


The names aren't really up for debate so much, we all do this on other threads, but it is just a bit of a base for you to see. Things can change, Lafreniere could really bust out, as could another draftee from 2020-'23 like Fantilli or so other names. To be honest there are a lot coming up the pipe right now where we are in a bit of a transition seeing some of the old guard leaving. It is hard to imagine some of them Olympians today, but in 2 years I think so.

But we both sort of felt that perhaps 10, 15, 20 years ago the names would have come easier for us to think about. You look at the defense of the 2002 team and it is incredible. 2010 had a wicked defense, 2014 did, 2016 did. Players like Letang never got on these teams. Even in net when Roy backed out in 2002 we had Brodeur, Joseph and Belfour. No problems there. Also there were legit guys like Burke, Potvin, Luongo, Theodore, Turco and even Osgood who could have easily been a legit 3rd stringer.

Now, with all of that being said, once we started comparing the Canadian roster to the ones of other countries there was a lot more optimism. Sweden, Czech and Finland all have plenty of holes in their rosters and don't have the star power or depth of Canada. Russia I personally hope is back to playing as it is not the same without them, but as usual their defense is suspect at best, and I was surprised that their forwards weren't as dangerous of a group as I thought they might be. As for goaltending, no contest for them. They beat any other country hands down with this. Vasi, Shesterkin and Bobrovsky are better than any of our best. But the team in front of them wouldn't be able to handle Canada's firepower.

That leaves the U.S. team, and a team that I will admit is closing the gap. The Americans' goalies trump ours. But our forwards are deeper and definitely have more high end to them. Imagine having McDavid, MacKinnon, Bedard and even Crosby as the lines you can roll down the middle. Imagine not finding room for Scheifele (although he could make it), Marchand (perhaps) and others. Marchand could be too old by then and not able to keep up, but there are plenty coming down the pipe that are replacing him. Even the defense, I think we have the best defense out of anyone, even the U.S. I think it relies heavily on Makar for instance and we don't have another guy like him, but who does? I like Quinn Hughes on the U.S. but I still take Makar.

Bottom line what I am saying is we as Canadians get this feeling that things are over for us. I don't know why, but we always do. And yet every other country would kill to have that roster and would freak out to be playing against that group of forwards and mobile defense on the back end. All of our goalies are good capable goalies, maybe not Vezina winners, but there won't be a shortage of at least good goalies to choose from. That's all we need.

The 2023 draft was Canadian-laden, the 2024 draft especially in the 1st round is at least half Canadians, and the 2020-'23 drafts have been loaded with talent that will be on these teams. Players we aren't thinking about yet too.

So do we get paranoid in Canada over this stuff too much? Not that we can't improve our program or anything but do we worry about it too much? I can already name for sure at least 10 players on that Canadian team destined for the Hall of Fame.

Why does Thomas Harley (plays for Canada internationally) never get any notice / love?

22 years old, 6'4", his stats in 2023-2024 were terrific. He had as many points as McAvoy (who everyone is in awe of) but, unlike McAvoy who was a +4, Harley was a +28.

Help me understand because I'd rather have him out there than Rielly.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Why does Thomas Harley (plays for Canada internationally) never get any notice / love?

22 years old, 6'4", his stats in 2023-2024 were terrific. He had as many points as McAvoy (who everyone is in awe of) but, unlike McAvoy who was a +4, Harley was a +28.

Help me understand because I'd rather have him out there than Rielly.

McAvoy is very physical and is a terrific in zone and net front defender; stats don’t count for everything.

That being said I had Harley in the HMs of one of my mocks, I think actually if Toews is unavailable for any reason I’d play him with Makar, he plays a similar “stable pony” role for Heiskanen in Dallas.

 

[HolyGhost]

MY guess when Canada finishes 4th in the games we will see the following thread "Should we even send players".

 

[Barrie22]

The good for Canada is that MacK, McD and Makar is hard to match up against. That is as good a start as anyone can possibly have (Matthews, Eichel and Hughes?).

The more good is that Bedard should be a cemented stud by then too.

The bad for Canada is that Makar probably isn't going as that court case seems years away.

That is if the whole world junior cover up case gets far enough to let him be unbanned for not even being in the same city at the time of the controversy.

 

[bert]

Why does Thomas Harley (plays for Canada internationally) never get any notice / love?

22 years old, 6'4", his stats in 2023-2024 were terrific. He had as many points as McAvoy (who everyone is in awe of) but, unlike McAvoy who was a +4, Harley was a +28.

Help me understand because I'd rather have him out there than Rielly.

He's already better than Rielly. Rielly wont get a sniff of this roster.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Why does Thomas Harley (plays for Canada internationally) never get any notice / love?

22 years old, 6'4", his stats in 2023-2024 were terrific. He had as many points as McAvoy (who everyone is in awe of) but, unlike McAvoy who was a +4, Harley was a +28.

Help me understand because I'd rather have him out there than Rielly.

He will be considered.. If they win a cup here... will only add to the resume ..

 

[NailsHoglander]

Fine by me if they suck. I could never cheer for a team that has McDavid on it and I'm Canadian born and raised.

 

[ORRFForever]

Happy 21st Birthday to Wyatt Johnston with 2 Goals and an Assist last night.

 

[bert]

Fine by me if they suck. I could never cheer for a team that has McDavid on it and I'm Canadian born and raised.

This is embarrassing.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Marner should be nowhere near this team

 

[jj cale]

WE absolutely have to have a goaltender emerge next year, have to.

And I don't see who that could possibly be.

 

[PanniniClaus]

WE absolutely have to have a goaltender emerge next year, have to.

And I don't see who that could possibly be.

It's Binnington.. I think he can handle it.. Now I agree it would be nice to have at least another option emerge. It's not pretty right now.

On form, you could argue Brossoit has been as good as almost any Canadian goaltender.. stuck behind Helly.

 

[jj cale]

It's Binnington.. I think he can handle it.. Now I agree it would be nice to have at least another option emerge. It's not pretty right now.

On form, you could argue Brossoit has been as good as almost any Canadian goaltender.. stuck behind Helly.

Yeah, it's likely to be him, wish we had a more regarded consistent option. Goaltending has a high probablity of burning us.

Loads of people have been after HockeyCanada to concentrate on goaltending for eons now but they obviously haven't been listening. Chickens could be coming home to roost now though.

It might be a real smelling salt for the execs very soon.

 

[Oscar The Grouch]

Marner should be nowhere near this team

Marner on a team with depth, where he isn't a primary scoring threat... Sounds like a perfect spot for him.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Marner on a team with depth, where he isn't a primary scoring threat... Sounds like a perfect spot for him.

I would take almost anyone else tbh, he might start crying if he’s not on the first line

 

[PanniniClaus]

Marner on a team with depth, where he isn't a primary scoring threat... Sounds like a perfect spot for him.

at the NHL level.. agree fully.
When you play teams that have no weaknesses... USA/SWE/FIN... he decides he doesn't want to forecheck, take a hit on the wall.

Johnston showcased his entire game last night. Stankoven buried Rantanen with a body check. He can do everything, including play center and wing. Likely will be a winger given how well he can use his body on the wall.

Marner is a smart PK guy.. so depending on depth there... maybe he gets in.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Canada is Canada and some that think goaltending might be a problem. But they have so many great players to choose from. And most have won alot on the International stage.

 

[jj cale]

Canada is Canada and some that think goaltending might be a problem. But they have so many great players to choose from. And most have won alot on the International stage.

But how many have won without at least competent goaltending behind them?


It's a real problem for Canada this go around, just look at a guy like Skinner stinking up the joint against Vancouver and he is one of the guys people were putting on the team as one of our options.

Good grief.

 

[TheBeard]

But how many have won without at least competent goaltending behind them?


It's a real problem for Canada this go around, just look at a guy like Skinner stinking up the joint against Vancouver and he is one of the guys people were putting on the team as one of our options.

Good grief.

Yeah. It's wild how stacked the forwards and defense are, yet the best the team can hope for in nets is Stuart Skinner and Jordan Binnington.

 

[jj cale]

Yeah. It's wild how stacked the forwards and defense are, yet the best the team can hope for in nets is Stuart Skinner and Jordan Binnington.

It's not good, you look at say.........the U.S. They are probably 5 guys deep on goalies who could get it done with the team they will have in front for them and the rest of the big boys have at least one.


In Canada there isn't a single guy all fans could say....." we're comfortable going in with this guy" not one, that's not good.


At this point I'm hoping Montembault can maybe save us.

 

[TheBeard]

It's not good, you look at say.........the U.S. They are probably 5 guys deep on goalies who could get it done with the team they will have in front for them and the rest of the big boys have at least one.


In Canada there isn't a single guy all fans could say....." we're comfortable going in with this guy" not one, that's not good.


At this point I'm hoping Montembault can maybe save us.

I agree, but at the same time, if you look at team USA objectively....

Hellebuyck seems to wilt in big games/elimintation style tourneys
Oettinger can be as unsettling as he can unstoppable
Demko can't seem to stay healthy
Quick, Gibson are old and about done

Swaymann is the only one I'd have the utmost confident in at this point.

Now that doesn't mean the future of American goaltending isn't bright. Dustin Wolf looks like a star in the making, but that seems to be the area where Canada may have optimism when you look at Levi, Cossa and Hofer

 

[jj cale]

I agree, but at the same time, if you look at team USA objectively....

Hellebuyck seems to wilt in big games/elimintation style tourneys
Oettinger can be as unsettling as he can unstoppable
Demko can't seem to stay healthy
Quick, Gibson are old and about done

Swaymann is the only one I'd have the utmost confident in at this point.

Now that doesn't mean the future of American goaltending isn't bright. Dustin Wolf looks like a star in the making, but that seems to be the area where Canada may have optimism when you look at Levi, Cossa and Hofer

Helly Otts and Demko are all good goaltenders ( demko assuming he's healthy) the U.S will have a great squad in front of them................any of those guys can take a team all the way, swayman can too as you pointed out.

We can't come close to that right now.......................we need at least one guy next year to emerge and the options for that don't look promising.

It's pretty scary stuff.

 

[TheBeard]

Helly Otts and Demko are all good goaltenders ( demko assuming he's healthy) the U.S will have a great squad in front of them................any of those guys can take a team all the way, swayman can too as you pointed out.

We can't come close to that right now.......................we need at least one guy next year to emerge and the options for that don't look promising.

It's pretty scary stuff.

No, 100% we're not in their league regarding goaltending. All I'm saying is we can neutralize that advantage if they're not as otherworldly as their reputation claims them to be. I know, big shocker. If Russia ever gets invited back, I'd be more concerned with what they have in the pipelines than I am US. Sheisty, Bob, Vasi, Askarov, Sorokin...

 

[HFpapi]

Anyone follow the Sabres well enough to know if Devon Levi is expected to be their #1 from the get-go next season?

Maybe he can deliver us to salvation and shore up our goaltending situation.

We only need one and tbh we don't need a goalie to be anything more than solid behind Team Canada.