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Considering the list of players who turned down a chance to play in the worlds and the youth of the team, the Canadians did quite well, and were only a couple of goals from the gold medal game. Carter, Bergeron and Crosby were strong for most of the tournament, and represent part of a strong up-and-coming base for future international competitions like the World Cup and Olympics.
Here are some of the players 25 and under that will be in their primes or early primes in 2010.
I listed 55 forwards.
Nash
Brule
Picard
Getzlaf
Lupul
Perry
Richards
Carter
Downie
Bergeron
Boyes
Spezza
Heatley
Fisher
Staal
Williams
Ladd
Torres
Stoll
MA Pouliot
Cogliano
Hartnell
Upshall
Bernier
Cheechoo
Setoguchi
PM Bouchard
B Pouliot
Bolland
Blunden
Tambellini
Comeau
O'Marra
Weiss
Horton
Wolski
Richardson
Kobasew
Boyd
Chipchura
Latendresse
Stajan
Crosby
Roy
Comrie
Zajac
Bourret
J Staal
Toews
Brassard
Esposito
Little
Tavares
Sheppard
C. Stewart
Cammellari
There will likely be nine or ten players from the above list with a solid chance of making the Olympic team, along with vets like Thornton, Iginla, Marleau, Smyth, Gagne, Tanguay, etc.
Here's a list of 20 defencemen 25 and under with the best chance of making the Canadian blueline in 2010. Out of this group, it would be realistic to be looking at 4 blueliners to join the likes of Regehr, Redden, Neidermayer, Jovanovski, etc.
Jackman
Phaneuf
Schultz
Boynton
Hamhuis
Morrisonn
Bouwmeester
Eminger
Daley
Coburn
Seabrook
Weber
Barker
Green
Staal
Bourdon
Sanguinetti
Wishart
Parent
Foster
Out of the 14 goalies, one and perhaps two (doubtful) will stand a chance of breaking Canada's top three for the Olympics. I suspect Brodeur will stioll be at the top of his game, and Luongo will be in his goaltending prime. So we need to pick two goalies from this list:
Auld
Danis
Leclaire
Emery
Ward
Pogge
Price
LeNeveu
Fleury
Crawford
Dubnyk
Plante
Vincent
Schaefer
10 forwards
Four defencemen
two goaltenders
forwards
Bergeron
Spezza
Heatley
Nash
Crosby
Getzlaf
Carter
Richards
Staal
Horton
defence
Phaneuf
Jackman
Hamhuis
Seabrook
goalies
Ward
fleury
I suspect the likes of Toews, Tavares, Brule and Brassard will be knocking hard on the door, and perhaps one of them will make the grade, most likely Toews if the team is looking for a solid all-around center for the team.
I'm interested in seeing other people's projections on who they think are the 15 best young players with a shot of making the 2010 Canadian Olympic squad.
Here are some of the players 25 and under that will be in their primes or early primes in 2010.
I listed 55 forwards.
Nash
Brule
Picard
Getzlaf
Lupul
Perry
Richards
Carter
Downie
Bergeron
Boyes
Spezza
Heatley
Fisher
Staal
Williams
Ladd
Torres
Stoll
MA Pouliot
Cogliano
Hartnell
Upshall
Bernier
Cheechoo
Setoguchi
PM Bouchard
B Pouliot
Bolland
Blunden
Tambellini
Comeau
O'Marra
Weiss
Horton
Wolski
Richardson
Kobasew
Boyd
Chipchura
Latendresse
Stajan
Crosby
Roy
Comrie
Zajac
Bourret
J Staal
Toews
Brassard
Esposito
Little
Tavares
Sheppard
C. Stewart
Cammellari
There will likely be nine or ten players from the above list with a solid chance of making the Olympic team, along with vets like Thornton, Iginla, Marleau, Smyth, Gagne, Tanguay, etc.
Here's a list of 20 defencemen 25 and under with the best chance of making the Canadian blueline in 2010. Out of this group, it would be realistic to be looking at 4 blueliners to join the likes of Regehr, Redden, Neidermayer, Jovanovski, etc.
Jackman
Phaneuf
Schultz
Boynton
Hamhuis
Morrisonn
Bouwmeester
Eminger
Daley
Coburn
Seabrook
Weber
Barker
Green
Staal
Bourdon
Sanguinetti
Wishart
Parent
Foster
Out of the 14 goalies, one and perhaps two (doubtful) will stand a chance of breaking Canada's top three for the Olympics. I suspect Brodeur will stioll be at the top of his game, and Luongo will be in his goaltending prime. So we need to pick two goalies from this list:
Auld
Danis
Leclaire
Emery
Ward
Pogge
Price
LeNeveu
Fleury
Crawford
Dubnyk
Plante
Vincent
Schaefer
10 forwards
Four defencemen
two goaltenders
forwards
Bergeron
Spezza
Heatley
Nash
Crosby
Getzlaf
Carter
Richards
Staal
Horton
defence
Phaneuf
Jackman
Hamhuis
Seabrook
goalies
Ward
fleury
I suspect the likes of Toews, Tavares, Brule and Brassard will be knocking hard on the door, and perhaps one of them will make the grade, most likely Toews if the team is looking for a solid all-around center for the team.
I'm interested in seeing other people's projections on who they think are the 15 best young players with a shot of making the 2010 Canadian Olympic squad.