HFBoards Team Canada 2020: 4C

Who SHOULD be Team Canada’s fourth line centreman?


  • Total voters
    78
  • Poll closed .

Dominance

99-66-4-9-87/97
Sep 30, 2017
7,821
12,254
The Land of Hockey
Marner claims his spot beside JT and Stammer. That would be an awesome line. All good two-way players, and Marner feeding passes cross-ice into Stamkos’ wheelhouse? Yes, please. Who should be the fourth line centre?

This series of polls is an exercise to collectively put together the best roster Canada could field if they were to play an international game on New Year’s Day.

The process for filling out the team as follows:

1. Fill the forwards, moving from centre to wing to wing, with remaining centres also eligible. A guy like Giroux might be best deployed higher up in the lineup on the wing; it is up to the voters to decide.
2. Fill the defense. All defenders will be available for each side. Up to the voters to determine the importance of correct handed-ness.
3. Fill the goaltenders.

If we receive a good amount of participation, I may continue to make a 2020 Team Canada B, Team USA, Team Scandinavia, Team Rest of World, and so on as demanded.

Here is the pool of players I will be working with. Open to suggestions (i.e. shifting Giroux to a winger group).

C: Crosby, McDavid, MacKinnon, Bergeron, Tavares, Seguin, Duchene, O’Rielly, Point, Scheifele, Couturier, Giroux, Monahan, Couture, Stamkos, Johansen, Toews, Strome, Dubois, Barzal, Domi, Horvat, Nugent-Hopkins, Kadri, Schenn, Getzlaf, Athanasiou, E. Staal

LW: Marchand, Hall, Huberdeau, Benn, Skinner, Debrusk, Hoffman, Drouin, Kane, Schwartz

RW: Stone, Marner, Reinhart, Marchesseault, Mantha, Anderson, Gallagher, Bailey, Konecny, Smith, Wilson

LD: Giordano, Chabot, Morrissey, Keith, Girard, Theodore, Murray, Nurse, Matheson, Vlasic, Brodie, Chychrun, Sanheim, Dunn, Muzzin

RD: Burns, Doughty, Rielly, Spurgeon, Dumba, Letang, Pietrangelo, Pulock, Parayko, Weber, Subban, Ellis, Barrie, Ekblad, Hamilton, Montour, Makar, Savard, Severson

G: Price, Fleury, Murray, Holtby, Dubnyk, Hart, Binnington, Jones, Smith, Crawford, Blackwood

With that out of the way...who should be Canada’s fourth line centre?

Hall - McDavid - MacKinnon
Marchand - Crosby - Bergeron
Stamkos - Tavares - Marner
x - x - x

x - x
x - x
x - x

x
x
 

Dominance

99-66-4-9-87/97
Sep 30, 2017
7,821
12,254
The Land of Hockey
This is very close for me between O’Rielly, Couturier, and Point. You want someone who can maintain the attack, but also a strong defensive presence who can win face offs and penalty kill. I ended up going with ROR; he earned it with his Selke + Smythe.

Additionally, I’ve seen many comments decrying the presence of Hall on the top line. If I receive enough support for it, I would be fine with redoing the poll for that spot next, even if only to ensure the result.
 

bobholly39

Registered User
Mar 10, 2013
22,078
14,589
This becomes very interresting here. So many ways to go. Obviously, the C here is going to be one whose a good 2 way player and can play strong defense, since the first 3 lines are more geared towards offense.

ROR is a decent choice - and i'd be fine picking him solely off of last year, as rewarding him for his insane year and expecting him to come strong off of it isn't necessarily a bad thing. But - outside of last season, he probably wouldn't be in my top 3 choices here, so i hesitate a bit.

Point - Maybe, very talented, and can play strong defense too, but he's a bit less proven and i feel like i want more of an experienced guy here.

I think i'm going to pick Toews. He just had a very strong season, is still only 31 years old, and i think his leadership and experience will help the roster. In an international tournament where the stakes are high, "intangibles" tend to be a good thing.
 

bobholly39

Registered User
Mar 10, 2013
22,078
14,589
This is very close for me between O’Rielly, Couturier, and Point. You want someone who can maintain the attack, but also a strong defensive presence who can win face offs and penalty kill. I ended up going with ROR; he earned it with his Selke + Smythe.

Additionally, I’ve seen many comments decrying the presence of Hall on the top line. If I receive enough support for it, I would be fine with redoing the poll for that spot next, even if only to ensure the result.

Are you going to redo voting for Hall period, or just his slotting on the team? Because he was the first chosen for a LW, i don't think you should redo his spot entirely, just where he slots. Maybe just give an option as to what line to slot him on, giving a few options to vote for... I'm assuming that's what you meant.

This is fun - I hope you continue this with teams outside of team Canada afterwards.
 

BHD

Vejmelka for Vezina
Dec 27, 2009
38,124
16,511
Moncton, NB
Probably more recency bias than anything, but O’Reilly. Him, Couturier, Giroux, and Point are guys that stick out to me.
 

Dominance

99-66-4-9-87/97
Sep 30, 2017
7,821
12,254
The Land of Hockey
This right here.

And given who has been voted in already, Giroux and Scheifele the extras.
My plan right now is to go on to make Team Canada “B”, Team USA, Team Sweden, Team Finland, Team Russia, and Team “Rest of the World.” Then, use polls to rank each team’s offense, defense, and goaltending and average it out to make power rankings. I will then publish a big document containing everything in the International Hockey subforum.
 

teravaineSAROS

Registered User
Jul 29, 2015
3,814
1,482
My plan right now is to go on to make Team Canada “B”, Team USA, Team Sweden, Team Finland, Team Russia, and Team “Rest of the World.” Then, use polls to rank each team’s offense, defense, and goaltending and average it out to make power rankings. I will then publish a big document containing everything in the International Hockey subforum.

This would be amazing
 
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biturbo19

Registered User
Jul 13, 2010
25,152
10,132
Team shaping up like it is with offensive players and specialists, you need a defensive "specialist". You need guys beyond Bergeron who can play a shutdown, PK, defensive role. You go to the guy who has made a reputation as a performer and linchpin of Team Canada. You take Toews.

I get taking O'Reilly for that role too...but i think he probably slots better on the wing than Toews does. I like his skating better as a Center, and O'Reilly has shown more aptitude and experience as a winger when asked. Those two would be LW-C on my team, if the rest of the unit is constructed as loaded for bear on offense like that group already voted on.
 

LarKing

Registered User
Sep 2, 2012
11,738
4,557
Michigan
My plan right now is to go on to make Team Canada “B”, Team USA, Team Sweden, Team Finland, Team Russia, and Team “Rest of the World.” Then, use polls to rank each team’s offense, defense, and goaltending and average it out to make power rankings. I will then publish a big document containing everything in the International Hockey subforum.

Team USA next please
 
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