RNH is a better player now than Tavares was in 09; it's not even debatable. Last year RNH had better numbers in the NHL than Tavares did the year after he played in the WJC. You are also claiming that 18-year-old Tavares is a better player than 18-year-old Crosby. Canada didn't have the offensive depth in 09 that they have this year or in 05. That lead to Tavares getting tons of gravy offensive and PP time whenever they needed a goal. This year and in 05 Canada had 3 lines that can score on a regular basis.
That's all irrelevant. You're assuming because RNH is better, he will be more dominant, have a better tournement. You keep saying I'm claiming this, claming that, without actually adressing what I'm saying.
Tavares was more dominant in the 2009 tournement, than anyone since Forsberg. I don't care that players that were better than Tavares in 2009 have played or will play in this tournment, doesn't mean they did/will have a better tournement than Tavares in 2009.
I think everyone here figures he'll be the 7th guy. Wotherspoon and Reinhart will form to make a "shut-down" pairing, while you've got harrington and ouelett to play a two way game, contributing more offense and hamilton and rielly to run wild and bring the offence.
I should use your line... "don't make any claims unless you can back them up with facts".
Where is your fact that stats "Wotherspoon is the probable 7th defenseman" because from what I've seen SS hasn't said a thing.
I don't know how you think Tavares at 18 and not yet drafted is going to be better than RNH with a full NHL season under his belt.
RNH is faster and stronger than Tavares was at 18, there is no doubt about this. JT wouldn't have been able to put up 50 points in the 08/09 NHL season had be played.
Secondly, Tavares didn't even win the scoring title during the tourney in 09, his own teammate Cody Hodgson out-scored him. While JT was consistent and clutch etc. he wasn't anywhere near as dominant as Forsberg in 93. There have been other players since 93 and certainly since 09 who have been as good. I would argue Evgeny Kuznetsov was that good.
Keep in mind this isn't a "who's better now" or "who projects to be the better NHLer", because I myself would give that edge to JT, but RNH definitely has more game now than JT did in 09.
I hate when someone says "eveyone" here because no only is that almost always not true (It's not in this case), it's irrelevant anyway. What matters is what Team Canada and Steve Spott do, and Spott is almost suredly going to have Murphy paired with either Harrington or Reinhart. Spott's missed having a big man opposite of Murphy in Kitchener, he'll relish having it here. Either Reinhart/Harrington will work and the one that isn't with them will form up with Ouellet on the shutdown pairing.
Secondly, Harrington is a primarliy defensive defensemen, he doesn't play a "two-way game". He's here to play on the shutdown pairing, guys like Murphy, Rielly, and Hamilton are here to play with the high ends forwards.
People are getting drawn into this ******* "We need more shutdown pairings, who cares about offense, let the forwards" mentality. Murphy will play even-strength with the top lines, there is simply no chance; given who Spott is, that he won't.
On the Tavares-RNH, you're entirely misrepresenting my argument as something it's not. Where did I say Tavares was a better player predraft than Tavares is 1 year removed from his draft? I said it'll be tough for RNH to be as dominant as Tavares was, which is absolutely true. The World Juniors haven't seen someone dominate like Tavares since Jason Allison or Peter Forsberg.
Already adressed the scoring title issue, it doesn't matter, Hodgson had 1 more point, Tavares was the better/more valuable player. And Forsberg beat up on Japan, that's why he got 31 points. Don't let the point totals fool you. Besides, I said he was the most dominant
since Forsberg.
I know what this is about, and regardless if RNH is a better player at 19 than Tavares at 18, it's unlikely RNH will dominate the tournement like Tavares did.
7th defensemen usually do see some Even Strength minutes but they won't be counted on for them.
Not much. Ellis in his 17 year old season would see time against the weaker teams and as a fill in when playing better teams if players needed a rest. Probably had less ES time than his PP time. Spott's not going to leave his best offensive defensemen on the bench when he trusts him defensively.