Team Canada - 1st Pairing Defence - Left Side

[GFS]

If Canada is building a team right now, who should play the left side on the defence's first pairing?

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[TheGoldenGod]

Sam Girard for sure

 

[Xspyrit]

Chabot-Pietrangelo would be my first pairing

Edit : accidently voted Pietrangelo but for LD it would be Chabot, obviously. Could have been good if we could vote 2 players, 1 LD and 1 RD

 

[jetsforever]

Not a bad idea to consider moving a RD guy over

 

[HyPnOtiK]

Chabot, why is Muzzin even an option?

 

[apollo18]

why is giordano even an option???

 

[780il]

Pietro - Makar would be my top pair. Chabot - someone on the second pair.

 

[Mickey Marner]

Depends who the RD is. If it's someone like Makar I'd want a steady guy like Morrissey. If it's a steady guy like Pietrangelo, I'd want someone like Chabot.

 

[Advanced stats]

Ultimately the 3 best LD next year for team Canada will likely be

Rielly, Chabot, Theodore.

Arrange them how you like, I'll take Rielly now, Chabot may be better next season.

 

[Dion TheFluff]

Theodore is the best left shot so it should be him no?

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Top three should be:
1. Chabot
2. Theodore
3. Makar if paired with a steady vet.

I chose Chabot but I think a Pietro-Makar top pairing could work really well too.

 

[sabresEH]

First pairing as in do or die game, who's getting the most 5 on 5 ice time? It could end up being one of the younger guys but we're talking about Hockey Canada. They're not going to go all new guys on defence. They didn't get a transition year in 2018 with no pro's so while I'm expecting a lot of first time olympians, especially on defence, if Duncan and Shea are both still playing at a high level they will not only be on the roster, but they'll play important minutes in key situations.

 

[AvroArrow]

EDIT: Misread title and options, as the #1 LEFT D, between Chabot and Theodore for me

 

[BlueBaron]

I'm not voting, Too many are so close that the year they are having and their line mate matter more than their names. I like the idea of Rielly with Petro or Doughty but I'm not sure what pairing he would land on.

Nice of the OP to list Muzzin but he's not going to be invited unless there is like 10 injuries.

 

[Sky04]

Canada is big on taking proper left/righties on the appropriate side. Given the options I think Chabot or Theodore would get a nod and an even stronger case for Theodore next year if he does well playing next to Pietrangelo for a full season.

RHD is where the logjam is.

 

[Karl Eriksson]

Chabby

 

[Bounces R Way]

why is giordano even an option???

He won a Norris a season ago and would still be a better choice than a lot of those LHD lol

Canada often defers to veterans when building a team so it wouldn't shock me if they had Weber, Keith, or Gio up there if it was being put together today. I would go Chabot tho.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

With Keith well past his best before date, it's kind of shocking to see how the LD side of the ice isn't all that dominant compared to some of the names that play RD.

 

[amnesiac]

Pietro-Makar
Chabot-Hamilton
Theodore-Ellis

 

[Ryan Michaels]

With Keith well past his best before date, it's kind of shocking to see how the LD side of the ice isn't all that dominant compared to some of the names that play RD.

Yeah I'd take probably 5 rhds over any of them. Gun to my head game tomorrow I'm probably only taking Giordano, and given Canada's tendency to stick with vets I suspect hfboards will reach a very inaccurate lineup that skews way too young.

 

[Gurglesons]

Knowing Canada, if Theo and Pietro become a legit beast of a pairing it'll be Theo. So I took him.

Chabot is the best LD though.

 

[Regal]

With Keith well past his best before date, it's kind of shocking to see how the LD side of the ice isn't all that dominant compared to some of the names that play RD.

Especially weird considering Canadians lean left handed for hockey quite strongly compared to say the US. And even Theodore whose one of the top options here played mostly on the right last year.

 

[Bouboumaster]

Went with Chabot.

 

[Regal]

I wonder whether Canada will be as stringent on lefty/righty splits as they were in '14 and '10. I feel like a lot of that was Babcock who won't be back. The '06 team only had 2 righties. Pietrangelo and Parayko can both play the left side. Theodore, Chabot and Rielly are all really good players overall, but I'm not sure if it's ideal for any of them to be playing the toughest minutes in a best on best.

 

[BAM]

I wonder whether Canada will be as stringent on lefty/righty splits as they were in '14 and '10. I feel like a lot of that was Babcock who won't be back. The '06 team only had 2 righties. Pietrangelo and Parayko can both play the left side. Theodore, Chabot and Rielly are all really good players overall, but I'm not sure if it's ideal for any of them to be playing the toughest minutes in a best on best.

For what it's worth, Rielly-Parayko was a great pairing for the U23 team at the last best on best tournament (2016-17 World Cup of Hockey)