Team Canada 2005 in North Dakota - The heavy favourite??

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HabLover

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Looking ahead to next year in North Dakota, will Canada be the heavy favourite to claim gold with an amazing 13 players from this year eligible to return? I would expect only Brent Burns guaranteed not to return for 2005.

Will any other players be in the show and unavailable for the tourney? It's tough to say at this point, but guys like Phanuef, Coburn and Stewart are possibilities?

I would think the roster will look very close to this;

FORWARDS

Anthony Stewart - 85
Nigel Dawes - 85
Mike Richards - 85
Jeff Carter - 85
Ryan Getzlaf - 85
Sydney Crosby - 87
Stephen Dixon - 85
Jeremy Colliton - 85
MA Pouliot - 85
Steve Bernier - 85
Corey Perry - 85
Eric Fehr - 85
Wojtek Wolski - 86

HM - Clarke MacArthur - 85, Stefan Meyer - 85, Kyle Chipchura - 86, Gilbert Brule - 87, David Bolland - 86, Daniel Carcillo - 85, Dany Roussin - 85, Benoit Mondou - 85, Alexandre Picard - 85

DMEN

Dion Phaneuf - 85
Shawn Belle - 85
Braydon Coburn - 85
Brent Seabrook - 85
Mike Green - 85
Paul Bissonnette - 85
Cam Barker - 86

HM - Wes O'Neil - 86, Jonathan Paiement - 85

GOALTENDERS

Ryan Munce - 85
Martin Houle - 85

HM - Kevin Nastiuk - 85, Rejean Beauchemin - 85, Dan LaCosta - 86
 

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If all the 18 year-olds from this year come back, I would say that Canada would be the favourite.

If the NHL locks out, and all the eligible NHL players get to play (Burns, Bergeron, Horton and likely Stewart (not there now because of contract issues)...if I'm forgetting some, let me know), then that makes them as close to unbeatable as it gets.
 

The Rage

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I think almost any year, if you look at Canada's "best possible" team, they would have a fantastic team. Problem is, very rarely do they ice their best possible team, because 4-6 of their best players stay in the NHL during the tourney. Next year, things might be different because of the lockout.
 

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Fleury14 said:
Questionable goaltending though.

The "experts" said that last year too. This tournament is where Marc-André Fleury showed the world what he could do.
 

Epsilon

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Canada will probably have a pretty good team either way with guys like Wolski, McGrath, Barker, and Dubnyk available, whether or not there's a lockout. If there is then their team would be really strong, goaltending would be the weakest position only because none of them would be at the NHL level.

If there's a lockout then Russia could have a really good lineup next year with Ovechkin and Malkin back along with some others that are slated to be top picks in this year's draft. If there's no lockout then forget about it; both will probably be in the NHL and Russia's team will be one of its weakest in a while.
 

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Fleury14 said:
There is no MA Fleury in next year's draft.

You're missing my point.

Until the 2003 WJC, Marc-André Fleury wasn't a projected Top 5 pick, nevermind first overall and becoming an 18 year-old NHL goaltender. Fleury wasn't even the bonafide #1 goaltender for Team Canada last year until LeNeveu choked and gave him the spot. It was not until then, that we saw what Fleury is capable of.

To say that Munce and Houle would provide questionable goaltending is as credible as those who said that Fleury and LeNeveu were going to be the 2003 team's downfall.
 

Fedz

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Gilbert Brule,

There is no way he does not make the team next year, unless he gets seriously injured. You dont realize how good this kid really is. IMHO, he could have made any other WJC team, this year, minus Team Canada...yes, even USA.
 

HabLover

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Van said:
You're missing my point.

Until the 2003 WJC, Marc-André Fleury wasn't a projected Top 5 pick, nevermind first overall and becoming an 18 year-old NHL goaltender. Fleury wasn't even the bonafide #1 goaltender for Team Canada last year until LeNeveu choked and gave him the spot. It was not until then, that we saw what Fleury is capable of.

To say that Munce and Houle would provide questionable goaltending is as credible as those who said that Fleury and LeNeveu were going to be the 2003 team's downfall.

Yes, Munce and Nastiuk for that matter, have both won U18 Gold medals and have some fine experience at the international stage! Nastiuk also has a silver medal from the U17 Championships a few years back, a loss to the USA in the final of that one. As for Houle, well, he's having a super year in the Q and unfortunately for him, he was stuck behind MA Fleury last year or he may have had a chance at 17 to display his talents.
 

HabLover

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Fedz said:
Gilbert Brule,

There is no way he does not make the team next year, unless he gets seriously injured. You dont realize how good this kid really is. IMHO, he could have made any other WJC team, this year, minus Team Canada...yes, even USA.

Well, I agree and disagree with you on this one Fedz.

Brule is definitely a talent and could possibly get an invite to the Canadian summer evaluation camp in August. To say he is a lock to make the team next year is a bit of a stretch, IMO. Canada could/should have a powerful team next year with a lot of returnees and there may not be room for Brule, never mind a bunch of other talented 85/86 or 87 born players. As far as making any other WJC team this year.....I doubt it. The USA squad would have definitely been tough to crack!
 

Fedz

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Now I haven't seen much of the American team, so you may be quite right, but the other teams he'd almost be a shoo-in, minus MAYBE russia.

IMO Brule is better than some players on USA though.
 

Crosbyfan

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HabLover said:
Looking ahead to next year in North Dakota, will Canada be the heavy favourite to claim gold with an amazing 13 players from this year eligible to return? I would expect only Brent Burns guaranteed not to return for 2005.

Will any other players be in the show and unavailable for the tourney? It's tough to say at this point, but guys like Phanuef, Coburn and Stewart are possibilities?

I would think the roster will look very close to this;

FORWARDS

Anthony Stewart - 85
Nigel Dawes - 85
Mike Richards - 85
Jeff Carter - 85
Ryan Getzlaf - 85
Sydney Crosby - 87
Stephen Dixon - 85
Jeremy Colliton - 85
MA Pouliot - 85
Steve Bernier - 85
Corey Perry - 85
Eric Fehr - 85
Wojtek Wolski - 86

HM - Clarke MacArthur - 85, Stefan Meyer - 85, Kyle Chipchura - 86, Gilbert Brule - 87, David Bolland - 86, Daniel Carcillo - 85, Dany Roussin - 85, Benoit Mondou - 85, Alexandre Picard - 85

DMEN

Dion Phaneuf - 85
Shawn Belle - 85
Braydon Coburn - 85
Brent Seabrook - 85
Mike Green - 85
Paul Bissonnette - 85
Cam Barker - 86

HM - Wes O'Neil - 86, Jonathan Paiement - 85

GOALTENDERS

Ryan Munce - 85
Martin Houle - 85

HM - Kevin Nastiuk - 85, Rejean Beauchemin - 85, Dan LaCosta - 86

Guillaume Latendresse 87
 

Rabid Ranger

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Fedz said:
Now I haven't seen much of the American team, so you may be quite right, but the other teams he'd almost be a shoo-in, minus MAYBE russia.

IMO Brule is better than some players on USA though.



You're probably right, although that's not the mindset of the management team who picks the team for tournaments like this. If that was the case, Rob Schremp, and few others would be on the team rather than a David Booth or Jake Dowell. It's all about the team concept. I know that's not really the point you're trying to make, but I thought I would add that nonetheless.
 

Rabid Ranger

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go pierre hedin said:
Careful guys... don't want to come off as arrogant.

;)


I certainly don't look at it that way. If I was Canadian, I would be pleased as punch that my country has so much depth when it comes to hockey. It doesn't, but it's getting there. I'll be interested to see what the U.S. team is like next year as defending champions..... :p
 

leafaholix*

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Rabid Ranger said:
I certainly don't look at it that way. If I was Canadian, I would be pleased as punch that my country has so much depth when it comes to hockey. It doesn't, but it's getting there. I'll be interested to see what the U.S. team is like next year as defending champions..... :p
You wish.

:D

EDIT: Oh... and a couple other Canadian kids may decide to jump over the border and play for your team... that'll certainly help your cause.

;)
 

Mizral

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I have a feeling Michael Richards will be playing for the Flyers next year, if there isn't a lockout. He is probobly he most 'pro-ready' of all the players on the team outside of Fleury.

Phaneuf could easily be gone too.

Brule will most certainly make the team. See the kid play. In fact, I still think he should have made this year's WJC team. I think he is the only guy out there who has a shot at unseating Crosby as the #1 in 2005.
 

CharlieGirl

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Mizral said:
I have a feeling Michael Richards will be playing for the Flyers next year, if there isn't a lockout. He is probobly he most 'pro-ready' of all the players on the team outside of Fleury.

Phaneuf could easily be gone too.

Brule will most certainly make the team. See the kid play. In fact, I still think he should have made this year's WJC team. I think he is the only guy out there who has a shot at unseating Crosby as the #1 in 2005.
As much as I like Richards, I think if either Carter or Richards are with the big club next year, it will be Carter. I truly don't see either one of them making the jump next year.
 

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Fleury14 said:
Well, you got that wrong, so I'm not even going to bother.

The week of the draft, nobody was certain that Fleury would go in the Top 5. That was only made certain when the Penguins made it clear that Fleury was their man.
 

gb701

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Mizral said:
I have a feeling Michael Richards will be playing for the Flyers next year, if there isn't a lockout. He is probobly he most 'pro-ready' of all the players on the team outside of Fleury.

Phaneuf could easily be gone too.

Brule will most certainly make the team. See the kid play. In fact, I still think he should have made this year's WJC team. I think he is the only guy out there who has a shot at unseating Crosby as the #1 in 2005.

I will be very surprised if Phaneuf is available next year - he should be ready to move out of Junior.

I agree that Brule as a 17 year old has a great shot at it - he is a different kind of impressive than the other 87 that is getting all the attention, but by next year should be ready to more than contribute.
 

Red Horner*

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If there is a strike in the NHL next year then all junior aged players will be available to play. It could be the Mother of all tournaments like the last time there was a work stoppage. :yo:
 
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