Today the rest of the squads for the World Cup of Hockey were announced and while RNH made team North America, Taylor Hall got the snub for Team Canada.

Edmonton’s top LW didn’t make the final cut for Canada, even though he is among perhaps the top 3 or 4 LWs in the entire game of hockey. Team Canada in general went extremely heavy with centers, opting to take only 2 natural wingers on their club.

Naturally I think failing to take Taylor Hall is a mistake in a best on best tournament. That said, I also think it’s a mistake for team Canada to pass on PK Subban and Kris Letang. The decision to keep those two out in favor of Pietrangelo and Weber is a mistake. Their non-invites are likely even a greater detriment to the club than failing to take Hall, but Canada’s forwards are still of high quality and quantity. It’s a lot harder to keep defenders from being exposed.

Still, I’m an Oiler blogger so I’ll keep this focused on Hall for now. Canada’s forwards are:

Benn
Bergeron
Carter
Crosby
Duchene
Getzlaf
Giroux
Marchand
Seguin
Stamkos
Tavares
Thornton
Toews

Of those men, I’d say no brainer locks belonged to Benn, Bergeron, Crosby, Seguin, Stamkos, Tavares, Thornton, and Toews. These players I think anyone in their right mind should take on Team Canada. Even Stamkos with blood clot issues and believing Toews is overrated (he is) they should still be on the team without question.

That leaves Carter, Duchene, Getzlaf, Giroux, Marchand on my outside looking in. Carter was inexplicably named to Team Canada’s initial roster. Getzlaf, at least, is more understandable as an initial roster member. The two of them weren’t coming off the roster so in my mind the fight comes down to Hall versus Duchene, Giroux, and Marchand.

I think it’s ridiculous to have a team loaded with centers already then to add three more centers today as they did. Thornton should never have been in question, but what about Duchene and Giroux? I thought there weren’t too many who advocated center depth more than I did, but Canada’s leadership takes the cake here.

Taylor Hall is 9th in Canadian points per game over the last three years. He’s 6th in Canadian Forward 5v5 P/60 in that same time period. He’s been the driver of Edmonton’s bus since he arrived here and arguably hasn’t quite yet given that title up yet (though McDavid is destined to take it). Edmonton has scored 147 goals with Hall on the ice and given up 146 goals 5v5 over the last 3 years. WITHOUT HALL, the Oilers have scored 244 goals and given up 396 goals. That’s 50.2% Goals For with Hall and 38.1% without him.

I’m sorry, but anyone who can make the EDMONTON OILERS a respectably competitive club just by stepping onto the ice belongs on Team Canada. I don’t even know why I would talk about anything else. When people make up fake arguments about Hall’s lack of two way play, point them in the direction of that stat. To claim he isn’t a good two way player is bizarre and lazy.

But Brad Marchand is a VERY good two player, I keep hearing. And he scored 37 goals this year. I like Brad Marchand. I do. He’s a rat and a pest and that little ball of hate could play on my team any day of the week, unless it was at the expense of Taylor Hall. Despite his really great season there are two things I don’t trust about Marchand.

1) I have suspicions about his shot volumes. From the three years leading up to this season Marchand averaged 7.56 shots per 60 minutes. This year that jumped to 10.52 shots per 60 minutes. In terms of actual shots on net, Marchand’s previous career high was 180 in 77 games. This year that total ballooned to 250 shots in 77 games. His shooting percentage is relatively high compared to league average but not to his career numbers. The shot rates are questionable. I’d like to see if they continue. I have my doubts.

2) I wonder greatly how much of Marchand’s reputation as a great 2 way player is actually piggy-backed off of Patrice Bergeron. Over the last three years, Marchand has played 3217:14 5v5 for the Bruins and has a 57% Corsi. However, he’s played 2596:35 with Patrice Bergeron. Together they are a whopping 59.3% CF. Without Bergeron, Marchand drops significantly to 47.6% CF. I’m not ready to buy the greatness of Marchand’s 2 way game when he’s getting so clearly carried by his incredible center.

Canada is so deep with talent that they could have 2 squads and 60% of the North America team and all three could be competitive. Taylor Hall didn’t make the team and I think it’s a mistake. Will the team be so negatively impacted by his absence that they will fall apart? I doubt it.

That said, the fact that Taylor Hall’s NHL team has been a perennial basement dweller has obviously painted the way he’s viewed by numerous analysts and managers. If I’m putting together the best team Canada possible, it’s going to have Taylor Hall on it every time.

Follow me on Twitter @Archaeologuy

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