I can understand hamonic but the other 2 are odd. G will probably have a chip on his shoulder...I imagine he's pretty bummed.
- rangerdanger94

Maybe I have my Rangers blinders on, but I obviously have a very high opinion of Girardi. Not sure whether there are 20 defensemen in the league that I would take over him, but I get that most people outside of Rangers land don't feel that way. He's logged some crazy minutes against the worlds top players the last two years, and it seems like the type of guy that would at least get an invite. But hey, I realize that Canada has all kinds of options to pick from, and someone is going to get left out.

Those are their 3rd contracts though, not 2nd.
- rangerdanger94

Yes, but still, those contracts, while not perfect comparables, will serve to drive Step's price up. Look at Duchene's second contract, two years at $3.5MM per; that was coming off an injury-plagued third season where he scored just 28 points in 50-some games. Step had a better season than that so it makes sense that he should get more than $3.5MM per and that is in essence what I am saying.

Look at McDonagh: I had compared him statistically to several players and determined he was in the same group roughly as Kris Letang, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Victor Hedman in terms of scoring rates, puck possession stats and on-ice goal differentials. Hedman ($4MM per) and Letang ($3.5MM per) received substantially less than McD in their respective "second" contracts. Ekman-Larsson ($5.5MM per) got more. After careful consideration I had him getting $4.5MM on a long-term contract. He actually beat that by a bit.

I did the same type of study on Step with Krejci and Benn being the closest statistical comparables. Krejci signed his deal some years back so accounting for inflation Step should easily top Krejci's $3.75MM cap hit. I don't think he'll get Benn money ($5.25MM per) but that still puts him into the $4MM plus category. Where in that range is what Slats and Co. will have to work out.

Maybe I have my Rangers blinders on, but I obviously have a very high opinion of Girardi. Not sure whether there are 20 defensemen in the league that I would take over him, but I get that most people outside of Rangers land don't feel that way. He's logged some crazy minutes against the worlds top players the last two years, and it seems like the type of guy that would at least get an invite. But hey, I realize that Canada has all kinds of options to pick from, and someone is going to get left out.
- Pete V

Other snubs: Jamie Benn, Cam Ward, and Spezza .

Meanwhile, Ladd, Marchand, amd Kunitz made it Benn is especially better than those guys...

Also, no Iggy. But that's more on the leadership end then skill end of surprise snubs.

Methot though? To me he has 0 pedigree.
- mrhattrick27

He had a nice season last year but yeah, I agreee, I like Girardi better. There is no way that I would trade Girardi for Methot straight up even accounting for the differences in cap hit.

I'm fine leaving him off the roster though. If anybody will need a break during the Olympics it's Girardi and probably Callahan, though we know Cally won't get the time off.

I'm bored at work... based on the 47 invites this would be my lineup for Canada.

Stamkos-Crosby-St. Louis
Giroux-Toews-Nash
Lucic-Bergy-Perry (awesome 3rd line)
Tavares-Eric Staal-Sharp

Doughty-Weber
Seabrook-Keith
Piertrangelo -Suban

Price
Smith
Holtby

Rosters are 25 so theres 4 extras which would be: Neal, Getzlaf, Mike Green, Letang

My god that is godly...

All of the Dmen invited to Canada's camp have a higher offensive value than G. You could argue that G is better defensively than 1/2 of the list of invitees but clearly they want puck moving defensemen for the Olympics. I think it makes sense considering the forwards on Team Canada are top notch in terms of skill, they probably want Dmen backing them up who can handle fast puck movement and can carry the puck a little more with playmaking ability.

A little odd that there hasn't been a peep about USA Hockey, all of the major contenders for gold seem to have made roster annoucements already and coaching decisions.

I also think that the Olympics continues to favor the Canadians with arguably the easiest bracket. Finland is a good team, but come on. You know Canada always has the strongest roster on paper, yet they have US with Russia and Slovakia and Sweden and the Czechs together in another bracket. Canada has probably the 2 weakest teams and one good one.
- xcheckmajor

Rumor is US Teleconference tomorrow to announce invites

Rumor is US Teleconference tomorrow to announce invites
- airjan23

Haha, someone heard us. US Camp Roster announced:

U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM ORIENTATION CAMP ROSTER

FORWARDS
Justin Abdelkader (Detroit)
*David Backes (St. Louis)
Beau Bennett (Pittsburgh)
Nick Bjugstad (Florida)
*Dustin Brown (Los Angeles)
*Ryan Callahan (N.Y. Rangers)
Alex Galchenyuk (Montreal)
*Patrick Kane (Chicago)
*Ryan Kesler (Vancouver)
*Phil Kessel (Toronto)
Trevor Lewis (Los Angeles)
Kyle Okposo (N.Y. Islanders)
T.J. Oshie (St. Louis)
Max Pacioretty (Montreal)
Kyle Palmieri (Anaheim)
*Zach Parise (Minnesota)
*Joe Pavelski (San Jose)
*Bobby Ryan (Ottawa)
Brandon Saad (Chicago)
Craig Smith (Nashville)
*Paul Stastny (Colorado)
Derek Stepan (N.Y. Rangers)
James van Riemsdyk (Toronto)
Blake Wheeler (Winnipeg)

DEFENSEMEN
Zach Bogosian (Winnipeg)
Dustin Byfuglien (Winnipeg)
John Carlson (Washington)
Danny DeKeyser (Detroit)
Justin Faulk (Carolina)
Cam Fowler (Anaheim)
Jake Gardiner (Toronto)
*Erik Johnson (Colorado)
*Jack Johnson (Columbus)
Seth Jones (Nashville)
Nick Leddy (Chicago)
Paul Martin (Pittsburgh)
Ryan McDonagh (N.Y. Rangers)
*Brooks Orpik (Pittsburgh)
Kevin Shattenkirk (St. Louis)
*Ryan Suter (Minnesota)
Jacob Trouba (Winnipeg)
Keith Yandle (Phoenix)

GOALIES
Craig Anderson (Ottawa)
John Gibson (Anaheim)
Jimmy Howard (Detroit)
*Ryan Miller (Buffalo)
*Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles)
Cory Schneider (New Jersey)


*- played on 2010 Olympic team

Haha, someone heard us. US Camp Roster announced:

U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM ORIENTATION CAMP ROSTER
- xcheckmajor

Thats a tough group of guys to decide from. Theres only a hand full of locked in guys like Parise, Callahan, Kane, Backes, Brown, Kessel.

A lot of good RW's.

Thats a tough group of guys to decide from. Theres only a hand full of locked in guys like Parise, Callahan, Kane, Backes, Brown, Kessel.

A lot of good RW's.
- aecliptic

Ryan, pavelski, and oshie are practically locks too in my mind.

Ryan, pavelski, and oshie are practically locks too in my mind.
- rangerdanger94

Parise, Pavelski, Kane
Ryan, Backes, Kessel
_____, Oshie, Brown
_____, _____, Callahan

Parise, Pavelski, Kane
Ryan, Backes, Kessel
_____, Oshie, Brown
_____, _____, Callahan
- aecliptic

Kesler, jvr, wheeler.

Parise, Pavelski, Kane
Ryan, Backes, Kessel
_____, Oshie, Brown
_____, _____, Callahan
- aecliptic

Pretty sad at center ice, given what some other countries are rolling out there.

Kesler, jvr, wheeler.
- rangerdanger94

Parise, Pavelski, Kane
Ryan, Backes, Kessel
JVR, Oshie, Brown
Pacioretty, Kesler, Callahan

I could see Max edging out Wheeler for the spot.

Parise, Pavelski, Kane
Ryan, Backes, Kessel
JVR, Oshie, Brown
Pacioretty, Kesler, Callahan

I could see Max edging out Wheeler for the spot.
- aecliptic

Kesler will probably be 1C. Yea I was gonna say max has a shot. A youngster like galchenyuk or someone not invited like pominville can also end up making the squad.

Pretty sad at center ice, given what some other countries are rolling out there.
- Pete V

Maybe step makes it cuz of the thinness at center ice. Oshie and backes both aren't natural centers.

Kesler will probably be 1C. Yea I was gonna say max has a shot. A youngster like galchenyuk or someone not invited like pominville can also end up making the squad.
- rangerdanger94

Coming off the injury and a decent partial season, I dont think he will end up the 1C. Plus Pavelski is way better than him.

My Picks:

Kane Kesler Kessel
Parise Backes Ryan
Brown Pavelski Callahan
JVR Stastny Pacioretty

Suter Yandle
Byufglien McDonagh
Johnson Johnson

Backups: Stepan, Oshie, Faulk, Bogosian

Quick, Miller, Howard

I think Kesler is a big question depending on the first 1/2 of the season. Stepan as well. Stepan could be a backup or he could be the top Center.

Goaltending is the most difficult choice. Schneider and Anderson are both excellent, but I think Miller, Quick, and Howard may round out more consistency. Gibson is gonna be an absolute stud IMO, but I think its too early to count him into the Olympic equation.

Maybe step makes it cuz of the thinness at center ice. Oshie and backes both aren't natural centers.
- rangerdanger94

He might make it as a rotational guy.

My Picks:

Kane Kesler Kessel (2 RWs)
Parise Backes Ryan (2 RWs) But Backes can play C.
Brown Pavelski Callahan (2 RWs)
JVR Stastny Pacioretty (2 LWs)

- xcheckmajor

Coming off the injury and a decent partial season, I dont think he will end up the 1C. Plus Pavelski is way better than him.
- aecliptic

I think kesler is better than pavelski but it will for sure depend on how injured that bandaid is. Kesler is amazing tho.

- aecliptic

All of the teams in the Olympics are all star teams and the players will be playing off positions.

I think kesler is better than pavelski but it will for sure depend on how injured that bandaid is. Kesler is amazing tho.
- rangerdanger94

If Kesler is 100% yea, but right now I think Id rather have Pavelski.

All of the teams in the Olympics are all star teams and the players will be playing off positions.
- xcheckmajor

I think they will still try to keep them at their natural positions as much as possible.

I think they will still try to keep them at their natural positions as much as possible.
- aecliptic

I wonder if they will pick role players ie drury and cally like they did last olympics.

Maybe I have my Rangers blinders on, but I obviously have a very high opinion of Girardi. Not sure whether there are 20 defensemen in the league that I would take over him, but I get that most people outside of Rangers land don't feel that way. He's logged some crazy minutes against the worlds top players the last two years, and it seems like the type of guy that would at least get an invite. But hey, I realize that Canada has all kinds of options to pick from, and someone is going to get left out.
- Pete V

Like someone said earlier, glad Girardi will be allowed to go home and rest during that two week Olympic break.

It's a grind and Girardi has been and will likely continue to be an absolute workhorse for the Rangers.

As much as I enjoy watching the Olympics I also enjoy seeing as few New York Rangers participate as possible.

In all likelihood, there will be probably a handful of Rangers or less participating:

Hank, Nash, Callahan and McDonagh are all locks with Hagelin also getting a serious look from Sweden. I saw Staal get the invite to attend Canada's camp but if he isn't right yet he has little to no chance in seriously vying for a spot on the team.

Worst case scenario is to have almost a third of your team participate in a competitive non-NHL related tournament.