Colin Dambrauskas: Would You Loan Your Star Rookie to WJC? Calgary Flames Updates...

Tough one for sure. Not like the flames are missing much if they lose a few more games without Monahan. That being said he's excelling so much why change a good thing. Guy is awesome. I believe Toronto should let Reilly go. Guy is struggling to stay in the line up. Send him to the WJ to light it up

I'd send him. he would like to go im sure to play for his country, and im not trying to be rude/disrespectful, but its not like the flames need him to stay in the playoff race or anything. I know hes a key asset but the west is super strong so far ! it would be a good experience

if it were Drouin id say the same thing

I'd send him, I'd also send Nurse...wait a second..

I'd send him, I'd also send Nurse...wait a second..
- yakattack

Is Matt Finn hurt? Because I'd send him over nurse

I would send him and have that tournament be his conditioning stint. How many games would he actually miss if he was loaned to the WJC?

Colin Dambrauskas: Would You Loan Your Star Rookie to WJC? Calgary Flames Updates...
- Colin Dambrauskas

Normally I would say if he's healthy, send him but I'm pissed that we were snubbed by that idiot Butter, especially for the likes of Porrier & Oilers Nurse got the same. Wonder if it was payback for his lack of NHL coaching career. I would tell him to go pound beef jerky on the farm. But that's just the vindictive me.

Tough question, depends on the team and the player. For the Flames if their goal is to have a transition year or rebuild or whatever you want to call it sending Monahan would be better for the team in the short-term. Problem is what message does that send the player? I highly doubt Monahan gives two poops about the WJC at this point and his goal is to be in the NHL.

Simply put if the player in question can help your team I don't see the point in sending the kid to the WJC. If the kid is struggling and needs a boost then go for it.

He should absolutely go for a whole bunch of reasons:

1. There's really no reason not to send him. The Flames aren't playing for anything but development this season.

2. He's never really played in games that mean something before. He was a star player on a terrible team in Ottawa and hasn't seen the playoffs in years (and it could be years more until he does).

3. It's a once in a career opportunity. When you talk to players who have played in this tournament, they all talk about it with a special fondness. In Canada kids grow up dreaming about 2 things... winning a Stanley cup, and playing for team Canada. Give him that experience.

4. While there he'd experience both the responsibility of leadership on a huge stage, and also the thrill of victory for a change. Canada may not be a lock for Gold this year, but they're definitely medal contenders and especially in the prelims, they'll see some big wins and some high scoring games. Why not ramp up Sean's confidence and see if he comes back guns blazing like he did at the start of the year.

5. For 3 weeks it would give someone else in the organization a chance to step up and showcase their ability (I'm looking at you Backlund). It also gives the team an opportunity to pull up a kid like Knight to see how he handles the big league.

The one potential downfall is that it might hurt his chances at the Calder to miss out on a dozen games or so... while this might be true, if the experience can ignite his fire and confidence again, maybe he comes back even better. Either way, I still think it's in his best interest to go.

Tough question, depends on the team and the player. For the Flames if their goal is to have a transition year or rebuild or whatever you want to call it sending Monahan would be better for the team in the short-term. Problem is what message does that send the player? I highly doubt Monahan gives two poops about the WJC at this point and his goal is to be in the NHL.

Simply put if the player in question can help your team I don't see the point in sending the kid to the WJC. If the kid is struggling and needs a boost then go for it.
- Lahey

Help your team do what though? Help us lose by 1 instead of by 2, 9 games out of 12?

Colin Dambrauskas: Would You Loan Your Star Rookie to WJC? Calgary Flames Updates...
- Colin Dambrauskas

I'm on the fence. The only thing that would concern me is if he goes and has a bad tourney it might take him some time to get back his confidence in the NHL.

And if he goes Sutter has to play him on one of the top 2 lines or there is no point.

He should absolutely go for a whole bunch of reasons:

1. There's really no reason not to send him. The Flames aren't playing for anything but development this season.

2. He's never really played in games that mean something before. He was a star player on a terrible team in Ottawa and hasn't seen the playoffs in years (and it could be years more until he does).

3. It's a once in a career opportunity. When you talk to players who have played in this tournament, they all talk about it with a special fondness. In Canada kids grow up dreaming about 2 things... winning a Stanley cup, and playing for team Canada. Give him that experience.

4. While there he'd experience both the responsibility of leadership on a huge stage, and also the thrill of victory for a change. Canada may not be a lock for Gold this year, but they're definitely medal contenders and especially in the prelims, they'll see some big wins and some high scoring games. Why not ramp up Sean's confidence and see if he comes back guns blazing like he did at the start of the year.

5. For 3 weeks it would give someone else in the organization a chance to step up and showcase their ability (I'm looking at you Backlund). It also gives the team an opportunity to pull up a kid like Knight to see how he handles the big league.

The one potential downfall is that it might hurt his chances at the Calder to miss out on a dozen games or so... while this might be true, if the experience can ignite his fire and confidence again, maybe he comes back even better. Either way, I still think it's in his best interest to go.
- jtommyt

I agree with you but where has he lost his confidence so far?

I agree with you but where has he lost his confidence so far?
- whipper334

I'm not sure that it's "lost" exactly, but I don't see him going to the net quite as hard and as consistently as he was in the first 6 weeks or so. I know his scoring pace was unsustainable at that level, but it seems like he's getting less chances now. I just want him to get back to that killer instinct that he came in with.

I'm on the fence. The only thing that would concern me is if he goes and has a ->bad tourney<- it might take him some time to get back his confidence in the NHL.
- whipper334

Inconceivable!

Normally I would say if he's healthy, send him but I'm pissed that we were snubbed by that idiot Butter, especially for the likes of Porrier & Oilers Nurse got the same. Wonder if it was payback for his lack of NHL coaching career. I would tell him to go pound beef jerky on the farm. But that's just the vindictive me.
- Kevin R

I have a lot less problem this yr with how the selections are being handled then last. Maybe they pretty much have their team. Last yr they picked the team before camp, so the camp was a joke. No sense in inviting a guy if your not going to select him no matter how good he plays

Inconceivable!


- FL4MES

He should absolutely go for a whole bunch of reasons:

1. There's really no reason not to send him. The Flames aren't playing for anything but development this season.

2. He's never really played in games that mean something before. He was a star player on a terrible team in Ottawa and hasn't seen the playoffs in years (and it could be years more until he does).

3. It's a once in a career opportunity. When you talk to players who have played in this tournament, they all talk about it with a special fondness. In Canada kids grow up dreaming about 2 things... winning a Stanley cup, and playing for team Canada. Give him that experience.

4. While there he'd experience both the responsibility of leadership on a huge stage, and also the thrill of victory for a change. Canada may not be a lock for Gold this year, but they're definitely medal contenders and especially in the prelims, they'll see some big wins and some high scoring games. Why not ramp up Sean's confidence and see if he comes back guns blazing like he did at the start of the year.

5. For 3 weeks it would give someone else in the organization a chance to step up and showcase their ability (I'm looking at you Backlund). It also gives the team an opportunity to pull up a kid like Knight to see how he handles the big league.

The one potential downfall is that it might hurt his chances at the Calder to miss out on a dozen games or so... while this might be true, if the experience can ignite his fire and confidence again, maybe he comes back even better. Either way, I still think it's in his best interest to go.
- jtommyt

My thoughts exactly.

Solves the Backlund issue temporarily. Maybe having Stajan, Backlund as 1/2 centers will help bring up their value and get them going a little more. When Monahan is back trade one of the other 2.

If letting him go also means on of the plugs that are invited get dropped then all the better. Rather have Monahan there over Shink.

Help your team do what though? Help us lose by 1 instead of by 2, 9 games out of 12?
- jtommyt

It's not just about Monahan, was the general question. Hence why I said it depends on the team and player. Some teams such as COL wouldn't send MacKinnon because they are in a playoff spot and he is doing well, but if he only had 5 or 6 points and COL was in dead last things could be different.

If he has enough time to get his conditioning back up then I think it's fine.
But if he doesn't then heck no. Keep him over here and let him work out with the team to get back into shape. I doubt Sutter's workout regime is as hard as Hartley's and you don't want him coming back out of shape.

It's not just about Monahan, was the general question. Hence why I said it depends on the team and player. Some teams such as COL wouldn't send MacKinnon because they are in a playoff spot and he is doing well, but if he only had 5 or 6 points and COL was in dead last things could be different.
- Lahey

too bad too, I wouldn't mind seeing the MacKinnon/Drouin pairing again!

I'd lend him in a heartbeat. He'll be playing with and against top talent in pressure situations. It'll be great conditioning for him and like it or not, Brent Sutter is one of the best coaches for young players out there. Besides, I will remind everybody that we just beat L.A. without him

About Nurse, as per NHL.com:

Hockey Canada's new head scout for men's national teams, Ryan Jankowski, said Nurse was a difficult player to leave off the roster, but the feeling was Nurse often tried to do too much on the ice. In order to be certain that wasn't a function of the role he plays for the Greyhounds, Hockey Canada wanted to see how Nurse played when surrounded by better players in the Canadian Hockey League's Subway Super Series against Russia.

"It was the same thing," Jankowski said. "He didn't show an ability to simplify his game."

Personally I think sending Monahan to the WJC will be good for him as well as the team. He'll likely come back with a strong positive energy, especially if he and the team do well. A team can always use that enthusiasm.

Perhaps Klimchuk does have more skilled players ahead of him and that's why he wasn't invited. But, this year at least, Shinkaruk is not 1 of them.

About Nurse, as per NHL.com:

Hockey Canada's new head scout for men's national teams, Ryan Jankowski, said Nurse was a difficult player to leave off the roster, but the feeling was Nurse often tried to do too much on the ice. In order to be certain that wasn't a function of the role he plays for the Greyhounds, Hockey Canada wanted to see how Nurse played when surrounded by better players in the Canadian Hockey League's Subway Super Series against Russia.

"It was the same thing," Jankowski said. "He didn't show an ability to simplify his game."
- Talking_hockey1

Excuses. We could come up with similar poop on any of the players that were chosen if they were not.

They made up their minds well before and this is just trying to "sell" the selections and omissions...

There is absolutely no way they can justify taking some of these guys and leaving others behind so they make something up. Nurse played just as well or better than most in that super series.