Adam French: Canada's Team

Should be a fantastic tournament

Great read. Go Canada go.
I will be attending Canada's quarter final game

Should be a fantastic tournament
- Snagglepuss

Aye, should be good. Really looking forward to seeing Reinhart and what he can do in an expanded role.

Good read!

Watched the Canada Russia game the other night. Canada had 53 shots. But I had the impression that if they had had 73 shots they were not going to score another goal.

With McDavid, Lazar and Petan not dressing there was still lots of finish missing from the line up. I think they will get their fair share of goals early in the tournament. The worry is the single game knockout format. European teams and the U.S. seem more comfortable (and patient) and hardened for playing quarter and semi final stages. Single game knockout is a female dog.

Canada stupidly emphasizes the idea that "only gold matters." The sports psycholigist all understand the critical flaw in this attitude and I am sure players and coaches have been cautioned. But the idea that everything except for the goal medal game is just part of the warm up will likely do Canada in again.

The fans and media may already be a lost cause because they cannot conceive of Canada losing. Until Canadians stop being dismissive of outcomes and making excuses for losing..."our best players were not there." Or, even dumber, "gold is the only medal that matters." How about, silver and bronze are loser medals!

Canadians have a hockey hubris that incentivizes their opponents. They are fun to beat. We are terrible losers. And, since we seem to lose more than we win, perhaps the first step towards regaining a winning form is accepting that our losing is an entirely possible outcome.

Ritchie will be suspended by game two for nearly killing some poor European

mark my words

Ritchie will be suspended by game two for nearly killing some poor European

mark my words
- HowSwedeItis

Not many heavyweights this year. Only guys that I can think of that might dent him are Erik Cernak from Slovakia, Ziyat Paygin from Russia and Thomas Dvorak and David Nemecek from the Czech Republic.

Usually away for vacation this time of year. Not this year so I am looking forward to finally being able to watch the WJC.

I disagree about the fourth line. Ritchie, Gahtier, and especially Nick Paul had great games against the Russians.

I disagree about the fourth line. Ritchie, Gahtier, and especially Nick Paul had great games against the Russians.
- JVR_42_PK81

For the Russians to win they'll need that elite goaltending all tournament. Outside of Barbashev they have arguably the worst group of centres in the entire tournament. Especially since Bragin has talked about putting Kamenev on wing for no apparent reason other than to "load up" a line.

"Also, I know why they picked Gauthier, but I can't help but think McCann brings similar qualities, but with more speed and ability. Both are very good on face-offs, both excel at penalty killing, yet only one knows how to do things in the offensive zone"

Agreed, Gauthier is slow and offensively challenged as (frank)!

Nic Petan - Brayden Point - Jake Virtanen would be nice

My predictions:

Gold: Canada
Silver: Sweden
Bronze:Russia
4th:USA
5th:Finland

Adam French: Canada's Team
- AdamFrench

Wouldn't you want to split up McDavid and Reinhart? In te pre tourament game vs russia, Reinhart center Domi and Duclair. That line was very good. I can't believe Dal Colle got cut in favor of Lawson Crouse.

Wouldn't you want to split up McDavid and Reinhart? In te pre tourament game vs russia, Reinhart center Domi and Duclair. That line was very good. I can't believe Dal Colle got cut in favor of Lawson Crouse.
- tomburton99

Crouse is a late birthday. Huge kid with soft hands and very good skating. Will rocket up the draft and be a top 5 pick by next June. This is going to be the best draft in many years. Crouse making the national junior is an indication of the overall draft quality.

Thought Dal Colle would make the team, having
Reinhart and Mcdavid should be good.

Crouse is a late birthday. Huge kid with soft hands and very good skating. Will rocket up the draft and be a top 5 pick by next June. This is going to be the best draft in many years. Crouse making the national junior is an indication of the overall draft quality.
- spatso

If he's got such soft hands than why does he produce at .49 clip in the OHL. His 16 points this season are good for 7th on the Frontenacs team he plays for. His 16 points also put him outside the top 100 scoring in the OHL.

GO CANADA GO!
Nice blog American European Asian guy!

If he's got such soft hands than why does he produce at .49 clip in the OHL. His 16 points this season are good for 7th on the Frontenacs team he plays for. His 16 points also put him outside the top 100 scoring in the OHL.
- tomburton99

Every year, we question U20 Team Canada roster since 2005.

Thought Dal Colle would make the team, having
Reinhart and Mcdavid should be good.
- Thehabsfan93

I thought Ho-Sang will make the team too few months ago.

Adam French: Canada's Team
- AdamFrench

TBH, I think there is too many WHL players again. They are the one who keep losing to Russian in Canada and Russia challenge. More Q and O players needed.

If he's got such soft hands than why does he produce at .49 clip in the OHL. His 16 points this season are good for 7th on the Frontenacs team he plays for. His 16 points also put him outside the top 100 scoring in the OHL.
- tomburton99

Most people don't understand the impact of late vs early birthdays. Eichel is 10 months older than Crouse. So, during his early youth hockey years he had turned 12 and played against kids (like Crouse) who were 11 until well beyond the completion of the season. Being nearly a year older can be highly deceptive. Yakupov was an early birthday and it may partly explain why he has not lived up to the predraft hype. Couturier was projected as the consensus #1 well over a year before his draft. He dropped significantly as we got closer to the draft and people reflected on his early age birthday in relation to his play. During the same draft, Dougie Hamilton who was not on anybody's radar the year before moved way up the chart. Hamilton was the youngest player taken in the draft. Adam Larsson who had competed earlier with Couturier as the favorite for the #1 slot was a very early birthday and has proven to be a bust.

Crouse is a baby, he will climb dramatically in the draft listings. I think he is now at 18 in the projections.

Adam French: Canada's Team
- AdamFrench

Will you be posting a write up of the other "Big 3" teams?

Will you be posting a write up of the other "Big 3" teams?
- BetterCallSaul

Most people don't understand the impact of late vs early birthdays. Eichel is 10 months older than Crouse. So, during his early youth hockey years he had turned 12 and played against kids (like Crouse) who were 11 until well beyond the completion of the season. Being nearly a year older can be highly deceptive. Yakupov was an early birthday and it may partly explain why he has not lived up to the predraft hype. Couturier was projected as the consensus #1 well over a year before his draft. He dropped significantly as we got closer to the draft and people reflected on his early age birthday in relation to his play. During the same draft, Dougie Hamilton who was not on anybody's radar the year before moved way up the chart. Hamilton was the youngest player taken in the draft. Adam Larsson who had competed earlier with Couturier as the favorite for the #1 slot was a very early birthday and has proven to be a bust.

Crouse is a baby, he will climb dramatically in the draft listings. I think he is now at 18 in the projections.
- spatso

http://www.eliteprospects.../player.php?player=205155

Yeah, he's already ranked that high. Lawson Crouse will be a bust, just like Adam Larsson(so you say.) Adam Larrsson is turning into a good player.

Dylan Strome, Mitch Manner, Pavel Zacha, Connor McDavid, Alex DeBrincat(2016 Eligible draftee), Blake Spears, Nikita Korostelev, Mitchell Vande Sompel, Pius Suter, and Rasmus Andersson. These players are all in top 50 in scoring in the OHL, all execpt DeBrincat are his draft class. So tell me more.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=205155

Yeah, he's already ranked that high. Lawson Crouse will be a bust, just like Adam Larsson(so you say.) Adam Larrsson is turning into a good player.

Dylan Strome, Mitch Manner, Pavel Zacha, Connor McDavid, Alex DeBrincat(2016 Eligible draftee), Blake Spears, Nikita Korostelev, Mitchell Vande Sompel, Pius Suter, and Rasmus Andersson. These players are all in top 50 in scoring in the OHL, all execpt DeBrincat are his draft class. So tell me more.
- tomburton99

Crouse doesn't produce as well as he should in my opinion versus his ranking status. But from the limited exposure he plays the "right way." Kind of like Nick Ritchie in last years draft. He has the raw tools and ability mixed with size etc. He really needs a playmaker, which is kind of a strike for an expected top-10ish pick, but you watch him at the Ivan Hlinka...man, get a guy making sweet passes and he will finish them.

Also to spatso, I get your argument, but it isn't like Crouse is a September baby like Barkov or MacKinnon, those two were literally 5 and 6 days from the 2014 draft, yet both produced like absolute animals. Crouse and Zacha are both not getting it done in production vs actual ability in my opinion, though I have high expectations from both.