Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports that the Avalanche and defenseman Tyson Barrie have settled on a four-year, $22 Million deal prior to the arbitration award.
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The other day on the podcast I brought up the concept of what I feel would be a better and more exciting way to lay out the World Cup of Hockey. The idea cam to me after thinking of how I will be covering the event and in the arena in Toronto who will the fans be pulling for?
Team North America after all has crazy skill and a few Leafs...mainly Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly...but Matthews is an American...I will never forget the Olympics in Vancouver and feeling the excitement that the fans had for a Team Canada. It was awesome...but I wonder how much of this exists? It is entirely possible that the two best teams are Canada and North America. Team USA is hurt the most by losing its young guns to Team North America. It hurts Canada as well, but the talent pool up north is just so good that Canada can spare a few players...
Then it finally hit me. What is bothering me about this World Cup is that the lines are being drawn by age and not place....
So what if we were to separate the teams out differently but get the same impact.
Were we to make a Team Ontario and Team Canada and a Team USA I really believe we would get three pretty equal teams and the fans in Toronto would have a local team to pull for. Perhaps this is something you could change next time and have a Team Quebec and have the tournament in Montreal...
Lets look at the teams...Starting with team Ontario
Forwards: Connor McDavid Joe Thornton Jason Spezza Corey Perry Jeff Carter Steve Stamkos Claude Giroux John Tavares Matt Duchene Tyler Seguin Wayne Simmonds Logan Couture
Notes: There is no doubt that Team Ontario has fire power...7 of it’s 12 forwards are on the current Team Canada and Connor McDavid has been added from Team North America.
Defense: Brent Burns Drew Doughty Mark Giordano Dennis Wideman PK Subban Alex Pietrangelo Cam Fowler Dougie Hamilton
Notes: Three D: Burns, Doughty, and Pietrangelo come from Team Canada and PK Subban SHOULD be on Team Canada
Goalies: Steve Mason Brian Elliot Matt Murray
Notes: None of the Team Canada Goalies are from Ontario, but these three aren’t going to hurt you...
Team Canada
Jamie Benn Patrice Bergeron Sidney Crosby Ryan Getzlaf Brad Marchand Jonathan Toews Nathan MacKinnon Taylor Hall Jordan Eberle Mark Stone Ryan Johansen Milan Lucic
Notes: 6 forwards from the current Team Canada, and MacKinnon from Team North America
Duncan Keith Jake Muzzin Marc-Edouard Vlasic Shea Weber Aaron Ekblad Kristopher Letang Brent Seabrook
Notes: As the saying goes, “They grow Giant D-men in Western Canada.. 4 Dmen from Canada and Ekblad added from North America.
Goalies: Carey Price Brayden Holtby Corey Crawford
Notes: Can’t beat these three!
Team USA
Forwards: Patrick Kane Ryan Kesler TJ Oshie Max Pacioretty Phil Kessel Zach Parise Joe Pavelski James van Riemsdyk Jack Eichel Johnny Gaudreau Auston Matthews Dylan Larkin
Notes: 7 Team USA players joined by 4 fantastic forwards from the North American Team...and yes, I added Phil Kessel...
Defense: Dustin Byfuglien John Carlson Ryan McDonagh Ryan Suter Seth Jones Erilk Johnson Shayne Gostibehere
Notes: Two Key additions on the blueline add speed
Goalies: Jonathan Quick Cory Schneider Ben Bishop
Notes: Same as current Team USA
So there ya have it?
What’s the Buzz?