As soon as the final whistle blew in Canada’s 3-0 Gold Medal win over Sweden at the Sochi 2014 Olympics, Steve Yzerman stepped down as GM of Team Canada. After leading Team Canada to back-to-back Gold Medals and dealing with the aftermath of a sour Marty St. Louis in Tampa, who can blame him!
Part of the reason why Yzerman stepped down as GM, was because he felt that there were other candidates who were ready and able to take the challenge of keeping Canada at the top of the hockey world.
It was officially announced on Monday that Doug Armstrong (GM St. Louis Blues) will be taking over GM duties from Yzerman. Armstrong’s management team will consist of Ken Holland (GM Detroit Red Wings), Marc Bergevin (GM Montreal Canadiens), Bob Murray (GM Anaheim Ducks), Rob Blake (Assistant GM Los Angeles Kings) and Scott Salmond (Hockey Canada Vice-president).
Even though the World Cup of Hockey is still over a year away, there has already been a lot of speculation as to what the Team Canada roster will look like…and I figured why not join in on the fun!!!
I have provided my 23 man roster below (13 F, 7 D, 3 G) along with my rationale and preferred line combinations.
Forwards:
Sidney Crosby: Not much explanation needed, but Sidney Crosby captaining this team is as much of a guarantee as it is Crosby scoring a big goal in the gold medal game of this tournament. Sorry Sidney, but your buddy Kunitz won’t be joining this time.
Jonathan Toews: Fresh off his 3rd Stanley Cup win, it’s obvious that Jonathan Toews will once again be Crosby’s right hand man and an assistant captain on this team. If for some reason Crosby was not available to play in this tournament (knock on wood), Toews would be a shoe-in for captaining the team.
John Tavares: After suffering a season ending knee injury during the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, look for Johnny T to be extra motivated to dominate this tournament which is being held in his own backyard in Toronto.
Steven Stamkos: Stamkos did everything he could to be ready to play in the Sochi Olympics, but after suffering a broken leg mid-season it just wasn’t in the cards. Having Yzerman as GM of the Olympic team most likely factored into the final decision of Stamkos not playing, as he didn’t want Stamkos to reinjure himself or risk permanent injury. It is important to note that similar to Tavares, Stamkos is also from the Toronto area and will also be highly motivated to have a big performance at this tournament.
Claude Giroux: I personally feel that Claude should have made the 2014 Olympics team, however it was apparent that the management team and coaching staff didn’t believe that he fit the mold of the team and likely felt that he had some maturing to do. Giroux is a big game player who can literally do it all on the ice. After participating in the World Championships this year and winning gold, look for Giroux to be a safe bet to make the World Cup team in 2016 as long as he has another strong NHL season.
Jamie Benn: After winning the Art Ross trophy last season, it is safe to say that Jamie Benn has now made a name for himself across the league and will no longer be hidden from the spotlight down in Dallas. Jamie Benn is a superstar in the NHL and he can contribute in many different ways as we saw last season and in the Sochi Olympics.
Tyler Seguin: Similar to Claude Giroux, Seguin could have very well been in the conversation for the 2014 team; however you can be sure that the management staff was weary of selecting a young player with such a bad reputation. Alongside Jamie Benn, Seguin has also proven that he is also a superstar in this league and I believe he has matured enough as a player and as a person to make the World Cup team next year. Having instant chemistry in a short tournament with his Dallas line mate and recently leading the World Championship tournament in goals, “Segsy… has a clear advantage to make this team.
Ryan Getzlaf: Getzlaf has been an enormous part of both the previous Olympic gold medal winning teams. His creative passing ability, combined with his physical play and face-off abilities, “Getzy… is a lock to make the World Cup team as 3rd line center behind Crosby & Toews.
Corey Perry: You can’t talk about Getzlaf without his partner in crime Corey Perry. These Anaheim teammates have outstanding chemistry which is highly valued in short tournaments such as the World Cup. Perry is a pure goal scorer, agitator and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty in the corners either. Corey has proven his worth in various international tournaments and you can be sure he will be there once again in 2016.
Matt Duchene: It is safe to say that Duchene was selected for the 2014 team due to his lighting fast speed and the fact that the tournament was held on the bigger international ice. Even though he was used sparingly in the tournament (until Tavares was hurt), Duchene was a sparkplug on the ice and seemed to generate lots of momentum and scoring chances when Canada needed a boost. As long as Duchene puts up a good season in Colorado in 2015-16, he should called upon to rejoin the Team Canada core from 2014.
Rick Nash: Rick Nash’s ability to be an impact player in big games has been questioned for quite some time now; however with his vast international experience, ability to contribute in a shutdown role (2010) and coming off a 42 goal season in New York, it is difficult to exclude Rick from this team for the time being. If he has a good/healthy season in 2015-16 you can be sure he will get the nod to play in the World Cup (if not I would consider slating Jeff Carter in this position instead as he proved a lot of people wrong, including myself, in Sochi and could fill a similar role).
Patrice Bergeron: Bergeron has played for the 2 previous Olympic winning teams and he is a right handed defensive minded center that would be ideal for the 4th line center slot. You cannot have an all-star team full of offensive minded players if you want to win this tournament, so this is why I have room for a reliable PK/face-off specialist like Bergeron.
Taylor Hall: After much internal debate, I would add a HEALTHY Taylor Hall as the teams 13th forward. The lineup above already has plenty of centers that will have to play the wing, so I figured adding a pure goal scoring natural winger would be a great insurance policy. Taylor played very well in the World Championships this year and showed some chemistry with Crosby on a line with Sid & Eberle. If Taylor has a strong/healthy season in Edmonton, you can be sure he will be in the conversation for one of the last roster spots on this team.
On the Bubble: Jeff Carter, Logan Couture, Ryan Johansen.
Defense:
Duncan Keith: After Keith’s heroic Conn Smythe performance in the playoffs, not much needs to be said here. Keith thrives playing huge minutes and can be relied upon in all situations.
Drew Doughty: Doughty was hands down Team Canada’s best Defenseman and maybe even best player in the 2014 Olympics. He plays his best when the game is on the line and is the type of player who wants the puck in big moments. Drew is a slam dunk to be a huge part of this D squad.
Shea Weber: Weber has solidified himself as one of the top defenseman in the world. His cannon of a shot and ability to play a physical game will ensure that he represents Team Canada once again on the World stage.
Alex Pietrangelo: Pietrangelo doesn’t get as much attention as he deserves around the league playing in St. Louis, but you can be sure that he is the real deal. Alex is a smooth skater and excellent puck moving defenseman that can be trusted in all situations. You can be certain that Pietrangelo will be representing Canada for the foreseeable future.
P.K. Subban: Even though P.K. was used VERY sparingly in the 2014 Olympics, I feel that the World Cup will be his time to shine and play a huge roll on Team Canada’s back end. No one can doubt Subban’s ability to be a game changer at any moment in the game and with a couple more years of maturing as a player under his belt, look for another highly motivated hometown kid to have a huge performance in this tourney.
Brent Seabrook: In my opinion Seabrook was a lock for the 2014 Olympic team; however the management team and coaching staff wanted an even mix of right handed and left handed defenseman which hurt Brent’s cause. Due to the fact that this tournament will be played on the North American ice surface, because Seabrook had another excellent playoff performance and also since he has excellent chemistry with Duncan Keith, I would be certain to give Seabrook one of the remaining D spots on this team.
Mark Giordano: At first I was leaning towards giving this last spot to Brent Burns (who deserves it after his dominant World Championship performance), but since Duncan Keith is the only left handed shot on my D roster above I figured I would add another lefty to the group. Giordano was having a Norris Trophy caliber season until he had a season ending arm injury. If he has a bounce back year from the injury in 2015-16, it would be a wise decision to bring Mark along for his all-around play and his leadership skills wouldn’t hurt either.
On the Bubble: Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Kris Letang.
Goalies:
Carey Price: Carey Price is now considered one of, if not THE best goaltender in the world. After his incredible performance in Sochi in 2014 and award winning NHL season, you can 110% bet that he will be the starter once again for Team Canada in 2016.
Corey Crawford: After winning his 2nd Stanley Cup and shutting down the highest scoring team in the NHL over 6 games, it’s hard to argue that Crawford should be given an opportunity to be on this team. Some people may argue that his success is due to having a dominant team playing in front of him…to that I would say…how would playing for this stacked Team Canada team be any different?
Roberto Luongo: Unless disaster strikes and the first 2 goalies are injured, you can be fairly certain that the 3rd string goalie will not see any action whatsoever. In saying that, “Bobby Lu… has proven that he can provide veteran leadership on the big stage and can keep the guys on the team “loose… with his antics. It is quite apparent that Luongo is well liked by the Team Canada management staff as well as the core group of players, and for those reasons I would like to see Luongo remain on the team as the 3rd string goalie/cheerleader.
On the Bubble: Mike Smith, Braden Holtby, Marc-Andre Fleury.
Line Combinations:
Forwards:
Tavares – Crosby – Stamkos
Rationale: Putting 2 elite hometown goal scorers on the same line as the best playmaker in the world has the potential of creating a line that could not only dominate this tournament but future tournaments for years to come.
Benn – Toews – Seguin
Rationale: Toews would be the responsible playmaking 2-way center, Benn would be the power forward and Seguin would be the sniper on this line….need I say more?
Duchene – Getzlaf – Perry
Rationale: It is a guarantee that Perry & Getzlaf will once again be line mates on this team; the challenge is finding a player that has chemistry with them. Duchene provides the speed that would be lacking on this line; therefore I feel that he would be a great fit to play alongside the Ducks duo.
Nash - Bergeron – Giroux
Rationale: Having a “4th line… capable of being physical and shutting down the other team’s best lines is extremely important at a best-on-best tournament like the World Cup. Nash proved that he could succeed in this role in 2010, Bergeron is a right handed center and defensive specialist and Giroux provides some definite sandpaper to this line. Also, all 3 players can slide up and down the lineup as needed.
13th Forward: Hall
Defense:
Keith – Seabrook
Rationale: Why mess with a good thing?
Doughty – Pietrangelo
Rationale: Putting these very responsible two-way young defenseman together could be a tandem for many future tournaments to come. Weber – Subban
Rationale: Adding a very defensively responsible Weber to a pairing with Subban would allow P.K. to jump up into the play knowing that Weber will be there to back him up. Can you imagine these powerhouses taking clappers from the same blue line?
7th Defenseman: Giordano
Please feel free to post a version of your Team Canada roster and post your comments on my selections.
As always, thanks for reading!