Steven Stamkos' withdrawal from the Olympics is a sour lick for the country, and certainly for Stamkos himself, who rehabbed with all the intentions of making this dream come true. Only the heartless wouldn't feel for him, and you have to commend him for accepting what the doctors told him, and for relinquishing this cherished opportunity.
Some would say "what choice did he have?", but I doubt the doctors were suggesting Steve Yzerman play without cartilage in one of his knees, in 2002. Yzerman was at the end of his NHL rope at the time, but a long playoff run with the Wings was pending, and miraculously, he delivered in stunning fashion in both the Olympics and the Stanley Cup playoffs, as Canada and the Wings both proved victorious.
Stamkos' decision was made with many years of a prolific career in the balance, and if the NHL goes to the Olympics in 2018, in South Korea--you almost hope they do just for Stamkos' sake--he'll be there.
And now, the all-important replacement decision is on the tip of Yzerman's tongue. Surely, this decision's been made by now, as it would've had to have been discussed incessantly during the wait and see portion of Stamkos' doubtful recovery. So why wait to announce?
(UPDATE: TEAM CANADA JUST ANNOUNCED MARTIN ST. LOUIS WILL REPLACE STAMKOS ON THE OLYMPIC TEAM, 10:58 am) One good reason might have to do with a game between the Leafs and Lightning tonight--an important one in the standings. If Yzerman has in fact made the popular decision to send Martin St. Louis in Stamkos' place, this would make sense.
As political and personal as the situation is, Yzerman won't name St. Louis if he believes someone else is a better fit for his team. Obviously, it's hard to imagine this scenario playing out, nevermind what the ramifications of such a decision would be.
For this blogger's money, it will be St. Louis, and not because Yzerman can't bear the thought of disappointing him again.
Stamkos was slated to play the wing at the Olympic tournament. If the decision's between St. Louis and Claude Giroux, St. Louis is the natural winger of the two. Both have been tremendous since the Olympic team was named, and either selection would be understandable.
Most would argue that Giroux is a more complete player, and therefore he merits the selection more than St. Louis, but I don't buy the argument that he's a more complete player at the wing.
As for James Neal, the hole here is on the right side, though you could certainly argue this left-winger is most deserving of the opportunity.
And then there's Eric Staal, whose name is lumped in based on pedigree and international experience donning Canadian colors. While not out of left field, this selection would be a shocker. ************
Let's talk about line constitution for a second, because it's more fun to arrange the names on paper for you and I than it is for Mike Babcock. In all reality, Babcock will mix and match as the tournament goes along, long-standing chemistry be damned if it doesn't rise to the surface in Sochi.
Purely opinion here, but here's how I see it:
Regardless of who's picked to replace Stamkos, that player won't be the one skating on Sidney Crosby's line in his place.
Bob McKenzie of TSN has long held the opinion that Matt Duchene or Jeff Carter could be considered candidates to step onto Crosby's line. Here's a name that you probably didn't consider because he's been tied to Ryan Getzlaf's hip for his entire NHL career: That's right, I'm talking about Corey Perry.
Perry is the most capable winger on the team of doing what Stamkos brings to the equation: Scoring goals. He's got 29 of them in 59 games this season, which gives him 131 goals in 265 games since the Vancouver Games. Speaking of which, Perry had four goals in seven games at the 2010 Olympics.
Not that Perry's scoring is equitable to Stamkos', who put up 148 goals in 229 games since the Vancouver Games. But his goals per game percentage is just slightly shy of Sidney Crosby's, who has 83 goals in 156 games since 2010.
Lest we forget Perry's success next to Crosby and Patrice Bergeron at the 2005 World Juniors. Perry also won a Stanley Cup with Kunitz on his line.
Another caveat from that incredible World Junior team: Jeff Carter played alongside Andrew Ladd and Getzlaf. Heck, if you've watched Getzlaf play this year, you'd know he's a lethal threat with anyone capable of burying the puck on his wing. He's buried it plenty himself, too, with 27 goals in 55 games.
I've seen Tavares on TSN's depth chart, slated to play centre. Can't knock the success he's had at the position, but have to believe he'll be on the wing for this tournament unless Babcock decides he needs a different look at centre, and he'd be a perfect option next to Getzlaf and Carter.
So, without further ado, here are my lines, open for criticism:
Kunitz-Crosby-Perry Tavares-Getzlaf-Carter Sharp-Toews-Nash Benn-Bergeron-Duchene
13th, and dressed: St. Louis. 14th, Marleau