You'll still have to beat them. The Swedes are the team I think I would worry most about, but you can't write off the Yankees. No one expected them to play as well as they did in 2010. You also have to be worried about percieved lesser teams, like the Finns if Rask decides he wants to win a medal.
- BetterCallSaul

i wouldn't take 4 or 5 players just in case i have to beat one team.....I would trust my high skill players to get the job done in any case against all teams and a line like Benn-Getzlaf-Perry is plenty gritty enough for me with a disgusting amount of skill

problem is he's mediocre defensively so he's probably only being looked at for a top 6 spot.
yzerman likes experience too.

I want him on the team as I think hes perfect for the big ice. but id be surprised if he made it
- hugefemale dog77

I agree with you that he probably won't make it. Although he doesn't have a lot of experience on an NHL level he has dominated in junior winning back to back memorial cup MVP (only person ever iirc) and has world junior and championship experience as well

Yes it's nowhere near the experience of a Toews or mike Richards or patrick sharp it shouldn't be over looked.

If you look at drew doughty in 2010 he was a player picked to be the 7 dman for the team and ended up playing his way into big minutes. You gotta give guys a chance to prove it

I hate this argument.
he happened to get drafted by boston.
- hugefemale dog77

you hate it but they look at it and take it into account and use it as a measuring stick to how you perform when the going get's tough....Hall has Lowe in his corner likely tho, so if there is a debate over "intangibles" i'm sure Lowe has his back in that discussion

are u saying none of couture, Bergeron, toews, perry, getzlaf, etc etc provide anything pre scoring??
no.
all of those guys are physical, decent to amazing two ways, willing to sacrifice etc

we can have stars as role players, and still have no place for kunitz
- hugefemale dog77

Which of those guys consistently kill penalties Bergeron and Toews , that's its . Kunitz has been a main stay on Pitts penalty kill which is ranked second in the NHL , I love perry, Getzlaf , couture . . Question: do you want them out there in the third period of a 2 2 game in the metal round?? There are prob 25 players better at it among Canadian forwards then Kunitz. Which are being considered for team canada???

Besides Kunitz which of these stars will be blocking shots in a close game in the metal rounds among the forwards , I'll give u Bergeron ... Who else?
You might be right, he might not be team canada good but he makes the team better not just bc of the chemistry but also for the other listed reasons! Once again it's not an all star game
- Brianandr1

Probably the guys listed as 2 (Couture) & 3 (Getzlaf) in the league leaders in blocking shots among forwards, but Bergy is 10th with Benn only 3 less than him.

Kunitz has less blocked shots than Crosby FYI, hes not that kind of forward, he has 23 giveaways and only 12 takeaways, I woudlnt call him a rock of a defensive player

you hate it but they look at it and take it into account and use it as a measuring stick to how you perform when the going get's tough....Hall has Lowe in his corner likely tho, so if there is a debate over "intangibles" i'm sure Lowe has his back in that discussion
- B-Mac

seguin was absolutely NOT a big part of that cup win.
he rode pine a lot duing the run, had small minutes, and one big game in 16 wins.

would junior count then?
hall waxed the floor with tyler head to head.
and won back to back mem cup mvp's.

ill just agree to disagree that seguin being drafted by an elite team and hall being drafted by a bottom feeder has any bearing whatsoever

i wouldn't take 4 or 5 players just in case i have to beat one team.....I would trust my high skill players to get the job done in any case against all teams and a line like Benn-Getzlaf-Perry is plenty gritty enough for me with a disgusting amount of skill
- B-Mac

Not going to argue with that.

I think the team I posted has a good mix of diverse skills and everyone is responsible enough that I wouldn't have a heart attack if Ovechkin was on the ice in the dying moments of a game. But I'm not going to be upset when the inevitable outcome happens, where the real team looks nothing like mine.

If you want to swap out Thornton and Carter for Benn and St. Louis, be my guest, haha.

Probably the guys listed as 2 (Couture) & 3 (Getzlaf) in the league leaders in blocking shots among forwards, but Bergy is 10th with Benn only 3 less than him.

Kunitz has less blocked shots than Crosby FYI, hes not that kind of forward
- DDM-Coga

Kunitz is a mainstay on the pens penalty kill , like I said I love all the names u mentioned but if we need to kill a penalty late in the third I want Kunitz out there with Bergeron, Toews and ? In shifts obv

Probably the guys listed as 2 (Couture) & 3 (Getzlaf) in the league leaders in blocking shots among forwards, but Bergy is 10th with Benn only 3 less than him.

Kunitz has less blocked shots than Crosby FYI, hes not that kind of forward, he has 23 giveaways and only 12 takeaways, I woudlnt call him a rock of a defensive player
- DDM-Coga

Hamhuis over Subban = Homerism
- 1979AD

How? Subban is obviously better offensevely but not even in the same stratosphere defensively. There's enough offense with Keith, Weber, Doughty and Pietrangelo. We need left handed defensman. Especially ones as mobile, smart and defefenevly sound as Hamhuis. Hamhuis would automatically be the best defensive defenseman on the team. Keeping the puck out of our net is as important as scoring. Look at our forward...tons of offense. We have four defenseman with offense as well. This isn;t a f*cking all star game.

Kunitz is a mainstay on the pens penalty kill , like I said I love all the names u mentioned but if we need to kill a penalty late in the third I want Kunitz out there with Bergeron, Toews and ? In shifts obv
- Brianandr1

unless he is coughing up the puck 5 on 5, he is a turn over machine based off this years stats.

If you are going to give Kunitz his spot bc he is a good PKer, O'Reilly could put up 80 points wtih crosby while still being a way more sound defensively 2-way player out there. Kunitz is as 1 dimensional as they come.

Canada does have a first line....the line the best player in the world is centering, that is your first line
- B-Mac

Was the first line, but not their best line in 2010.

unless he is coughing up the puck 5 on 5, he is a turn over machine based off this years stats
- DDM-Coga

We're talking about killing penalties not even strength turnovers!!
Maybe let Taylor hall kill penalties ,'let's see how that works out

We're talking about killing penalties not even strength turnovers!!
Maybe let Taylor hall kill penalties ,'let's see how that works out
- Brianandr1

Not hating on Taylor hall I love him as a player but how many high skill guys do u need , someone has to play pp kill

We're talking about killing penalties not even strength turnovers!!
Maybe let Taylor hall kill penalties ,'let's see how that works out
- Brianandr1

You didnt ge my point, his stats show he turns over the puck more than he takes it away, so if he is effective on the PK, he would have strong takeaway numbers, but he has really weak ones. So statistically he isnt a strong PKer, someone who turns over the puck twice as much as he takes it away isnt an ideal guy in my mind

How? Subban is obviously better offensevely but not even in the same stratosphere defensively. There's enough offense with Keith, Weber, Doughty and Pietrangelo. We need left handed defensman. Especially ones as mobile, smart and defefenevly sound as Hamhuis. Hamhuis would automatically be the best defensive defenseman on the team. Keeping the puck out of our net is as important as scoring. Look at our forward...tons of offense. We have four defenseman with offense as well. This isn;t a f*cking all star game.
- Boinker

That's a great way to argue that you're not a homer.

Here's 3 Team Canadas that could probably make the medal round.

Team A

FWD:
St Louis / Crosby / Stamkos
Hall / Toews / Tavares
Giroux / Douchene / Perry
Sharp / Bergeron / Benn
Getzlaf
Carter

D:
Weber / Doughty
Subban / Bouwmeester
Keith / Seabrook
Letang

G:
Price
Luongo
Smith

Team B (AKA Team Staal)

FWD:
Neal / Thornton / Marleau
Eberle / E. Staal / Nash
Seguin / Richards / Couture
Lucic / J. Staal / Kunitz
Kane
Lupul

D:
Boyle / Phaneuf
M. Staal / Campbell
Hamonic / Hamhuis
Vlasic

G:
Crawford
Bernier
Fleury

Team C

FWD:
Steen / Nugent-Hopkins / Skinner
Ladd / Johansen / O'Reilly
Marchand / Spezza / Iginla
Downie / MacKinnon / Simmonds
Turris
Moulson

D:
Giordano / Alzner
MacDonald / Green
Bieksa / Wideman
Franson

G:
Ward
Holtby
Mason
- 1979AD

Not Canadian.

How? Subban is obviously better offensevely but not even in the same stratosphere defensively. There's enough offense with Keith, Weber, Doughty and Pietrangelo. We need left handed defensman. Especially ones as mobile, smart and defefenevly sound as Hamhuis. Hamhuis would automatically be the best defensive defenseman on the team. Keeping the puck out of our net is as important as scoring. Look at our forward...tons of offense. We have four defenseman with offense as well. This isn;t a f*cking all star game.
- Boinker

I think it's 4-2 with keith and jaybo.

id have no problem with hamhuis as an extra in case one of em went down etc.

but I cant imagine taking hamhuis over subban. we're not talking one trick pony pp guy here. we're talking about a guy that can control and take over games.
I hate the habs soooo much. but man is subban ever dynamic.


I keep hearing these 'all star' game reference as if it somehow strengthens one argument or lessens another.
what players are Canada gonna pick that are completely useless and inept at the defensive side of the game?
even the star snipe forwards that will probably be in our top 6 like st.louis, nash, Tavares, perry etc aren't completely useless.
and neither is pk subban

Not hating on Taylor hall I love him as a player but how many high skill guys do u need , someone has to play pp kill
- Brianandr1

that's what I said.
if he doesn't play top 6, I doubt he has a spot.


either way; Canada will have PLENTY of reasonable to great two way forwards. this isn't going to be a problem

Not Canadian.
- tomburton99

Pretty sure Steen is a duo- citizen, could be wrong.

Pretty sure Steen is a duo- citizen, could be wrong.
- BetterCallSaul

he does, but he'll be playing for Sweden.
has 4 times in the wjr and wc's

the second best team on paper imo.

theyre gonna be good

Personally I don't think Kunitz should go over some of the other guys I have seen argued but I have to ask this. Why are people arguing about his chemistry with Crosby as a reason to go to the Olympics? Kunitz wasn't there in 2010 in Vancouver yet Crosby "only" put up 7pts in 7gms. His NHL chemistry with any single player should have no bearing on why he or anyone else should or shouldn't go. Yzerman's job is to pick the best players to fill out the best team that can go win gold.

Was the first line, but not their best line in 2010.
- 1979AD

I think it's safe to say Crosby is a better player then he was 4 years ago

Pretty sure Steen is a duo- citizen, could be wrong.
- BetterCallSaul

Represent Sweden in international competition. Born in Winnipeg but is Swedish in the eyes of the IIHF.

Not Canadian.
- tomburton99

Steen was born in Winnipeg and holds Cdn/Swe citizenship. He wouldn' be able to play international hockey at the highest level if he didn't decide to choose to play for Sweden, but he could play for Canada, and since there is no actual Team C, I'll keep him on it. But thanks.