2014 Team Canada

[Mr. Guru]

as long as you make him a bottom-pairing D it would be fine. And most countries bottom-pairs would be meh

we're not most countries

[doulos]

Who were the surprises on defense in 2010?

Mike Green NOT being on the roster - maybe.
Seabrook being on the roster - maybe, but only slightly.

So I think mentioning players like Methot in this conversation is way off base.

Some of it is going to depend on who is playing well and not injured, but my thoughts are:

Weber, Doughty, Keith - These three guys seem to be locks and can handle the defensive jobs on any pairing.

Letang, and Subban are more high event but are SO good with the puck that they it will be awfully tough to keep them off the team.

That's 5 already.

Seabrook and Boyle likely fill out the last 2 spots because of prior connections and because they are safe picks.

I just don't think there will be many surprises on defense since Hockey Canada is not all that creative.

Pietrangelo has an outside chance if he has a REALLY good year.

Just my thoughts. Hockey Canada can be strange sometimes so who knows.

[Mr. Guru]

Beauchemin was a late cut last Olympics.

[bigbabybuda]

I don't think either of APA or Seabrook are going to make this team or for that matter good enough at this point to make the team and I know Methot will not make the team. St.Louis is a lock barring injury as is Bergeron. I also think Phaneuf would be a huge mistake on the big ice.

[Zorro]

All I know is you can't have one left handed defender on the team.....That is absurd.

Not sure why you think Seabrook is a lock either.

Keith is 100% on the team if healthy. He is our best lefty. Weber Doughty are shoe ins. Letang is most likely a guarantee too.

In my opinion, Marc Staal, Francois Beauchemin, Dan Hamhuis, and/or Brian Campbell (all lefties) have a better shot at making the team than Seabrook. In that order too.

I'll go out on a 'limb' and role with:

Keith (L)- Weber (R)
Staal (L)- Doughty (R)
Beauchemin (L)- Letang (R)
Pietrangelo (R)

Balanced D with Pietrangelo's ability to step into any role in case of injury/suspension/bad play.....which could happen.

Each pairing has a 'shutdown and puckmover'. Each paring has a lefty and a righty. Staal and Beauchemin's role are immediately defined. You need that in a short tournament like this.

Some might laugh at the thought of Beauchemin even having a chance to crack the almighty Canadian roster, but if he continues to play anything like he did this year I would have no problem playing him over other guys like Seabrook and Subban.

I am pretty confident (if healthy) Staal will be on the team in some capacity. He would be a 2nd best lefty going.

Like Ev said, you're not building a fantasy team here. To add to that this Canadian team is so stacked that the skill difference is very minimal. Intangibles are more of a factor: experience, leadership, character, etc.. Also, a team's offensive zone entry/dump ins are usually based on which hand the defenders shoot.

How am I building a fantasy team here, by adding Seabrook?? For the record I would never have Seabrook on my fantasy team, HAHA.. I added Seabrook because he plays so well with Keith, they are money together. I really do believe they play together on this team AGAIN..

I do however like M.Staal, and think he could fit on this team..

Beauchemin, I don't feel he makes this squad. Not on the big ice..

[27Blue]

Pietrangelo has an outside chance? not good enough?

maybe you guys should focus your efforts on who is gonna be on the canadian womens hockey team... this one is obviously out of your league.

[JagrBomb]

seabrook isn't a lock, i wouldnt be surprised if he didnt make it.

staal would have been a lock if not for that freak injury...not sure if he makes it unless he shows he is 100% next season.

phaneuf...please no. when he makes mistakes, they are bad ones lol

[Loch]

phaneuf...please no. when he makes mistakes, they are bad ones lol

Yeah, are we seriously discussing Phaneuf's chances? They should be somewhere between zero and zero-point-zero-zero.

Phaneuf
GF/60
On-Ice 2.72
Off-Ice 2.90
GA/60
On-Ice 2.93
Off-Ice 2.53

So his team gives up more goals and scores less when he is on the ice... that doesn't seem to bode well.
Especially compared to Subban.

Subban
GF/60
On-Ice 3.15
Off-Ice 2.58
GA/60
On-Ice 1.66
Off-Ice 2.49

You know, in case you didn't feel that 28pts and -6 in 48 games was sufficiently outclassed by 38pts and +12 in 42 games.

Incidentally, the Leafs and Habs scored and conceded at very similar rates (145F/133A and 149F/126A) so that doesn't explain the differences between the two.

[Zorro]

After: Tavares - Crosby - Stamkos....... Does it really matter??

[HockeyProphet]

Like it has been previously mentioned, they have 5 strong players: doughty, letang, subban, keith, and webber.

The remaining players they choose will be complementary and have to show some chemistry with those players.. That's where Seabrook comes in, and Boyle, who played the PP with Webber in 2010 (so may have some chemistry there)..

Its not going to be "ice the most talent" because they have so much, so they're going to be looking for those extra intangibles; like chemistry.

[HockeyProphet]

After: Tavares - Crosby - Stamkos....... Does it really matter??

Throw in Giroux and I don't really think so! I think we could be the 3rd pairing Zorro and I like there chances hah..

[doulos]

Pietrangelo has an outside chance? not good enough?

maybe you guys should focus your efforts on who is gonna be on the canadian womens hockey team... this one is obviously out of your league.

He's in the mix, but he's certainly not (yet) in that top tier. Maybe midway through next season he's taken that step. Wouldn't be surprised.

[JagrBomb]

the only locks for D are keith, letang, weber, doughty. anyone else will need to earn it, even pietrangelo.

[blayze]

After: Tavares - Crosby - Stamkos....... Does it really matter??

That was a valid point maybe a decade ago... nowadays the world has caught up and it's wide open. The tourney is played on the ice, not the roster list.

[bigbabybuda]

the only locks for D are keith, letang, weber, doughty. anyone else will need to earn it, even pietrangelo.

I agree with this except I think that barring an absolute horrible first half of the season, which the odds of that happening are next to nil Subban is a lock. He is a STUDM