As bad as the Canadian players are playing overall, that's still an incredible lineup.
The number of Canadian forwards playing well is quite low for whatever reason. Seguin and Benn are obviously tearing it up. I found Tavares good before his illness. O'Reilly has been really good for Buffalo. MacKinnon looks like he is busting out despite how bad Colorado is. Hall is playing well, and Bergeron is quietly playing at an elite level. I think that's it at the moment.
While I do hate this tournament due to the gimmicks, I do enjoy a good projection. Ignoring idiotic eligibility rules, I would look to something like this right now:
Benn Tavares Seguin
Hall Crosby Stamkos
O'Reilly Toews Bergeron
Schwartz Giroux MacKinnon
McDavid
Vlasic Doughty
Pietrangelo Subban
Keith Weber
Brodie
Price
Holtby
Fleury
To me Benn, Seguin and Tavares are the three best Canadian forwards right now, and they would fit together nicely. Benn and Seguin work and provide everything, while Tavares is probably the smartest forward in hockey. Crosby and Hall worked well together at the WHC, and Hall deserves a high spot in the depth chart right now. Stamkos is disappointing. I don't think we will ever see the player he was before his broken leg. Still, he is an elite sniper who needs to simplify his game and accept what he is at this point. Let Crosby set him up and let Hall fill in the gaps. The third line is a super shutdown line that would be monstrous in possession. Bergeron and O'Reilly could play up or down on any line and fit in given their hockey IQ. Fourth line has Giroux, who I think can bounce back somewhat (and is being held down by the situation in Philly) and play a very strong two way role like he did at the 2015 WHC. MacKinnon deserves a more prominent role than this based on his play this year, and if Stamkos doesn't start strong then MacKinnon can take his spot. Schwartz is still quite underrated in my opinion, and brings elite two way play. McDavid is a wildcard who might actually deserve to be further up the lineup.
The defence is familier. Vlasic is having a good year, and Doughty is playing mostly the same as usual. Subban deserves a more prominent role now, so he's on the second pairing. Pietrangelo is his partner. I don't know why so any people are down on him, as he's still elite defensively and still moves the puck very well. Keith and Weber are slowing down a bit but they are still good enough to make the team on merit, even before considering the experience boost.
The last spot is very tough. I went with Brodie because of how good he has looked lately and because he is left handed. I wish he had more international experience. Burns was my next choice, and if I was more concerned about size then he would make it. He's having a really good year thus far. Letang is someone that I think would be great internationally, but he needs to start putting up more points to be really effective.
Goaltending is easy. Price is the starter. Holtby and Fleury are pretty good, and Fleury has a personality that seems to fit well with being third string, which I mean as a compliment.
In terms of what will actually happen, they've gone with a pretty conservative coaching staff, so I expect to see Getzlaf, Perry and possibly another more experienced player on the wing. Canada would be smart to look at why McLellan's WHC team was so dominant though... it wasn't just because of the talent level.
