World Cup: 2016 World Cup — Team Canada

[xxxx]

I built my roster with defensive ability in mind. Players that were very good, like Hall/Giroux that didn't make my top six got replaced by defensive players Duchene, Bergeron, O'Reilly, Nash and so on. I was trying to build a roster, not an all star team. And if you look back at the history of this team that's what they tend to do.

Yeah, that's a thing we can't ignore when making predictions. In 2010, we had players like Morrow, Richards, Toews, or E.Staal over Stamkos, St.Louis, Lecavalier, Savard...In 2014, we had Carter, Nash, Sharp, or Marleau making it over Giroux, Hall, or Neal, and even St.Louis at first.

I believe Hall will make the WC team though.

It might depend on who gets picked in the March World Cup roster selection for guys like Giroux or Hall. I'm always pessimistic about players accepting offers to play at the World Championship. If Edmonton, Calgary and Colorado miss it gives Canada a good base of players who will probably go - Hall, McDavid, Nugent, Eberle, Duchene, MacKinnon, Barrie, Giordano, Brodie, Monahan. Philadelphia, Columbus and Buffalo missing could provide Giroux, Couturier, Johansen (turned down a chance last year despite being healthy), Murray, O'Reilly. Just from those six teams it looks promising. Good mix of young and prime players. Just leave a spot for Tavares in case the Islanders lose in the first round.

That's a good point. The March roster must have 16 players on it, including two goalies. I personally think it's much more difficult to choose that group than it seems. These 11 players are locks for me:

G: Price
D: Keith, Weber, Subban, Doughty
F: Toews, Benn, Seguin, Tavares, Crosby, Stamkos.

Then there's still 4 spots open for skaters and one for a goalie.


The element of picking just 16 players adds some interesting competition factor and could very well make not-chosen players go to the worlds, which would be good for Team Canada.

 

[Minister of Offence]

Leading the league in takeaways for forwards again with 16 points in 18 games. Mark Stone's chances of making this team, I believe, are "good not great". He is a young elite two-way RW and arguably the games best puck thief. Excellent on the draw.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

Offensive depth chart.

Stamkos Crosby Bergeron
Hall Getzlaf Perry
McDavid Toews Carter
Benn Tavares Seguin
Mackinnon Marleau Nash
Giroux Spezza Sharp

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

Leading the league in takeaways for forwards again with 16 points in 18 games. Mark Stone's chances of making this team, I believe, are "good not great". He is a young elite two-way RW and arguably the games best puck thief. Excellent on the draw.

Succeding in slow nhl play does not transfer to international Hockey.

He's too slow and unless he improves that he will never be on a best Team Canada.

 

[Get North]

Succeding in slow nhl play does not transfer to international Hockey.

He's too slow and unless he improves that he will never be on a best Team Canada.

Tavares, Getzlaf, Perry, are they too slow as well? Stone might not make the team if he doesn't pass guys like Nash, Bergeron, O'Reilly, Marleau, in the checking role. He's a good player to compliment skill players who aren't going to get in the dirty areas. We'll see how much he improves or if he keeps it up in the season but I think he has a chance. He has the smarts, hands, shot to play with skill players and he's disciplined.

 

[JackSlater]

Leading the league in takeaways for forwards again with 16 points in 18 games. Mark Stone's chances of making this team, I believe, are "good not great". He is a young elite two-way RW and arguably the games best puck thief. Excellent on the draw.

Stone would be a nice utility player, especially on NHL sized ice. Canada has had very good results from taking proper utility players for the wing (see Carter/Marleau/Nash in 2014, Marleau/Morrow/Richards in 2010). Ideally these players, like Carter and Marleau, can bring speed, goal scoring, defensive ability and size, as these attributes complement Canada's playmaking centres. Stone doesn't bring speed, but on the smaller ice that probably doesn't matter. I would like to see him pushing 30 goals like last year though.

Stone's problem is that Canada actually has a decent group of two way wingers now, if we include guys like Carter and O'Reilly. That's traditionally been a weak spot.

 

[Minister of Offence]

Succeding in slow nhl play does not transfer to international Hockey.

He's too slow and unless he improves that he will never be on a best Team Canada.

He actually isn't even all that slow anymore. They said that about him being in the NHL as well, somehow he hangs around with the fastest players in the league. I'd wager a guess it has to do with the fact he thinks the game faster than pretty much everyone else.

He'd be fine on big ice. It's the not fast/stupid guys you have to worry about.

 

[Minister of Offence]

Stone would be a nice utility player, especially on NHL sized ice. Canada has had very good results from taking proper utility players for the wing (see Carter/Marleau/Nash in 2014, Marleau/Morrow/Richards in 2010). Ideally these players, like Carter and Marleau, can bring speed, goal scoring, defensive ability and size, as these attributes complement Canada's playmaking centres. Stone doesn't bring speed, but on the smaller ice that probably doesn't matter. I would like to see him pushing 30 goals like last year though.

Stone's problem is that Canada actually has a decent group of two way wingers now, if we include guys like Carter and O'Reilly. That's traditionally been a weak spot.

I think there's a real chance this is the one he gets passed over. But Stone will soon prove to be a higher caliber player than guys like Carter or O'Reilly.

 

[1Gold Standard]

He actually isn't even all that slow anymore. They said that about him being in the NHL as well, somehow he hangs around with the fastest players in the league. I'd wager a guess it has to do with the fact he thinks the game faster than pretty much everyone else.

He'd be fine on big ice. It's the not fast/stupid guys you have to worry about.[/QUOTE]

Exactly, It amazes me how people just can't seem to figure this out. Playing on big ice is more of a question of smarts than anything else. Yes, a combination of smarts + good skating would be the ideal, but lacking the ideal, I'm taking Stone over say Evander Kane 10x out of 10. without question!

 

[xxxx]

I think there's a real chance this is the one he gets passed over. But Stone will soon prove to be a higher caliber player than guys like Carter or O'Reilly.

That'd be very good. It just shows how deep canada is now. So many good players.

 

[JackSlater]

I think there's a real chance this is the one he gets passed over. But Stone will soon prove to be a higher caliber player than guys like Carter or O'Reilly.

That's pretty lofty. If he's basically a level above Carter and O'Reilly then we're talking about the best in the game. It would be nice though. I can't remember the last time Canada had a natural winger who was elite defensively and could score too.

 

[86Habs]

That's pretty lofty. If he's basically a level above Carter and O'Reilly then we're talking about the best in the game. It would be nice though. I can't remember the last time Canada had a natural winger who was elite defensively and could score too.

Marleau. Yes, yes, I know he was originally played center with SJ until Thornton arrived, but he`s been a winger for 10 years now and his game has always been a better fit at the wing position than at center. And as far as I can tell, he`s exclusively lined up as a winger now.

In any event, Marleau has been ridiculously good for us internationally (particularly in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics), so it would obviously be great if someone like Stone or O`Reilly steps into that role in the coming years.

 

[Minister of Offence]

That's pretty lofty. If he's basically a level above Carter and O'Reilly then we're talking about the best in the game. It would be nice though. I can't remember the last time Canada had a natural winger who was elite defensively and could score too.

Leads the league in takeaways and could be expected to do so going forward as he's basically been that guy since he entered the league. And offensively, I expect points from him every night. He's a better goal scorer than it shows right now and that'll change.

I guess wingers that are elite defensively are a rare breed. I mean the last winger to win a Selke was Lehtinen, I think. If a winger leads forwards in takeaways and scores 70+ point is he a legitimate Selke candidate? Aside from the obvious fact that the Selke is the reputation award of all reputation awards, I'd say yes. And that's Stone. And if Canada hasn't had a player like that in a long time than I suppose they likely have one right now.

Does that get him a spot on this team? I dunno. I expect at some point he will be a Team Canada player, but these teams, like NHL teams around pre-season time are largely made and few spots are really actually open. So who knows. He'll be in the running though.

The only knock on Stone's game is that the isn't a burner. I wouldn't call him slow anymore though, just not fast. Doesn't really matter when you beat the speedters to the right spot anyways.

 

[JackSlater]

Marleau. Yes, yes, I know he was originally played center with SJ until Thornton arrived, but he`s been a winger for 10 years now and his game has always been a better fit at the wing position than at center. And as far as I can tell, he`s exclusively lined up as a winger now.

In any event, Marleau has been ridiculously good for us internationally (particularly in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics), so it would obviously be great if someone like Stone or O`Reilly steps into that role in the coming years.

Marleau is that kind of player, but I don't think of him as completely elite defensively. Stone looks like he could be a legitimate Selke contender at some point. If he can also reach Marleau's peak offence, he will be invaluable.

 

[xxxx]

Is Marian Hossa a good player to be compared with M.Stone in some ways?

 

[Paxton Fettel]

Offensive depth chart.

Stamkos Crosby Bergeron
Hall Getzlaf Perry
McDavid Toews Carter
Benn Tavares Seguin
Mackinnon Marleau Nash
Giroux Spezza Sharp

McDavid? McKinnon? Really?

 

[therealdeal]

On years like this we also tend to get a really good WHC team, look for one or two guys to go to that that will elevate their spot on the World Cup team. Dany Heatley won that tournament by himself one year in an Olympic year I think... or was it world cup? Something like that, I can't remember now.

 

[JackSlater]

On years like this we also tend to get a really good WHC team, look for one or two guys to go to that that will elevate their spot on the World Cup team. Dany Heatley won that tournament by himself one year in an Olympic year I think... or was it world cup? Something like that, I can't remember now.

Prior to the 2004 World Cup. Heatley's dominance in the WHC somewhat goes against the idea that you have to be a dynamic skate to succeed internationally.

 

[1Gold Standard]

Prior to the 2004 World Cup. Heatley's dominance in the WHC somewhat goes against the idea that you have to be a dynamic skate to succeed internationally.

2004 he led the tournament in scoring, but it really wasn't the dominant performance. That came in 2008 in Quebec with 12 + 8 20pts in 9 games.

 

[therealdeal]

Prior to the 2004 World Cup. Heatley's dominance in the WHC somewhat goes against the idea that you have to be a dynamic skate to succeed internationally.

Yeah, he was so good in those days, poor guy really got wrecked by injuries and life circumstances. I remember the game against Finland where he stole the puck in the neutral zone, stepped over the blue line and just teed it up, I think that was the game winner.

 

[winnipegger]

Anyone that doesn't have Toews playing #1 C is crazy

Stamkos Toews Carter
Hall Crosby Bergeron
Benn Tavares Seguin
Duchene Getzlaf Perry

Doughty Weber
Keith Petriangelo
Burns Subban

Price
Fleury

Give them the gold already

 

[therealdeal]

2004 he led the tournament in scoring, but it really wasn't the dominate performance. That came in 2008 in Quebec with 12 + 8 20pts in 9 games.

I think it was a Brenden Morrow, Daniel Briere, and Dany Heatley line in 2004, and they were dominant.

 

[1Gold Standard]

I think it was a Brenden Morrow, Daniel Briere, and Dany Heatley line in 2004, and they were dominant.

well, that's your take. I think they had a good tournament in '04, but I wouldn't necessarily characterize it as a dominant one. 2008? Heatly Getzlaf and Nash finishing 1-2-3 in tournament scoring meets my criteria more. but no big deal.

 

[JackSlater]

2004 he led the tournament in scoring, but it really wasn't the dominant performance. That came in 2008 in Quebec with 12 + 8 20pts in 9 games.

I know that he had more points in 2008, but in 2004 he carried a pretty poor team to the win.

Yeah, he was so good in those days, poor guy really got wrecked by injuries and life circumstances. I remember the game against Finland where he stole the puck in the neutral zone, stepped over the blue line and just teed it up, I think that was the game winner.

I remember that goal, not the opposition. I wish that Stamkos, now seemingly unable to reach the level he was at prior to the broken leg, would channel pre-accident Heatley. Heatley's shot was wicked.

Anyone that doesn't have Toews playing #1 C is crazy

Stamkos Toews Carter
Hall Crosby Bergeron
Benn Tavares Seguin
Duchene Getzlaf Perry

Doughty Weber
Keith Petriangelo
Burns Subban

Price
Fleury

Give them the gold already

The 1-3 centre positions are irrelevant, since Babcock plays them all pretty equally. Toews will get his minutes regardless of where he is slotted.

 

[1Gold Standard]

I know that he had more points in 2008, but in 2004 he carried a pretty poor team to the win.



I remember that goal, not the opposition. I wish that Stamkos, now seemingly unable to reach the level he was at prior to the broken leg, would channel pre-accident Heatley. Heatley's shot was wicked.



The 1-3 centre positions are irrelevant, since Babcock plays them all pretty equally. Toews will get his minutes regardless of where he is slotted.

true enough. whereas in '08 Nash's puck over the glass penalty was a major gaff. but, **** happens. He made up for it in future more important tourneys. So, all's good.