WJC: 2017 Canada Roster Talk - Part 1

[JackSlater]

This was posted in the Dubois thread on the prospects board...

That would be a sizable blow. Hard to imagine that they are so confident in keeping him without even playing the pre-season games, but stranger things have happened.

Having watched Dubois a fair amount in junior last year, I suspect that he is physically ready. I do think that he could benefit from a year of being the main piece on the Eagles for a full season. He shone last year when the Russians were gone to the WJC, but it's different to pull it off for a full season. This isn't a player "too good" to play another year of junior.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Agree completely with this. Overall, after watching all of Canada's games I thought Koenecy and Strome were your two best guys at the time of these games. I also liked Belliveau when he played.

Beauvillier

 

[1Gold Standard]

This was posted in the Dubois thread on the prospects board...

Not surprising. Columbus being Columbus. There's no way to make that determination until preseason ex-games and the 1st. 9 reg. season games.

Torts will teach him well the elite skill of shot blocking that will end in broken hand or foot and a year's wasted development.

 

[Curufinwe]

Dubois would be much better off being a full time center in Junior this season.

 

[86Habs]

Not surprising. Columbus being Columbus. There's no way to make that determination until preseason ex-games and the 1st. 9 reg. season games.

Torts will teach him well the elite skill of shot blocking that will end in broken hand or foot and a year's wasted development.

Best thing for this kid is to head back to the Q and wait until Torts inevitably gets fired. ****ing joke of a coach and a human being.

 

[JackSlater]

Best thing for this kid is to head back to the Q and wait until Torts inevitably gets fired. ****ing joke of a coach and a human being.

If Columbus is serious about having him learn about playing centre going forward, best going back to junior. He can carry his line without Svechnikov and Lazarev for a whole year, and he'll avoid playing under Tortorella.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Is Shirley available?

 

[1Gold Standard]

Is Shirley available?

Unfortunately for us the phenom Shirley has aged out. Luckily we have his 3rd cousin from Flin Flon, Manitoba coming. They haven't skated together since their pee-wee days, but they still exchange Thanksgiving Day emails annually in which the elder Shirley gives pointers on proper diet and training. So, we should be good.

I just love the Shirley jokes.

 

[JackSlater]

Unfortunately for us the phenom Shirley has aged out. Luckily we have his 3rd cousin from Flin Flon, Manitoba coming. They haven't skated together since their pee-wee days, but they still exchange Thanksgiving Day emails annually in which the elder Shirley gives pointers on proper diet and training. So, we should be good.

I just love the Shirley jokes.

Hopefully another hero emerges during the super series, and Hockey Canada does the right thing this time and puts him in a prominent position.

 

[snipes]

If Ethan Bear isn't there, someone needs to be fired.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

Hopefully another hero emerges during the super series, and Hockey Canada does the right thing this time and puts him in a prominent position.

HC might not have much of a choice. The forward talent is potentially going to be very thin.

The 2017 draft doesn't look great, so it might be tough going for the next couple of world junior tournaments.

 

[JackSlater]

HC might not have much of a choice. The forward talent is potentially going to be very thin.

The 2017 draft doesn't look great, so it might be tough going for the next couple of world junior tournaments.

The weakness of the next two drafts for Canada should have Hockey Canada feeling more pressure to win this one. At least the 2017 draft looks pretty weak for almost everyone though.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Alexandre Fortin have been very good for the Hawks in traning camp. And Blake Speers is impressing with the Devils.

 

[JackSlater]

Alexandre Fortin have been very good for the Hawks in traning camp. And Blake Speers is impressing with the Devils.

Yes, regarding Speers he has been very good. I was surprised that he wasn't invited to summer camp. I hope that he is being considered by the decision makers. He could be good in a role similar to Ennis at the 2009 WJC.

Another player who has looked good in pre-season is Philippe Myers. Undrafted but really came on last year. He also plays on a pairing with Lauzon, which may work in his favour with regard to team selection. This year is very strange for Canadian defencemen. There isn't really a star available, leaving maybe 12+ guys who could realistically make the roster on defence. There is a lot of balance between RHD and LHD as well, though it remains to be seen if Hockey Canada is interested in that at the junior level.

 

[Number 57]

It could be a good year for the Q. Who do you see making the team? I am unsure about the OHL and WHL defensemen, but somehow it feels like the Q has a lot of great candidates. Can they outplay Juulsen, Chychrun, Bean, Bear, Fabbro, etc?

F Pierre-Luc Dubois
F Anthony Beauvillier
F Nicolas Roy
F Julien Gauthier
Other candidates: Alexandre Fortin, Mathieu Joseph, Brandon Gignac, JC Beaudin, Maxime Comtois, Joe Veleno, Pascal Laberge

D Thomas Chabot
D Jeremy Lauzon
D Philippe Myers
D Samuel Girard
D Jeremy Roy
Other candidates: Nicolas Meloche, Guillaume Brisebois, Frederic Allard

G Callum Booth
G Evan Fitzpatrick

 

[tade]

It looks like Barzal & Konecny will make the line-ups for their respective teams. Both are having outstanding camps.

Yeah, I am sure that Phil Myers will make the team, really impressive progress in just 1 year. He's yet another outstanding D prospect for the Flyers.

 

[Eye of Ra]

It looks like Barzal & Konecny will make the line-ups for their respective teams. Both are having outstanding camps.

Players like Strome, Marner, Beauvillier, Dubois, Chabot, Chychrun and Crouse might make their NHL-teams aswell.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

imo the team has the potential to be god awful.

 

[JackSlater]

It could be a good year for the Q. Who do you see making the team? I am unsure about the OHL and WHL defensemen, but somehow it feels like the Q has a lot of great candidates. Can they outplay Juulsen, Chychrun, Bean, Bear, Fabbro, etc?

F Pierre-Luc Dubois
F Anthony Beauvillier
F Nicolas Roy
F Julien Gauthier
Other candidates: Alexandre Fortin, Mathieu Joseph, Brandon Gignac, JC Beaudin, Maxime Comtois, Joe Veleno, Pascal Laberge

D Thomas Chabot
D Jeremy Lauzon
D Philippe Myers
D Samuel Girard
D Jeremy Roy
Other candidates: Nicolas Meloche, Guillaume Brisebois, Frederic Allard

G Callum Booth
G Evan Fitzpatrick

I don't know when the last time the QMJHL had so many team Canada candidates, especially on defence. Up front Dubois, Beauvillier and Gauthier are basically locks if available. Not sure about Roy as Stephens probably has the defensive centre spot locked up. As for defence, outside of Chabot who knows. I would guess that three Q defencemen will make it. Likely Chabot, Lauzon and Myers.

Players like Strome, Marner, Beauvillier, Dubois, Chabot, Chychrun and Crouse might make their NHL-teams aswell.

That's the key thing to watch right now. Strome and Marner being gone is pretty much to be expected. Losing Barzal or Konecny would be crippling up front. Canada can afford to lose any of the other players.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

That's the key thing to watch right now. Strome and Marner being gone is pretty much to be expected. Losing Barzal or Konecny would be crippling up front. Canada can afford to lose any of the other players.

Losing Crouse isn't great, either - he actually managed to produce some last tournament.

 

[JackSlater]

Losing Crouse isn't great, either - he actually managed to produce some last tournament.

Crouse is good, but in an ideal world he is a bottom six forward for Canada. I would rather have any of McDavid/Strome/Marner/Barzal/Konecny/Beauvillier/Chabot/Dubois than Crouse. Certainly better to have Crouse than now though.

It sounds like Dubois may be getting cut from Columbus (not in lineup tonight, their fans seem to think he is getting cut) which would be good. He can use the year to play centre all year and carry his team. Brendan Guhle is still at Buffalo's camp I believe. He got a long look last year.

 

[Get North]

Crouse is good, but in an ideal world he is a bottom six forward for Canada. I would rather have any of McDavid/Strome/Marner/Barzal/Konecny/Beauvillier/Chabot/Dubois than Crouse. Certainly better to have Crouse than now though.

It sounds like Dubois may be getting cut from Columbus (not in lineup tonight, their fans seem to think he is getting cut) which would be good. He can use the year to play centre all year and carry his team. Brendan Guhle is still at Buffalo's camp I believe. He got a long look last year.

It's surpising that Guhle and Bear didn't get invited to the Canadian summer camp, but they should be on the team. I wonder why they weren't invited to the summer camp.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

Crouse is good, but in an ideal world he is a bottom six forward for Canada. I would rather have any of McDavid/Strome/Marner/Barzal/Konecny/Beauvillier/Chabot/Dubois than Crouse. Certainly better to have Crouse than now though.

It sounds like Dubois may be getting cut from Columbus (not in lineup tonight, their fans seem to think he is getting cut) which would be good. He can use the year to play centre all year and carry his team. Brendan Guhle is still at Buffalo's camp I believe. He got a long look last year.

McDavid was never going to be there. Marner and Strome probably weren't either.

imo, it's a loss for the team if Crouse isn't there. He's big, physical, good defensively, and at his age and experience level probably would have been one of the highest scorers on the team, maybe in the tournament. I think he could have a very dominant showing if he's there.

I don't think there is anyone who would bring the same skillset as Crouse would bring but do it better.

Re: Dubois - on the Columbus board some of them are talking like he'll be sent back to jr - so this is good.

 

[1Gold Standard]

McDavid was never going to be there. Marner and Strome probably weren't either.

imo, it's a loss for the team if Crouse isn't there. He's big, physical, good defensively, and at his age and experience level probably would have been one of the highest scorers on the team, maybe in the tournament. I think he could have a very dominant showing if he's there.

I don't think there is anyone who would bring the same skillset as Crouse would bring but do it better.

Re: Dubois - on the Columbus board some of them are talking like he'll be sent back to jr - so this is good.

perhaps to the first part and a possible, but unlikely to the 2nd part. It would be entirely dependent on him finding mad chemistry with a offensive mastermind center and Crouse playing a little bit above his pay grade for that to happen.

This edition of Team Canada is going to have to pull off a minor miracle, but we'll see who is and isn't available come December.

 

[tade]

perhaps to the first part and a possible, but unlikely to the 2nd part. It would be entirely dependent on him finding mad chemistry with a offensive mastermind center and Crouse playing a little bit above his pay grade for that to happen.

This edition of Team Canada is going to have to pull off a minor miracle, but we'll see who is and isn't available come December.

Let's not overreact. I know that you are often skeptical but still Canada has the best depth of all nations. Yes, at this level, you can't really replace players like Strome, Marner, Barzal, Konecny, Crouse etc. but other guys could step up. Canada have a lot of great young players who are just waiting for the opportunity.

Without their top players, Canada might not be the usual favorite for gold, but it won't be 'miracle' if they win even without their very top players.

All they will need is to select one compact team where each player will know his role and will play that role to his best ability + obviously very solid coaching staff / goaltenders. The talent will be there anyways. Possibly will not be the highest but still, it will be there.