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WC: 2018 - Team Switzerland

Corvi, Haas, Vermin and Schäppi isn't bad (look at the 2016 centers to feel better :laugh:), but it means that one of Albrecht, Walser, Thürkauf or Rod will travel to Copenhagen.
 
No Furrer, no Hollenstein, no Praplan.
Added are Hofmann, Schäppi, Herzog, Dave Sutter and Chris Baltisberger.

Cuts for next week:
Tobias Geisser (EV Zug), Romain Loeffel (Genève-Servette HC) and Claude-Curdin Paschoud (HC Davos)
Yannick-Lennart Albrecht (SCL Tigers), Simon Bodenmann (SC Bern) Killian Mottet (HC Fribourg-Gottéron) and Calvin Thürkauf (Cleveland Monsters).

Two cuts needed, one on D and one on F. Good to see Siegenthaler not injured.

Roster for next week:
Torhüter (3): Reto Berra (Anaheim Ducks/NHL),Leonardo Genoni (SC Bern), Gilles Senn (HC Davos),
Verteidiger (9): Raphael Diaz (EV Zug), Michael Fora (HC Ambri-Piotta), Lukas Frick (Lausanne HC), Joël Genazzi (Lausanne HC), Dean Kukan (Cleveland Monsters/AHL), Mirco Müller (New Jersey Devils/NHL), Jonas Siegenthaler (Hershey Bears/AHL), Dave Sutter (ZSC Lions), Ramon Untersander (SC Bern).
Stürmer (15): Sven Andrighetto (Colorado Avalanche/NHL), Chris Baltisberger (ZSC Lions), Enzo Corvi (HC Davos), Gaëtan Haas (SC Bern), Fabrice Herzog (ZSC Lions), Gregory Hofmann (HC Lugano), Simon Moser (SC Bern), Nino Niederreiter (Minnesota Wild/NHL), Damien Riat (Genève-Servette HC), Noah Rod (San Jose Barracuda/AHL), Thomas Rüfenacht (SC Bern), Reto Schäppi (ZSC Lions), Tristan Scherwey (SC Bern), Joël Vermin (Lausanne HC), Samuel Walser (HC Davos).
 
It would be interesting to know if Hollenstein is a choice or if there is an injury. Not surprised by Praplan and Furrer, obviously for different reasons. I'm comfortable with guys like Fora or Siegenthaler taking Furrer's role.

Paschoud and Geisser make sense, although I really liked what I saw from Geisser and I'm sure he has a bright future. I'm surprised Fischer took Genazzi over Loeffel, I didn't like Genazzi's play during the exhibition games. I guess the last cut will be between him and Frick as I don't think Fischer called Sutter to cut him after a few practices.

Thürkauf and Mottet make sense too, but I'm surprised that both Walser and Rod were chosen over Albrecht who has more offensive potential in case one of Corvi or Haas has to miss games. I also would have kept Bodenmann rather than call Baltisberger as there are many similar players on the team already. I would guess that the last cut will be one of Walser or Rod.

About the lineup, I guess Fischer will want to keep the Corvi - Riat combo, and go with the Moser - Niederreiter and Hofmann - Andrighetto winger pairs that worked well in 2016. Schäppi with Herzog on the 4th line makes complete sense. Haas should play with Moser and Niederreiter (that was Fischer's initial plan in 2016), and Vermin could either provide some grit on the Corvi line like during the camp or center Hofmann and Andrighetto. Depending on this choice, Walser would either play with Hofmann and Andrighetto like in 2016 or be out of the lineup, and Rüfenacht or maybe Rod (not sure if he can play LW) could play with Corvi and Riat. For the fourth line, any of Rüfenacht, Rod or Baltisberger would work. I am not sure what to do with Scherwey, he did well during the exhibition games but didn't build much chemistry with anyone. I guess he would be fine as a forechecker on a checking line.

So my best guess is:

Moser - Haas - Niederreiter
Hofmann - Vermin/Walser - Andrighetto
Vermin/Rüfenacht/Rod - Corvi - Riat
Herzog - Schäppi - Baltisberger/Rüfenacht/Rod/Scherwey
 
The one thing I mainly disagree with you is about Rod. I think he's WC-ready. He has an upside and is a very versatile player. He always plays with a lot of heart, as Scherwey, but is more skilled and more physical than Scherwey is. I'd be highly surpised if he'd get cut.

I'm pretty sure Fischer will wait the next few days how the series in NA go on. The Sharks looked pretty bad in that first game. Meier could be another nice addition and could be there for the first game (with a sweep) or maybe early next week.

That Baltisberger-call is a bit strange, he's a solid player, no question, but I don't see anything that another player that is already on the roster could do better.
 
Switzerland plays on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. San José could possibly be eliminated on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and next Tuesday, Nashville on Friday, Saturday, Monday or the next Thursday so there won't be any more player available at least for the first two games.

Fischer will obviously bring 14 forwards and 8 defensemen to Copenhagen but not register everyone. In 2016 he registred 7 defensemen and 13 forwards, which made sense as the only possible addition was Josi. Last year he also registred 7 and 13, with Josi and Fiala as possible additions. I wonder if he will go with 7 and 13 again, or with just 7 and 12 in case all three NHLers involved in the 2nd round are eliminated.
 
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Fabrice Herzog won't travvel to Denmark. So this means there will be just one cut on Defense.
 
Rüfenacht and Baltisberger were not on the ice today, they're also having health-issues. So basically there are 12 healthy forwards currently and Fischer won't cut anyone and travel with 9 defenders to Denmark. Maybe we'll see Genazzi as forward again. ;)
 
From the article it doesn't sound too serious. I guess we won't know for sure before the first game.

I still hope that Fischer will only register 7 defensemen and 12 forwards to leave roster spots open for Josi, Fiala and Meier, just in case.
 
I don't really agree with the decision to go with 9 defensemen and 13 forwards, I'd have called Bodenmann back.

Any guess for the lineup? On defense, I guess that Diaz, Untersander, Müller and Kukan are set. Then given the skillset of the remaining players, Genazzi should get a spot. Then I'd go with Fora and Siegenthaler, leaving Sutter and Frick out.

At forward, I stay with my idea of a Moser-Haas-Niederreiter line, then Hofmann and Andrighetto with one of Vermin or Walser at center, Corvi with Riat and one of Rod and Vermin, and a fourth line with Schäppi, Scherwey and either Walser or Rod depending on where Vermin plays, with Baltisberger out.
 
Interesting. I like it more than what I posted because Corvi needs the best possible shooter, and I prefer to split Niederreiter and Moser. I just didn't think Fischer would do it, but the guy sure is not afraid to try new things.
 
stv11 said:
I don't really agree with the decision to go with 9 defensemen and 13 forwards, I'd have called Bodenmann back.

Any guess for the lineup? On defense, I guess that Diaz, Untersander, Müller and Kukan are set. Then given the skillset of the remaining players, Genazzi should get a spot. Then I'd go with Fora and Siegenthaler, leaving Sutter and Frick out.

At forward, I stay with my idea of a Moser-Haas-Niederreiter line, then Hofmann and Andrighetto with one of Vermin or Walser at center, Corvi with Riat and one of Rod and Vermin, and a fourth line with Schäppi, Scherwey and either Walser or Rod depending on where Vermin plays, with Baltisberger out.
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Why would you put Walser (very less offensive talent and should play max 10 minutes) with 2 good scorers who should play almost 20 minutes?
Combos Andrighetto-Moser and Hofmann - Niederreiter would be good together with Haas and Corvi as centers. In my opinion...
 
swisdan said:
Why would you put Walser (very less offensive talent and should play max 10 minutes) with 2 good scorers who should play almost 20 minutes?
Combos Andrighetto-Moser and Hofmann - Niederreiter would be good together with Haas and Corvi as centers. In my opinion...
Click to expand...

It's not what I would do, it's my best guess of what is Fischer's plan. As I wrote in a previous post, based on what Fischer did in 2016 and what happend during the exhibition games, I thought the Corvi/Riat, Moser/Niederreiter and Hofmann/Andrighetto pairs were set. Then in 2016 Moser and Niederreiter started the tournament with Haas, and Hofmann and Andrighetto with Walser. Vermin would also have been a possibility, but he was used with Corvi and Riat.
 
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According to rts-journalist Marc-André Berset on twitter Josi, Fiala and Meier would travel immediatly to Denmark in case of elimination. That'd mean that Fischer starts with 7+12 on Saturday, which stv11 already suggested.
 
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Good news! Is there a hockey journalist you don't follow? ;)

Nashville could be out on Saturday at the earliest, and SJ on Sunday. The bad thing is that the key game could very well be the one against Slovakia on Sunday.
 
Hehe, I follow the whole world. :)

Each game is a key-game, you can loose or gain points vs. anyone. See last year. So it doesn't really matter. But playing Russia in a week with Josi, Fiala and Meier would be great. And the team who is now in Denmark should be able to beat Austria and Slovakia.
 
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Obviously hockey is not played on paper, but Sweden looks pretty strong this year and Switzerland never matched up well against Russia. On the other hand, I'm not impressed with Belarus lately, and France misses too many players to have a shot at the quarterfinals, so Slovakia is the team I'm the most worried about.
 
stv11 said:
Switzerland never matched up well against Russia
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Don't forget 2001!
It's time for another "Believe in the impossible and the impossible gets possible"-moment. :D

What I wanted to say is: the last year showed that we (or any other team) can loose key-games but progress to the quarters nevertheless. Altought still the same nations normally dominate the tournament results are much more diverse and during the group-phase anything can happen. You just need to get those 11 or 12 points, no matter who the opponent is you're getting those points.
 
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