WJC: 2022 Team Canada Roster Talk

[JackSlater]

I'm still confused by the decision to make Byram and Drysdale a pair last year rather than have one of them on the ice for nearly the whole game. That wasn't what decided the tournament at all but it's still perplexing. Last year feels like a a missed opportunity even more with how well some players from that team have been playing. Let's hope for a good performance in 2022 as the roster should certainly be good enough. Very curious to see if Hockey Canada goes for two 17 year olds and to see how Power looks.

 

[QJL]

Othmann making a push for this team. 14 points in his last 6 games with no support in Flint.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Would Michkoff make this Team Canada, if he was Canadian, I wonder.

 

[Goldenhands]

Would Michkoff make this Team Canada, if he was Canadian, I wonder.

No doubt.

 

[FireBird71]

Othmann making a push for this team. 14 points in his last 6 games with no support in Flint.

He has plenty of support in Flint

 

[Gold Standard]

I'm still confused by the decision to make Byram and Drysdale a pair last year rather than have one of them on the ice for nearly the whole game. That wasn't what decided the tournament at all but it's still perplexing. Last year feels like a a missed opportunity even more with how well some players from that team have been playing. Let's hope for a good performance in 2022 as the roster should certainly be good enough. Very curious to see if Hockey Canada goes for two 17 year olds and to see how Power looks.

I thought it was the right call. generally b/c if I had a 18 year old D man I want him with my best 19 old...If Drysdale were playing this year, I'd do the same thing, put him with Power and let them run. Canada was the better team in that tournament...just didn't have it for the GMG when it mattered.

It was the most disappointing Canada v USA GMG in history...not that we lost, just the way TC played a GMG in Canada, I don't know -blame it on COVID I guess.

I like our chances this year...provided Cameron is a better coach than he was 11 years ago. Not sure that he is...but we shall see if he has learned any lessons since the Buffalo meltdown, Good for Hockey Canada giving him a shot at redemption.

 

[JackSlater]

I thought it was the right call. generally b/c if I had a 18 year old D man I want him with my best 19 old...If Drysdale were playing this year, I'd do the same thing, put him with Power and let them run. Canada was the better team in that tournament...just didn't have it for the GMG when it mattered.

It was the most disappointing Canada v USA GMG in history...not that we lost, just the way TC played a GMG in Canada, I don't know -blame it on COVID I guess.

I like our chances this year...provided Cameron is a better coach than he was 11 years ago. Not sure that he is...but we shall see if he has learned any lessons since the Buffalo meltdown, Good for Hockey Canada giving him a shot at redemption.

Must disagree, when you've got two defencemen way ahead of the others you split them up. Particularly when they are both elite puck movers and one (Drysdale last year) always has to stay back to cover for the other (Byram). You don't have Coffey and Bourque and put them on the same pairing. Again though that wasn't why the team lost. As you suggest the team came out flat in the gold medal game, Zegras certainly did not, and USA deserved that win. Disappointing, not 2004 level for me but a missed opportunity.

Cameron absolutely presided over a collapse but he also got some quality hockey out of a 2011 team that was not all that talented. Another missed opportunity but I don't mind him coming back, especially on such short notice. Looks like a potentially deep roster including a number one pick, maybe an up and coming 17 year old or two, two good goaltenders. I'm optimistic four weeks out.

 

[Gold Standard]

Must disagree, when you've got two defencemen way ahead of the others you split them up. Particularly when they are both elite puck movers and one (Drysdale last year) always has to stay back to cover for the other (Byram). You don't have Coffey and Bourque and put them on the same pairing. Again though that wasn't why the team lost. As you suggest the team came out flat in the gold medal game, Zegras certainly did not, and USA deserved that win. Disappointing, not 2004 level for me but a missed opportunity.

Cameron absolutely presided over a collapse but he also got some quality hockey out of a 2011 team that was not all that talented. Another missed opportunity but I don't mind him coming back, especially on such short notice. Looks like a potentially deep roster including a number one pick, maybe an up and coming 17 year old or two, two good goaltenders. I'm optimistic four weeks out.

it's a fair point, but the U20 tournament is a different beast than a senior men's team where both players would be seasoned pros. We agree to disagree on the Byram-Drysdale pairing. I thought it was the right call. Replay that game 10 times and we win 6 or 7 of the 10. I would have stuck with it as well.

 

[newmanager]

Would Michkoff make this Team Canada, if he was Canadian, I wonder.

Not this year. Maybe next year he could.

 

[Gold Standard]

Must disagree, when you've got two defencemen way ahead of the others you split them up. Particularly when they are both elite puck movers and one (Drysdale last year) always has to stay back to cover for the other (Byram). You don't have Coffey and Bourque and put them on the same pairing. Again though that wasn't why the team lost. As you suggest the team came out flat in the gold medal game, Zegras certainly did not, and USA deserved that win. Disappointing, not 2004 level for me but a missed opportunity.

Cameron absolutely presided over a collapse but he also got some quality hockey out of a 2011 team that was not all that talented. Another missed opportunity but I don't mind him coming back, especially on such short notice. Looks like a potentially deep roster including a number one pick, maybe an up and coming 17 year old or two, two good goaltenders. I'm optimistic four weeks out.

on that point, and an interesting thought exercise for all who like to make projections. A Best on Best tournament in 2026 if we are fortunate enough to get one...a NHL Olympics or a real World Cup...

and assuming development goes according to plan...you wouldn't have Byram paired with Makar, or would you?

O Power C Makar
B Byram J Drysdale

 

[JackSlater]

on that point, and an interesting thought exercise for all who like to make projections. A Best on Best tournament in 2026 if we are fortunate enough to get one...a NHL Olympics or a real World Cup...

and assuming development goes according to plan...you wouldn't have Byram paired with Makar, or would you?

O Power C Makar
B Byram J Drysdale

I'd be patient with all of those guys other than Makar. I am quite impressed with Drysdale though. If Power reaches his potential I could see him being an ideal complement to a Makar down the road. Maybe a Byram-Ekblad pairing if Byram progresses nicely in his swashbuckling fashion.

 

[newfy]

It’s arguable Power is better than both those guys too!

I definitely think Power is better than those guys at the time of last years tournament. He was as good at the Worlds as they were in the WJC lol not worried about Canadas D at all. They have a stud like Power, some guys with legit pro experience. Theyll be fine

 

[DavidLamb]

I'm still confused by the decision to make Byram and Drysdale a pair last year rather than have one of them on the ice for nearly the whole game. That wasn't what decided the tournament at all but it's still perplexing. Last year feels like a a missed opportunity even more with how well some players from that team have been playing. Let's hope for a good performance in 2022 as the roster should certainly be good enough. Very curious to see if Hockey Canada goes for two 17 year olds and to see how Power looks.

I think last year year's team had some very notable chemistry issue with the forward lines and defensive pairings, in my opinion. For instance, their top 2 lines, playing agains Team USA was not able to complete many passes.

I also agreed that they should have break up the Drysdale and Byram.
It should have been like this:
Byram Korczak
Harley Drysdale
Guhle Barron/Schneider

 

[Mathieukferland]

I think last year year's team had some very notable chemistry issue with the forward lines and defensive pairings, in my opinion. For instance, their top 2 lines, playing agains Team USA was not able to complete many passes.

I also agreed that they should have break up the Drysdale and Byram.
It should have been like this:
Byram Korczak
Harley Drysdale
Guhle Barron/Schneider

In the GMG game both goals came off turnovers forced on wing breakout passes, it’s perhaps the only vulnerability of having a roster comprised entirely of centremen

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Not this year. Maybe next year he could.

He led the U18 in scoring, he tore up the MHL, and doesn't look out of place in the KHL. He's only a few months from being eligible for the 2022 draft, and will be 17 when the tournament begins.

He'd be a 2PPG player in the CHL. He would absolutely make Team Canada.

 

[86Habs]

Must disagree, when you've got two defencemen way ahead of the others you split them up. Particularly when they are both elite puck movers and one (Drysdale last year) always has to stay back to cover for the other (Byram). You don't have Coffey and Bourque and put them on the same pairing. Again though that wasn't why the team lost. As you suggest the team came out flat in the gold medal game, Zegras certainly did not, and USA deserved that win. Disappointing, not 2004 level for me but a missed opportunity.

Cameron absolutely presided over a collapse but he also got some quality hockey out of a 2011 team that was not all that talented. Another missed opportunity but I don't mind him coming back, especially on such short notice. Looks like a potentially deep roster including a number one pick, maybe an up and coming 17 year old or two, two good goaltenders. I'm optimistic four weeks out.

This will be an interesting team to watch, with respect to the talent available and Cameron's coaching style. Cameron has the Ottawa 67s playing pretty good hockey, as one of the younger teams in the OHL (with their top forward and #1B defenseman missing significant time). However, what concerns me about Cameron is that the 67s are an undisciplined team that has already missed a significant number of man games due to suspensions (mostly earned by some of their more veteran players), and some of their games have seen a constant march to the penalty box. I haven't seen an instillation of discipline/accountability as of yet. You can see Cameron's vision; with more size the 67s would be a bear of a team to play against, but I'm interested to see if that coaching philosophy translates to the international game with IIHF referees. Looking back at the 2011 team selected by Cameron, it was a physical team with lots of size but not a ton of talent. Should be a better mix with more talent this year, but he'll need to show an ability to reign his more physical players in when needed.

 

[JackSlater]

This will be an interesting team to watch, with respect to the talent available and Cameron's coaching style. Cameron has the Ottawa 67s playing pretty good hockey, as one of the younger teams in the OHL (with their top forward and #1B defenseman missing significant time). However, what concerns me about Cameron is that the 67s are an undisciplined team that has already missed a significant number of man games due to suspensions (mostly earned by some of their more veteran players), and some of their games have seen a constant march to the penalty box. I haven't seen an instillation of discipline/accountability as of yet. You can see Cameron's vision; with more size the 67s would be a bear of a team to play against, but I'm interested to see if that coaching philosophy translates to the international game with IIHF referees. Looking back at the 2011 team selected by Cameron, it was a physical team with lots of size but not a ton of talent. Should be a better mix with more talent this year, but he'll need to show an ability to reign his more physical players in when needed.

That's interesting about Ottawa, and potentially an issue. Cameron went with the physical element in 2011 and it made sense given the personnel available to him. Things are called differently now though but the players on this team also by and large won't fit the mold of the players that Cameron rode hard in 2011 like Foligno, Kassian, and Schenn.

 

[wetcoast]

He led the U18 in scoring, he tore up the MHL, and doesn't look out of place in the KHL. He's only a few months from being eligible for the 2022 draft, and will be 17 when the tournament begins.

He'd be a 2PPG player in the CHL. He would absolutely make Team Canada.

Well this and 5 bucks will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

Also shouldn't this be in the Bedard thread?

 

[wetcoast]

There has been 2 confirmed, not for Canada though. Austria-Slovakia on 21 and Sweden-Austria on 23.

I'm going to need to set my calendar for this one....

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Joshua Roy likely won't make the team this year, but he should get an invite.
He's 18 years old and was picked in the 5th round last draft. He's currently leading the Q in points with 39 in 21 games.
He looked great in the habs training camp.

 

[JMac13]

As we get closer to camp things are becoming a bit clearer and I've revised my suggested team:

Johnson - Perfetti - Wisdom
Greig - McTavish - Stankoven
Neighbours - Lapierre - Guenther
Milne - Savoie - McLennon
extras: Desnoyer, Evangelista

Power - Clarke
Guhle - Thompson
Cormier - Hunt
Extras: Sebrango, Ceulemans

Cossa
Garand
Brochu

General thoughts: I really like the makeup of this team. Lots of forwards with great motors who play a hard nosed game and a strong defense capable of moving the puck up quickly. They will be a very tough group to play against. This line-up also has a lot of flexibility to make adjustments throughout the tournament. Perfetti switching to LW and Greig moving to C completely changes the line combos and helps in case of injury/sickness. I expect Perfetti, Johnson and McTavish to shoulder a lot of the offensive load with a score by committee approach from the rest of the team.

Individual player thoughts:
Milne/Savoie/Mclennon - I could see anything from none of them making it to all 3. I opted for all three as chemistry in a short tournament is important and I'm a huge fan of all of their games. Milne is the obvious one to replace here though I think he would bring a lot to the team.

Desnoyers/Evangelista - As a C/LW I went with Desnoyer for his ability to play up and down the line-up in case of injury. Evangelista comes in if we're having trouble scoring.

Hunt/Sebrango/Ceulemans - These are the bubble guys for me. I like Hunt for his steady play and ability to play both LD/RD. Sebrango and Ceulemans I could see getting swapped for Lambos/O'Rourke/Zellweger.

Notable exceptions:

Xavier Bourgault - I haven't seen enough of but could easily see him swapping in for Evangelista providing a similar offensive boost.

Zachary L'Heureux/Brennan Othmann - the pressure and emotion of the WJC is something few of these players have ever experienced. I'd be concerned about one of these guys letting their emotions get the better of them in a critical situation.

Carter Savoie - Have not seen enough of him play combined with his lack of invitation to Hockey Canada events so far makes me think he won't make the squad. His numbers certainly say he should be there however and would be fun to see him suit up on his brother's LW.

 

[JackSlater]

Joshua Roy likely won't make the team this year, but he should get an invite.
He's 18 years old and was picked in the 5th round last draft. He's currently leading the Q in points with 39 in 21 games.
He looked great in the habs training camp.

I'd be curious to see what he and Dufour would look like under the old system. A few games in the super series representing the QMJHL followed by an opportunity in one of the big old selection camps. As things are now I doubt that either is invited to camp.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

I'd be curious to see what he and Dufour would look like under the old system. A few games in the super series representing the QMJHL followed by an opportunity in one of the big old selection camps. As things are now I doubt that either is invited to camp.

I think theres a chance Dufour is invited since he’s in his final year of eligibility but Roy is definitely doubtful as you said.

 

[kyle44]

 

[Back in Black]

GO CANADA GO