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GDT: 2023 World Junior Championship Thread (Clarke, Connors, Salin)

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King'sPawn said:
I have concerns about the translatability of Salin, to be honest. He's a smaller player; while the NHL has afforded more possibilities for smaller players, there's still the question of how he will be able to fend off bigger and stronger players. So, I don't see him as a defensive stalwart.

Conversely, I don't see individual game-breaking abilities that separates him from other players. He skates well, but no separation speed. No creative/flashy means of puck protection. He's more of a puck distributor instead of one who, himself, can take over a game or can hammer the puck.

Of course, development isn't linear, so things could always change. But I don't see him as regular offensive threat like Kimmo Timonen. I think he'll best thrive utilizing his teammates and just being a complementary piece.

As for a similar game? I dunno. Size, style and position, maybe Victor Mete?
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- Sizewise I think he is/will be bigger (and stronger) than Mete (or Avs Samuel Girard or Jordan Spence).
- Salin is Finland's only 04-born d-man, so most likely he will be top 2 dman next year. This year first pair (Vilen-Heimosalmi) gets all pp-time (Vilen 1st pp-QP, Heimosalmi 2nd pp-QP). Next year Salin (and/or Aron Kiviharju) will get his share.
- I think he is having a pretty OK/meh tournament. Against Swiss his play was below average (just like a whole team) and he made one costly mistake, which lead Switzerland's second goal. Against Slovakia and Latvia he was offensively more active and made some good plays and some mistakes - nothing a really good or a really bad. Defensively he has a lot to learn, just like all young d-men.

It's really interesting to see how he does against Team USA and quarterfinals/semifinals/medal games. USA/Canada/Sweden/Czechia has so much more offence/better forwards than Switzerland/Slovakia/Latvia. Next year's tournament (or next season overall) tells better how much he really has propotential.
 
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Clarke,Salin and Connors. Only Clarke has a chance at long term NHL employment the other two should stay with their respective European and College teams until 2026 then turn pro. Otherwise they will be fodder on the scrap-heap of NHL dreams like so many that have fallen over backwards chasing their dreams without using their time and head to assess the situation-Talented LA Kings Prospects-
 
Canada up 3-1 after the first against Sweden. Clarke got a secondary assist on the opening tally. I still maintain he's been Canada's best defenseman.

Group B has settled.
USA: 3-0-0-1, 9 points, +8 goal differential
Finland: 2-0-1-1 7 points, +1 goal differential
Slovakia: 2-0-1-1, 7 points, +2 goal differential
Switzerland: 0-3-0-1, 6 points, -1 goal differential
Latvia: 0-0-1-3, 1 point, 1 point, -10 goal differential

USA plays Germany for certain, as they've locked the 4th spot in Group A. Austria and Latvia are also definite.

Finland will play Sweden or Canada
Slovakia is the least unsure, as 2A is available for Czechia, Sweden, or Canada
Switzerland will play either Sweden or Czechia.

Zach Dean with another dirty play, this time a knee.
 
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Big win by USA. Very impressive. Hopefully they have found something. Now they get a very weak German team and should easily ride into semis. Otherwise would have had a very tough game in quarterfinals.
 
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Raccoon Jesus said:
yeah but did any teammates go to his birthday party
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McLellan sent Clarke on a scavenger hunt for his birthday present, instead of giving it like he did for all the older players. Something something about having to "earn it."

Meanwhile, Blake hasn't even given him a card yet. But don't worry, he'll get one after the WJCs. And then Blake's defenders will say it is the perfect birthday gift since it's not too assuming.
 
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Canada defeated Sweden 5-1.

So the final standings are...
Group A
Czechia - 10 points
Canada - 9 points
Sweden - 8 points
Germany - 3 points
Austria - 0 points

Group B
USA - 9 points
Finland - 7 points
Slovakia - 7 points
Switzerland - 6 points
Latvia - 1 point

So the first round of the tournament will be:
Czechia vs. Switzerland
Canada vs Slovakia
Sweden vs Finland
Germany vs USA
Austria vs Latvia (relegation)

All teams have tomorrow off and the tourney resumes on Monday.
 
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Finland is the first team to go home. They were leading with under 4 minutes to go, but allowed Sweden to tie it up then score shorthanded in the final few minutes to break the draw. They lost 3-2.
 
i really wish USA & Canada were on opposite sides of the bracket. Prefer they not meet until/unless it's in the final.
 
Schrute farms beets said:
i really wish USA & Canada were on opposite sides of the bracket. Prefer they not meet until/unless it's in the final.
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They re-seed. The bracket images are misleading.

Although I just realized they're second and third overall. With Czechia winning, USA and Canada WILL play each other if both win their respective games.
 
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Flalr8gXoAIUhLB
 
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USA won 11-1. Connors got his first point.

Canada and Slovakia underway. Canada up 1-0.

If Canada wins, then Canada plays USA and Czechia plays Sweden.

If Slovakia wins, then USA plays Sweden and Czechia plays Slovakia
 
Trash Panda said:
Looks like Canada has finally woke up to how good Clarke has been playing.

He seems to be getting a bit better deployment early against the Slovaks.
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And his vision and passing is phenomenal. He will be better offensively than Doughty. We will see how his D develops but it should be passable at least. Now that was a good pick!
 
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Surf Nutz said:
And his vision and passing is phenomenal. He will be better offensively than Doughty. We will see how his D develops but it should be passable at least. Now that was a good pick!
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Not to rain on that particular parade, but Drew was never an offensive visionary, he was simply a great all situation D (and still a very good one).

He just never has had that killer offensive instinct, whereas Clarke oozes it.
 
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Trash Panda said:
Not to rain on that particular parade, but Drew was never an offensive visionary, he was simply a great all situation D (and still a very good one).

He just never has had that killer offensive instinct, whereas Clarke oozes it.
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Never graded Doughty with my comment. Drew has the offensive instinct and desire, he just doesn't have the vision and natural skill to execute it at the level of accuracy Clarke does.
 
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King'sPawn said:
It's pretty remarkable with all the time Zellweger plays with Bedard, especially on the powerplay, that he only has 5 assists. Clarke's just one point behind him.
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To me, the Zellweger hype is super confounding.

He is the prototypical high-event, high-production, under sized D, that rarely translate well to the NHL game overall. He could prove me wrong completely, or just be a PP guy.

I like the guy as a PP specialist at the junior level, but I really don’t get the overall favoritism for him. Hockey Canada is a strange duck for sure.
 
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Trash Panda said:
To me, the Zellweger hype is super confounding.

He is the prototypical high-event, high-production, under sized D, that rarely translate well to the NHL game overall. He could prove me wrong completely, or just be a PP guy.

I like the guy as a PP specialist at the junior level, but I really don’t get the overall favoritism for him. Hockey Canada is a strange duck for sure.
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I like him as an all-around depth player, as Everett is typically a more defensive team and he's helped solidify their blueline. Like an Alec Martinez type.

I'm just meh on him being an offensive lynchpin.

Edit: although of course he's one of the last ones back to help defensively and I feel like an idiot.
 
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Man, Clarke got super cute there gaining the offensive zone, got rocked, and then takes a penalty for playing without a helmet.

Not a good shift from him there at all.
 
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Clarke is the worst D man on Team Canada today. Having a horrid game.
Better bounce back in the 3rd and use his teammates better.
 
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