WJC: 2024 Team Canada Roster Talk - Part 1

[macbowes]

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TH]

LW​

[/TH]

[TH]

C​

[/TH]

[TH]

RW​

[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Dumais[/TD]
[TD]Celebrini[/TD]
[TD]Savoie[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Minten[/TD]
[TD]Geekie[/TD]
[TD]Firkus[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Wood[/TD]
[TD]Beck[/TD]
[TD]Yager[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Barlow[/TD]
[TD]Danielson[/TD]
[TD]Ziemmer[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TH]

LD​

[/TH]

[TH]

RD​

[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Mateychuk[/TD]
[TD]Luneau[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Pickering[/TD]
[TD]Lamoureux[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Buchinger[/TD]
[TD]Warren[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TH]

G​

[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Ratzlaff[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]DiVincentiis[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

This is my last prediction before the rosters come out. In goal is where I am very uncertain. There is a relatively long list of goalies I could see being reasonable choices, although not many have any international experience, which seems to matter quite a bit for WJC team selection. I would include the following goalies as potential options:

Rousseau, MacKenzie, Leenders, George, Parsons, Ravensbergen, Meneghin

At F: Out Ziemmer and Barlow

My guess is they will be replaced with Rehkopf, Cowan, and Barkey (extra). Cutting Allard, Ludwinski, and Vidicek.

At D: Out Pickering

My guess is he will be replaced by Molendyk, and Bonk (extra). Cutting Donovan, Furlong, and Nelson.

At G: Out None.

My guess is they cut St-Hilaire, bringing DiVincentiis, Ratzlaff, and Rousseau.

Overall, I really like the team, and I think they have a good chance to win the tournament.

 

[jj cale]

its still a very good team even with all the players missing, no need to be so pessimistic

Frustrated not pessimistic.

 

[SOLR]

Playing Dumais as a 4th line winger is wasting a roster spot.

Don't think he is because he would be in the 2nd PP - and given Yager/Celebrini/Beck very above average 2-way skills, you can start inserting Dumais higher in the lineup when needed for a jolt.

I'm not sure Dumais would do very well against the bigger US/Sweden team 5v5, unless we can use our 4th line against others 4th lines.

 

[Ace]

Still hoping we get Benson

The Sabres are going to get some guys back by the time the tournament starts. But Benson has easily been one of their best forwards and is getting pp/pk time. It’s hard to imagine him getting sent at this point. Not impossible…but he’s firmly in their top 6 and plays special teams and they can’t afford to make themselves any worse.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

From a pure entertainment perspective, would have been fun seeing Denver's Rieger Lorenz skating for Canada against his college coach in a USA-Canada game.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

We dont even get a guy like Benson this year, who while a very good player is hardly a franchise level guy, he is a 13th overall pick.


THE final team picked better be ready to crack heads out there this year, I am in no mood for watching some loaded up American and Swedish teams dancing all over us.

You better bone up gentlemen.

Given his play this season, I think Benson will climb significantly from 13OA in future 2023 redraft threads. I'd put him among Mitts and Peterka as the Sabres' top forwards thus far.

I had expected him to eventually be sent back, but since returning from a brief injury he's been even more of a dynamo. He's been the primary line driver playing with Cozens and Peterka recently. With the way he's playing, and considering the Sabres terrible start to the season, I think he's staying right where he is.

It's not all bad. TC is getting Savoie.

 

[jj cale]

Given his play this season, I think Benson will climb significantly from 13OA in future 2023 redraft threads. I'd put him among Mitts and Peterka as the Sabres' top forwards thus far.

I had expected him to eventually be sent back, but since returning from a brief injury he's been even more of a dynamo. He's been the primary line driver playing with Cozens and Peterka recently. With the way he's playing, and considering the Sabres terrible start to the season, I think he's staying right where he is.

It's not all bad. TC is getting Savoie.

I am certainly pleased to see Benson doing so well, would have liked to have seen him suit up once for us at this tournament but the main thing going forward is that he can be the best player possible and hopefully plays on a TC senior team in the future. I really did not think he was going to stick with the big club this season but his play combined with the sabres being the sabres offered the perfect storm. It is what it is.

 

[hockey20000]

got feeling we competing more for bronze then gold th is year but hopfully the team proves me wrong also seen st hilariie play live the goalie is a stud I hope he makes the team.

 

[BondraTime]

Don't think Vidicek is making it. But Yager probably is our 1st center... even if Celebrini is a better player they are likely to protect him a bit and give him more offensive starts. Yager can play in any situation. Don't think they will use Beck as an offensive center, that would be a bit ridiculous.

Geekie - Yager - Savoie
Rehkoff - Celebrini - Firkus
Minten - Beck - Wood
Cowan - Danielson - Dumais


Sure, if they feel he's required for Dumais.



Still hoping we get Benson

I think Vidicek is one of the guys likely to be cut, as I stated.

I was just pointing out that there is no experience to be gained for Vidicek or Team Canada with the invite.

I’d be very, very surprised if Yager was the first line C for this team. I think Vidicek may have just as good a shot at that role as Yager this year, knowing full well which one is the better prospect.

 

[SpoolCat]

Not sure how to feel about about the selection camp. You have to think they at least have an idea of roles for Ludwinski, Allard and Vidicek as these 3 seem out of the ordinary. Allard in particular is an odd pick he is 19 and isn't even point per game as a forward. I'd imagine he is there to kill penalties. I don't know, seems like a Rob Zamuner pick

 

[jj cale]

Not sure how to feel about about the selection camp. You have to think they at least have an idea of roles for Ludwinski, Allard and Vidicek as these 3 seem out of the ordinary. Allard in particular is an odd pick he is 19 and isn't even point per game as a forward. I'd imagine he is there to kill penalties. I don't know, seems like a Rob Zamuner pick

To go along with Vidicek..........the chris kunitz pick of this years team.

 

[hockey20000]

To go along with Vidicek..........the chris kunitz pick of this years team.

which 2 would u of took instead of them?

 

[jj cale]

which 2 would u of took instead of them?

Ideally I would have rathered guys who are currently being kept by their nhl teams. Dont get me wrong, if they make the team I will get behind them 100%, after all, for all the eyebrows it raised at the time, a guy like kunitz did provide us with the insurance goal needed in the gold medal winning victory in 2014.

 

[ORRFForever]

To go along with Vidicek..........the chris kunitz pick of this years team.

 

[Mathieukferland]

which 2 would u of took instead of them?

Someone like Gauthier that can play the style they’re looking for that has experience with hockey Canada. Ritchie would have also been an invite for me even if he’s fresh off injury

 

[Dion TheFluff]

Celebrini did get an invite.

oh. I must've missed his name

 

[Half Clapper]

What are the chances Geekie and Lamoureux both make this team?

 

[macbowes]

What are the chances Geekie and Lamoureux both make this team?

Close to 100%

 

[Sakic fan]

No disrespect to the kid, but Owen Allard is one of the most "huh?" invites I can recall. They must be hoping his skating will be a factor.

Allard is a target for 4th line and PK, unbelievable wheels and puck pressure is his game...perfect candidate for that type of role. Can chip in offensively too.

 

[Statsy]

The PP is already full of top offensive talent. No room for guys like Heidt and Cristall this year, just like there wasn't room for Savoie and Dumais last year.

I don't know if Ludwinski and Allard will make the team, but at least they would fill a role on the team as 4th line defensive/energy guys.

We didn’t include Savoie and Dumais last year and then ended up with no scoring depth. There’s no way a Canadian WJC team should be playing top 6/bottom 6 like an NHL team is forced to do. Thank goodness Connor Bedard was on one of those two lines last year!

 

[dino200022]

We have to remember that they are building a team, you can invite the top 10 scorers from each league but we all seem to forget that keeping goals out is just as important. I am sure they did not just go out on a limb and invite a bunch of randoms, they all have roles to play we can just send out four top lines.

 

[SpoolCat]

Statsy is right we are team Canada we have enough good players to roll 3 lines. While having one match up line. Last year Bedard did the vast majority of the scoring. The NHL boys showed up in the final but our scoring was painful last year outside of one line. I think Ostapchuk scored a few but other than that did any of the bottom six score more than a goal. You can get away with that with Bedards scoring breaking records. But can you count on Connor Geekie, Matt Savoie and Jordan Dumais particularly if you attach a guy who let's face it is probably just a good junior player to lead the scoring to a gold medal especially when you you could have 2 or 3 more guys who could score.
To be clear I'm not suggesting we bring a team solely of scorers. I just think one matchup line is sufficient. I saw somebody on reddit asking about this and their response was so team Canada likes to handicap themselves.
I remember reading about the difference between the 1998 and 2002 Olympic teams and one big difference the people involved said that in 98 they brought guys for specific roles in 2002 they figured they were the best players they could figure it out. I realize those are seasoned NHL veterans and we are talking about junior players so they might have a harder time with it. I just find it hard to believe you couldn't find 5 or 6 penalty killers out of the top 30-35 scorers in the CHL

 

[LeProspector]

What are the chances Geekie and Lamoureux both make this team?

Both will contribute little to the team, similar to Guenther last year.

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

This is one of the oddest groups of goalies I've ever seen Canada put together for camp. You have Dom DiVincentiis who since coming back from injury has been one of the worst goalies in the OHL. There's not way he's 100% and he's just not skilled enough to gamble on him being healthy enough to play effectively. I feel for the guy but we're trying to win here. Scott Ratzlaff makes sense and honestly is Canada's best bet to lead the team to the Gold Medal Game compared to the others. Mathis Rousseau and Samuel St-Hilaire are here because they saw what Thomas Milic did last year as an undrafted goalie. Problem is Milic is just better than Rousseau or St-Hilaire. They're both good QMJHL goalies and are having great seasons. They're both just lacking a complete game to make them suitable goalies for Canada when it gets down to the nitty gritty. If it was one or the other at camp I'd have no issues. Canada has just really painted itself into a corner for no reason and the only goalie here with game changing ceiling is Ratzlaff.

 

[hockey20000]

This is one of the oddest groups of goalies I've ever seen Canada put together for camp. You have Dom DiVincentiis who since coming back from injury has been one of the worst goalies in the OHL. There's not way he's 100% and he's just not skilled enough to gamble on him being healthy enough to play effectively. I feel for the guy but we're trying to win here. Scott Ratzlaff makes sense and honestly is Canada's best bet to lead the team to the Gold Medal Game compared to the others. Mathis Rousseau and Samuel St-Hilaire are here because they saw what Thomas Milic did last year as an undrafted goalie. Problem is Milic is just better than Rousseau or St-Hilaire. They're both good QMJHL goalies and are having great seasons. They're both just lacking a complete game to make them suitable goalies for Canada when it gets down to the nitty gritty. If it was one or the other at camp I'd have no issues. Canada has just really painted itself into a corner for no reason and the only goalie here with game changing ceiling is Ratzlaff.

samuel st hilarie is very good. don't diss him if given a chance he will shine in this tournament.