4 Nations Team Canada 1990

[Crosby2010]

Mike Zeisberger, writer at NHL.com cobbled together what he thought his team Canada might look like had there been a tournament in February of 1990. Scary team to say the least, I don't think that is the final roster per se, but that is a seriously stacked team.

Lemieux-Gretzky-Messier
Robitaille-Yzerman-Neely
Larmer-Savard-Sakic
Hawerchuk-Nieuwendyk-Tocchet
Nicholls

Coffey-Bourque
Wilson-MacInnis
Stevens-Murphy
Patrick

Roy
Vernon
Ranford

A bit to unpack here, but I think there are a couple things to consider. First of all, 18 HHOFers on one team. Incredible. But there are a couple of players that I don't think fit on there. Sakic would have a year and a half in the NHL. Despite him putting up a 102 point season in 1990, this team is picked in February. And he's on the worst team in the NHL. Also, he's on the right wing. That doesn't make sense. He is way out of position here. So is Messier. I can see Lemieux on the left wing as a trigger man, but Messier doesn't belong on the right wing. He's out of place there. Also, Nieuwendyk isn't on the team, and neither is Nicholls despite the 150 point season the year before. I just don't know where you put him. The iron is hot with him but he's not better than the other centres. Also, Larmer on the left wing is off. He's a RWer.

On defense no arguments here really. Patrick is a good choice for a 7th d-man. I might pick a stay at home guy in place of him. Brad McCrimmon would be a good bet here too. Fresh off a Cup in 1989, led the NHL in plus/minus in 1988. Had finished 6th in Norris voting in 1989. Steve Duchesne comes to mind as well, although he's more of a rover and they already have mobility.

Roy and Vernon are good picks. This is before the Flames' collapses. I don't know about Ranford. He was a starter in Edmonton for the first time, but he isn't a Conn Smythe winner yet. Liut or Moog would be good solid #3 picks.

So I might have the team look like this:

Robitaille-Gretzky-Neely
Messier-Lemieux-Yzerman
Hawerchuk-Savard-Larmer
Sutter-Gilmour-Carbonneau
Tocchet

Stevens-Bourque
Coffey-MacInnis
Wilson-Murphy
Patrick/McCrimmon

Roy
Vernon
Moog

No way does Sutter no make this team. He made three Canada Cups in a row. Carbonneau is the reigning Selke winner. This team obliterates the competition.

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[The Panther]

Lemieux-Gretzky-Messier

I don't really see this line working (I mean, relative to potential). Lemieux and Gretzky need a tough guy to do the corner muscling (like Messier) but also it has to be a guy who's a one-touch sniper (not like Messier). I would suggest Dirk Graham or Steve Larmer at one wing. (But really, shouldn't Gretzky and Lemieux be on different lines?)

Robitaille-Yzerman-Neely

I could see this being a really good line!

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Why you putting the best player out of his natural position

 

[Michael Farkas]

Didn't Canada famously win three years before that with a Gretzky-Lemieux combination...?

 

[Staniowski]

Lemieux wouldn't be playing for Team Canada in February of 1990 anyway. He could hardly move, and was done until his surgery that summer.

 

[Staniowski]

I could see this being a really good line!

Robitaille - Yzerman - Neely

Yes, probably a good line. Always interesting - and usually good - to have three players with very different strengths on the same line, as long as they can otherwise mesh. All three were really good goal-scorers, though. And they each had good hockey sense.

 

[Staniowski]

Coffey, Bourque, MacInnis are a formidable Big 3 on D. All three were at (or fairly close) to their best, and each of them were great stars at one time or another on Team Canada in Canada Cups.

Steve Smith should probably be on the team, even over Scott Stevens, who was never very good on Team Canada.

Jamie Macoun a possibility...he was a good skater, smart, dependable, but a little lacking in offensive talent.

Desjardins would be getting close, good enough probably, but still only 20.

 

[MadLuke]

Lemieux wouldn't be playing for Team Canada in February of 1990 anyway

Mario Lemieux scored 18 pts in 7 games in the nhl in February 1990 (slowing down a lot the last 3 then stopped), so it depends if there is a little play break in the nhl just before, early february, maybe he would have.

Considering how Gretzky played in 1991, if Lemieux is able to play enough in the big game he need to play in that tourney, that would be quite the team.

That really close to be Messier-Yzerman-Bourque-Roy-MacInnis peak version of themselves, Gretzky still a he will be a tournament monster. Peak Messier-Yzerman is a lot of speed-talent-(and grit-size) for players that are not even your Top 2, same for a Neely, end of Hawerchuck-Savard and not yet fully formed Gilmour but still great piece.

USA is maybe not yet fully ready to beat a good canada if they play well and issue with bringing a soviet team like in 1991 would have started, could have turned out a bit like 2014 isshh in term of dominance.

 

[MadLuke]

Some 1987-1991 players not present in the 2 proposed roster

Goulet, Gartner, Propp, Claude Lemieux, Sutter, Graham, Desjardins, Courtnall, Fleury, Lindros, Shanahan

Lindros-Fleury too young, Goulet big injuries issue post prime, Desjardins still young and lot of name to pick from.

Gartner was during his peak, but speedy scorer, you have them same for Courtnall, Graham-Sutter are the type can always make a team.

Claude Lemieux... big game scorer, you have them