Are we in Canada paranoid about 2026 or should we not be worried?

[jj cale]

I removed him. I replaced him with Dylan Strome who is 27, on fire, can take faceoffs and help set up Scheifele...

Hagel - McDavid*- Point
Strome*- MacKinnon - Scheifele
Marchand - Crosby* - Reinhart
Bennett*- Stone - Marner

Jared McCann (L) / LAF (L) / Kyrou (R) / Bedard (R) / Thomas (R)

Take Strome off right now.

Are you wanting us to lose?

 

[ORRFForever]

I think your mock is too reactionary, someone like Strome does not process the game well enough to play at that level. Jared McCann is a perimeter player who is not good enough to play in the top 6 and can’t play a defensive role. Scheifele has more of a legitimate claim, but I think he’s too déficient without the puck to be trusted in a non top 6 role

That's fair. You have a stronger knowledge of players than me so I'll bow to your opinion - although, TBH, I will likely keep things the same.

Take Strome off right now.

Are you wanting us to lose?

Why? He is playing well.

 

[jj cale]

Why? He is playing well.

Good for him, he's not Team Canada material.

 

[ORRFForever]

Take Strome off right now.

Are you wanting us to lose?

In my defense, I like my team...

Hagel - McDavid*- Point : Hagel and Point can score and McDavid can feed.

??? - MacKinnon - Scheifele : No one likes Strome so give me a better option. Scheifele has played his way onto the team.

Marchand - Crosby* - Reinhart : Marchand and Sid gelled well last time and Reinhart can score.

Bennett*- Stone - Marner : I am not a Marner fan but I think this is easily the best 4th line in the tournament.

Good for him, he's not Team Canada material.

Okay. Fair enough. Give me a better left wing 2nd line option.

 

[ORRFForever]

(Scheifele) I think he’s too deficient without the puck to be trusted in a non top 6 role

But I do have him in my Top 6.

 

[jj cale]

Okay. Fair enough. Give me a better left wing 2nd line option.

Joe Blow is a better option.

 

[ORRFForever]

Joe Blow is a better option.

Fair enough...

Hagel - McDavid*- Point
Joe Blow*- MacKinnon - Scheifele
Marchand - Crosby* - Reinhart
Bennett*- Stone - Marner

 

[Nucks2001]

Fair enough...

Hagel - McDavid*- Point
Joe Blow*- MacKinnon - Scheifele
Marchand - Crosby* - Reinhart
Bennett*- Stone - Marner

Plenty of better options on LW. Laf, Verhaege, Bedard on his off-wing. This team was way too many slow skaters.

Crosby*-McDavid-Reinhart
Lafreniere-MacKinnon*-Bedard
ROR*-Point-Marner
Marchand-Suzuki*-Stone
Scheifele

Robert Thomas in for Suzuki if he's healthy.

MacKinnon's face-offs are okay this season and he'll be going up against Eichel, Hughes or Thompson on the 2nd line anyways. He's way better at FO than all those guys. Canada can always roll out the McDavid line or the ROR-Point line for an important faceoff or PK duties.

Scheifs as an extra if you need an offensive boost.

 

[ORRFForever]

ORRFF Stats Watch (November 4, 2024)

Positives :

* Brandt Clarke with his 11th assist.

Goalies :

3 of the 4 goalies, tonight, were Canadian and 2 had shutouts.

* Calvin Pickard (Edmonton) gave up 3 goals on 16 shots in the loss to NJ..
* Jake Allen (NJ) shut out Edmonton and their 31 shots.
* Darcy Kuemper (LA) shut out Nashville and their 16 shots.

Negatives :

* Byfield!

 

[therealdeal]

I don’t think Bedard has done anything to warrant his involvement in this conversation.

To me he has regressed since he joined the league. He was awful for Canada in May, and every time I watch him he’s a turn over machine that makes bad shot choices and under utilizes his team mates.

No need for him, this is a good team without him.

 

[lawrence]

not paranoid. It is , what it is. Canada is not the only good team, like cmon guys. There's no point being "paranoid". Canada will try their best to assemble a good team and go with it.

 

[ORRFForever]

Joe Blow is a better option.

If Hyman would start playing better, we could put him on McDavid's Left Wing and drop Hagel to the 2nd line. Unfortunately, Hyman is playing like hot garbage after scoring 54 goals last year.

 

[Bures Elbow]

Frustrating to think about how good we would have been in 2022..

 

[jj cale]

I don’t think Bedard has done anything to warrant his involvement in this conversation.

To me he has regressed since he joined the league. He was awful for Canada in May, and every time I watch him he’s a turn over machine that makes bad shot choices and under utilizes his team mates.

No need for him, this is a good team without him.

I still think they will take him with an eye to 2026 and as a quick strike capability playing with other elite players if he is needed in a pinch.

 

[jj cale]

ORRFF Stats Watch (November 4, 2024)

Positives :

* Brandt Clarke with his 11th assist.

Goalies :

3 of the 4 goalies, tonight, were Canadian and 2 had shutouts.

* Calvin Pickard (Edmonton) gave up 3 goals on 16 shots in the loss to NJ..
* Jake Allen (NJ) shut out Edmonton and their 31 shots.
* Darcy Kuemper (LA) shut out Nashville and their 16 shots.

Negatives :

* Byfield!

Nice to see Clarke emerging big time this season.

 

[TopCheese]

Bedard - Mcdavid - Reinhart
Marner - Crosby - Mackinnon
Koneckny - Point - Stone
Schiefele - Thomas - Lafreniere
Hyman / Verhaghe

Toews - Makar
Morrisey - Pietrangelo
Doughty - Dobson
Pelech / Bouchard

Binnington
Hill ?
Someone?

I think Canada brass will look at this tournament as a 2026 Olympic rehearsal, with an eye toward the future. I think that lineup would beat anybody. The first 3 lines all have insane scoring, transition/ puck control and leadership. The 4th line is a bit of an x factor - probably the strongest 4th line in the tournament. We need guys like Konecky and Doughty to counteract the Tkachuk bullsheet that im sure we will have to deal with.

The defence is solidly 2nd best in the world. USA has better top 3 D but our depth is crazy good. Who the H3ll knows how the goaltending will shape out.

 

[Nucks2001]

Bedard - Mcdavid - Reinhart
Marner - Crosby - Mackinnon
Koneckny - Point - Stone
Schiefele - Thomas - Lafreniere
Hyman / Verhaghe

Toews - Makar
Morrisey - Pietrangelo
Doughty - Dobson
Pelech / Bouchard

Binnington
Hill ?
Someone?

I think Canada brass will look at this tournament as a 2026 Olympic rehearsal, with an eye toward the future. I think that lineup would beat anybody. The first 3 lines all have insane scoring, transition/ puck control and leadership. The 4th line is a bit of an x factor - probably the strongest 4th line in the tournament. We need guys like Konecky and Doughty to counteract the Tkachuk bullsheet that im sure we will have to deal with.

The defence is solidly 2nd best in the world. USA has better top 3 D but our depth is crazy good. Who the H3ll knows how the goaltending will shape out.

Marchand likely replaces Konecny on your team as he’s already been named to the roster. Doughty’s also been ruled out for the most part by Hockey Canada as a main piece due to injury. Could be there as a a spare tho.

Other than that, fantastic roster!

 

[ORRFForever]

USA has better top 3 D

???

 

[Nucks2001]

???

Hughes, Fox, McAvoy, Slavin are collectively better than Canada’s top 4. Canada’s 5th, 6th and 7th defencemen are better than the Americans though. Both countries are even defensively, with the US’s wildcard being the much better top 4 and Canada’s being the Makar Factor.

 

[ORRFForever]

Hard to keep him off...

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/the-talking-point-is-scheifele-playing-his-way-onto-team-canada~3029045

 

[the valiant effort]

The Canada vs USA top 4D debate is a complete wash

 

[Crosby2010]

Okay. Fair enough. Give me a better left wing 2nd line option.

Still like Lafreniere on this team. The skill he has would fit in great with MacKinnon. Scheifele being the big guy they throw on the right side.

I am still pining for Bedard on this team. He is going nowhere but up. I'd fit him somewhere, even as a 13th forward.

I am glad the Hyman obsession is ending with people now. He stood out like a sore thumb. Shades of Chris Kunitz. Not good on his own, we can do much better.

 

[jj cale]

Hard to keep him off...

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/the-talking-point-is-scheifele-playing-his-way-onto-team-canada~3029045

Yep, If the team were picked today he would likely be on it.

 

[centipede2233]

I can see Tom Wilson on the team

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Will Cuylle is having a breakout season. Think he could fit well in a fourth line role in the future (big hitter, power forward, can fight, plays a gritty game, very good defensive player). He has 11 points in 14 games (for reference Tom Wilson has 12 in 15). He's playing less than 14 minutes per game. Gets no PP time. Has had great defensive analytics since coming into the league (and just generally a very good defensive player), and this year also has great offensive analytics. Plays PK too. Nothing fluky about his season. Doesn't have an excessively high SH%. He had a positive rookie season, and looks to only be getting better.

And his stats this year are better or pretty much the same this year as Johnston, Lafreniere, Byfield and all those younger guys people talk about as worthy of making the team. Not saying he's better than those players, but should be in the discussion if he's keeping pace or exceeding them.