WJC: Canada 2018 Roster Talk

[1Gold Standard]

This is my roster as of now. Of course the camp remains and will be a big factor in the final roster.

Raddysh Steel Kyrou
Dube Glass Lind
Katchouk Suzuki Tippett
Howden McLeod Pu
Thomas

Clague Timmins
Mahura Fabbro
Cholowski Makar
Bouchard

Hart
Harvey
DiPietro

At forward Steel had a tremendous season and should have made the team last year. I am a bit put off by his lack of scoring so far this year, but he looked fine in the super series. Kyrou is having a great year, is a great skater and is a lock. Good history representing Canada in the past too. Reddysh isn't a lock for me (though I think he probably is for Hockey Canada) but he is a smart offensive player who looked good in his super series game, and experience isn't bad. I don't think that Raddysh was particularly good last year or that he is a good fit for Ducharme's style. Glass is another must, and I wanted to put two guys with good motors with him. Dube and Lind already play together and are having good years, Dube is returning, it seems to fit for me. Suzuki is another cornerstone, and I wanted some size with him. Tippett is probably the most pure goal scorer on the roster and I like his speed. Katchouk is having a good year, has good size and he can PK. McLeod is not a lock for me, and I don't think that he should have made the team last year, but he is an elite skater and is good defensively so this is a good spot for him. Pu is a player that I suspect is very well suited to Ducharme's style of play, and his elite skating and solid defensive abilities fit the line. Howden is just a decent utility player who can slot into a few roles but won't carry the team or a line, and he at least has looked good for Canada before at the U18 level. If I had a guarantee that he would be healthy, I would probably put Benson in that spot. The fourth line takes tough assignments and the players play on the PK. Thomas seems like a versatile forward who can fill in most roles on the team. I strongly considered Benson, Gadjovich and Ang, somewhat Steenbergen. In order to fit Ducharme's style I wanted each line to have at least one fast player with an active motor, as this is what Ducharme's forward play like in junior.

On defence I just mostly picked the top players. Clague seems to be the top Canadian defenceman in junior this year so he makes it comfortably. Timmins seems like a good all around player and I liked his play in the super series. All pairings are also lefty righty, which is nice but not 100% required. Fabbro is solid though I found him mediocre last year. It's nice to have some experience in addition to Clague. Mahura is solid but I could see him getting dropped. Makar is at least smart and very mobile, which I am looking for after the failed attempts to clear the Canadian zone last year, and I respect his performance at the WJAC. Cholowski I was skeptical about, but I have watched him a bit this year and he is solid defensively and can move the puck well through the neutral zone. Bouchard is the last pick as a guy who can just slot into any role and not look out of place. It's nice that he can return next year too, though that isn't the deciding factor. I would have liked a big defenceman or two, but I don't like any of the available options. I expect that Hockey Canada will think differently. I didn't seriously consider anyone else.

Hart is the clear starter. Harvey was apparently really good in the super series and is having a good year, so I picked him. DiPietro is having a good year as well and he can gain some experience for next year. I really dislike Hockey Canada's two goaltender policy, since I see nothing lost by taking the third, so I picked three.

I expect that Hockey Canada will definitely add Bean and at least one of Foote/Stanley. At forward I think that there is a good chance that Rasmussen is added, but it is difficult to predict. A lot depends on camp performance. A very important factor, to me at least, is that Ducharme likes to play a very fast game with lots of pressure. He had a lot of success in Halifax playing that way and I suspect that he would like to do that again. The big defencemen don't really fit that style, and Bean is just terrible. At forward I can see guys like Ang and Formenton as guys who could thrive in Ducharme's system. It will be interesting to see what happens at camp and if anyone is released from the NHL. I am not expecting any players to be released.

nice roster...not so sure how effective McLeod would be in that role though. I'd prefer him at RW with Thomas the center...but Tomato Tamato.

with the news that possibly Mete and Jost joining in on the fun (has Jost been recalled yet) which players do you drop?

 

[Digital Dog]

nice roster...not so sure how effective McLeod would be in that role though. I'd prefer him at RW with Thomas the center...but Tomato Tamato.

with the news that possibly Mete and Jost joining in on the fun (has Jost been recalled yet) which players do you drop?

Jost has been recalled

 

[JackSlater]

Lind has been out now for a couple weeks due to "Strepthroat" ... hopefully its not Mono.

Depending on his physical state, this might cost him his shot at the WJC especially if he hasnt been doing any activities as of late.

Interesting, didn't know that about Lind. Too bad if he is out for another few weeks. Keep in mind though that Dube made the team last year after missing a lot of the play leading up to the camp.

Chance Thomas gets a forward spot? He's been dominating on the Knights for most of the season, he's also been used everywhere and in all situations.

Seems very likely. McKenzie listed him as a near-lock, and McKenzie usually knows what he is talking about when it comes to projections.

Formentons got wheels. Not one Russian player could catch him when they played OHL

He does skate tremendously, and that is a big asset in Ducharme's system. He could be a valuable asset in en energy role as Ducharme really likes to pressure the opposition with speed.

nice roster...not so sure how effective McLeod would be in that role though. I'd prefer him at RW with Thomas the center...but Tomato Tamato.

with the news that possibly Mete and Jost joining in on the fun (has Jost been recalled yet) which players do you drop?

McLeod can move over, I just want an elite skater in that fourth role. As for Mete, he can take out any of Mahura, Cholowski or Bouchard. If Jost is there then Lind goes and either Glass or Suzuki move to RW.

 

[tfantasy]

He does skate tremendously, and that is a big asset in Ducharme's system. He could be a valuable asset in en energy role as Ducharme really likes to pressure the opposition with speed.

I agree JackSlater

 

[tfantasy]

Dube-Jost-Raddysh
Suzuki-Steel-Kyrou
McCleod-Thomas-Tippett
Gadjovich-Comtois-Formenton
Ang

Clague-Mete
Fabbro-Makar
Foote-Timmins
Bean

Hart
DiPietro

 

[cgf]

Jost is back in Colorado on the second line with Kerfoot & Compher

 

[PecnoTrunk]

Dube-Jost-Raddysh
Suzuki-Steel-Kyrou
McCleod-Thomas-Tippett
Gadjovich-Comtois-Formenton
Ang

Clague-Mete
Fabbro-Makar
Foote-Timmins
Bean

Hart
DiPietro

Last year the Americans took out our best defence man with a hit. They came at us over and over

They will do it again if we have a roster full of midgets.

It's unfortunate but that's the way it is. If this was non contact hockey then yes build speed speed speed without having to worry about size but this is reality

Where is the size ? Didn't ducharn learn from last year ?

Seriously who are our big boys ? Why don't people include Rasmussen and giovani smith?

 

[Dodospice]

If I’m the Hockey Canada brass, here’s the 30 guys I’d be inviting to camp:

F:
1- Cody Glass
2- Jordan Kyrou
3- Robert Thomas
4- Nick Suzuki
5- Tyler Steenbergen
6- Sam Steel
7- Dillon Dube
8- Brett Howden
9- Kole Lind
10- Boris Katchouk
11- Matthew Phillips
12- Taylor Raddysh
13- Michael Rasmussen
14- Michael McLeod
15- Owen Tippett
16- Alex Formenton

D:
1- Kale Clague
2- Jake Bean
3- Dennis Cholowski
4- Dante Fabbro
5- Callan Foote
6- Cale Makar
7- Conor Timmins
8- Josh Mahura
9- Nicolas Hague
10- Logan Stanley

G:
1- Carter Hart
2- Michael DiPietro
3- Samuel Harvey
4- Colton Point

Based on those guys I’ve invited, my hypothetical roster would look like this:

Steel- Thomas- Kyrou
Steenbergen- Suzuki- Raddysh
Dube- McLeod- Tippett
Katchouk- Glass- Lind
Phillips

Clague- Fabbro
Bean- Foote
Mahura- Makar
Timmins

Hart
DiPietro
Point

 

[Flyguy1ca]

Assuming no Jost or Mete, I'd go with

Dube - McLeod - Kyrou
Steenbergen - Steel - Tippett
Howden - Thomas - Raddysh
Katchouk - Glass - Suzuki
Phillips

Clague - Fabbro
Bean - Makar
Cholowski - Foote
Timmins

Hart
DiPietro
Point

 

[Dodospice]

Assuming no Jost or Mete, I'd go with

Dube - McLeod - Kyrou
Steenbergen - Steel - Tippett
Howden - Thomas - Raddysh
Katchouk - Glass - Suzuki
Phillips

Clague - Fabbro
Bean - Makar
Cholowski - Foote
Timmins

Hart
DiPietro
Point

Cholowski and Howden were two tough cuts from my team... Cholowski or Mahura likely comes down to whoever has the better camp.. Howden I wanted to bring as a PK/energy type of player but I also wanted Steel on the wing so he just got lost in a numbers game basically but he’d be an idea type of player for HC to bring. I like his game a lot.

 

[NetflixandPhil]

I'm not totally sure as I don't have all the information but is this kind of how it looks for the team?

Forwards
Locks/Near Locks: McLeod, Dube, Raddysh, Kyrou, Steel, Thomas
Likely but not certain: Tippett, Suzuki, Glass
On the Bubble: Howden, Formenton, Rasmussen, Katchouk, Lind, Phillips, Steenbergen
Long Shots: Kaspick, Pu, Ang, Comtois, Gadjovich, Mascherin, Benson

Defenceman
Locks/Near Locks: Fabbro, Clague, Bean, Makar
On the Bubble: Foote, Mahura, Timmins, Cholowski
Long Shots: Quenneville, Stanley, Hague

Goalies
Locks/Near Locks: Hart, DiPietro
On the Bubble: Point, Harvey

NHL Players
No Chance: Patrick, Dubois, Chychrun
Slim Chance: Girard
Moderate Chance: Jost
High Chance: Mete

Is this about what the consensus is right now?

 

[JackSlater]

Last year the Americans took out our best defence man with a hit. They came at us over and over

They will do it again if we have a roster full of midgets.

It's unfortunate but that's the way it is. If this was non contact hockey then yes build speed speed speed without having to worry about size but this is reality

Where is the size ? Didn't ducharn learn from last year ?

Seriously who are our big boys ? Why don't people include Rasmussen and giovani smith?

You say this before pretty much every tournament. Physicality (mainly from Greenway) factored into the first Canada-USA game. In the gold medal game it wasn't a factor at all. Canada mainly lost due to an inability to cleanly leave the defensive zone. It would be nice to have some physical players, but Canada just isn't developing them anymore. Handicapping the team with inferior players just to get some physicality (which Rasmussen doesn't even really bring) doesn't make sense.

I'm not totally sure as I don't have all the information but is this kind of how it looks for the team?

Forwards
Locks/Near Locks: McLeod, Dube, Raddysh, Kyrou, Steel, Thomas
Likely but not certain: Tippett, Suzuki, Glass
On the Bubble: Howden, Formenton, Rasmussen, Katchouk, Lind, Phillips, Steenbergen
Long Shots: Kaspick, Pu, Ang, Comtois, Gadjovich, Mascherin, Benson

Defenceman
Locks/Near Locks: Fabbro, Clague, Bean, Makar
On the Bubble: Foote, Mahura, Timmins, Cholowski
Long Shots: Quenneville, Stanley, Hague

Goalies
Locks/Near Locks: Hart, DiPietro
On the Bubble: Point, Harvey

NHL Players
No Chance: Patrick, Dubois, Chychrun
Slim Chance: Girard
Moderate Chance: Jost
High Chance: Mete

Is this about what the consensus is right now?

That looks pretty close to the consensus.

 

[jj cale]

I'm not totally sure as I don't have all the information but is this kind of how it looks for the team?

Forwards
Locks/Near Locks: McLeod, Dube, Raddysh, Kyrou, Steel, Thomas
Likely but not certain: Tippett, Suzuki, Glass
On the Bubble: Howden, Formenton, Rasmussen, Katchouk, Lind, Phillips, Steenbergen
Long Shots: Kaspick, Pu, Ang, Comtois, Gadjovich, Mascherin, Benson

Defenceman
Locks/Near Locks: Fabbro, Clague, Bean, Makar
On the Bubble: Foote, Mahura, Timmins, Cholowski
Long Shots: Quenneville, Stanley, Hague

Goalies
Locks/Near Locks: Hart, DiPietro
On the Bubble: Point, Harvey

NHL Players
No Chance: Patrick, Dubois, Chychrun
Slim Chance: Girard
Moderate Chance: Jost
High Chance: Mete

Is this about what the consensus is right now?

I wish Raddysh wasn't a lock because I don't think he is all that good of a player. To me he is a guy with an above average shot with not much else to offer.But he is a returning guy so i suppose we may as well pencil the guy in.IMO with his skating he will probably be somewhat effective and score a few goals against the weaker teams and be totally ineffective against the better teams.

I think his spot would be better served by another player.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Is Canada still planning on only taking two goalies or has that policy changed?

 

[JackSlater]

I wish Raddysh wasn't a lock because I don't think he is all that good of a player. To me he is a guy with an above average shot with not much else to offer.But he is a returning guy so i suppose we may as well pencil the guy in.IMO with his skating he will probably be somewhat effective and score a few goals against the weaker teams and be totally ineffective against the better teams.

I think his spot would be better served by another player.

I could easily be convinced that this is true. Raddysh didn't do much against good teams last year, and his style doesn't fit what Ducharme does very well. I fully expect him to make the team as a returning player, so I'm hoping that he can at least fulfill a valuable role in front of the net on the powerplay or something.

Is Canada still planning on only taking two goalies or has that policy changed?

No way to know yet. When Bob McKenzie first spoke about the roster he mentioned that Hart would be "one of the two goaltenders" but that isn't definitive. It's very annoying that they choose only two goaltenders.

 

[jj cale]

I could easily be convinced that this is true. Raddysh didn't do much against good teams last year, and his style doesn't fit what Ducharme does very well. I fully expect him to make the team as a returning player, so I'm hoping that he can at least fulfill a valuable role in front of the net on the powerplay or something.



No way to know yet. When Bob McKenzie first spoke about the roster he mentioned that Hart would be "one of the two goaltenders" but that isn't definitive. It's very annoying that they choose only two goaltenders.

Yeah, I thought he was lackluster and his foot speed left him a step behind the play last year against good competition, don't see anything from what I have watched of him this year to suggest that has changed and like you said, that just does not fit into Ducharmes system well.

I wouldn't have him back myself.

 

[86Habs]

I wish Raddysh wasn't a lock because I don't think he is all that good of a player. To me he is a guy with an above average shot with not much else to offer.But he is a returning guy so i suppose we may as well pencil the guy in.IMO with his skating he will probably be somewhat effective and score a few goals against the weaker teams and be totally ineffective against the better teams.

I think his spot would be better served by another player.

I agree. He was ineffective in the playoff round of the tournament last year, and I don't recall him playing much at all in the gold medal game.

 

[jj cale]

I agree. He was ineffective in the playoff round of the tournament last year, and I don't recall him playing much at all in the gold medal game.

I honestly do not even think I would need to see him at camp to come to a decision to cut bait with him and make him a one and done.

Just don't think he cuts it at this level, we have better players that could and should take his spot.

 

[JackFr]

Unrelated but anyone know what jerseys Team Canada is wearing? The ones from last year?

 

[PecnoTrunk]

Yeah, I thought he was lackluster and his foot speed left him a step behind the play last year against good competition, don't see anything from what I have watched of him this year to suggest that has changed and like you said, that just does not fit into Ducharmes system well.

I wouldn't have him back myself.

Hi

Lots of guys on this forum are trending towards speedy small players. I disagree with you guys. Although I do agree with the need for speed we need to have at least 5 big forwards and at least 2 big bodies on d

Even if they are somewhat slow. Guys like Rasmussen and Giovanni smith and raddysh and foote and a couple of other guys. Even if they don't fit in the coaches system. The coach needs to adjust. If he can't adjust then he might not be the person to lead this team

I don't want to have a team that cannot possess the puck. The 2014 Olympic team had size and puck possession so did Los Angeles kings when they won and Chicago.

 

[Digital Dog]

Unrelated but anyone know what jerseys Team Canada is wearing? The ones from last year?

Yes last year's, that's confirmed

 

[jj cale]

Hi

Lots of guys on this forum are trending towards speedy small players. I disagree with you guys. Although I do agree with the need for speed we need to have at least 5 big forwards and at least 2 big bodies on d

Even if they are somewhat slow. Guys like Rasmussen and Giovanni smith and raddysh and foote and a couple of other guys. Even if they don't fit in the coaches system. The coach needs to adjust. If he can't adjust then he might not be the person to lead this team

I don't want to have a team that cannot possess the puck. The 2014 Olympic team had size and puck possession so did Los Angeles kings when they won and Chicago.

I don't find Rasmussen slow nor Foote, I think both those guys skating is adequate so I would not be against them being on the team if they have a good camp. Raddysh I find slow and behind the play when the going get's fast and heated and it prevents him from bringing his goal scoring abilities into the equation. I like size and still think it is important but if they can't do much with it then I am in the " hockey I.Q, smart player camp" that Slater alluded to.

But hey............I will take a hulking guy who knows how to play and can skate anyday. Key words being skate and smart.

 

[JackFr]

Yes last year's, that's confirmed

Thanks. Ugh, hate those.

 

[PecnoTrunk]

I don't find Rasmussen slow nor Foote, I think both those guys skating is adequate so I would not be against them being on the team if they have a good camp. Raddysh I find slow and behind the play when the going get's fast and heated and it prevents him from bringing his goal scoring abilities into the equation. I like size and still think it is important but if they can't do much with it then I am in the " hockey I.Q, smart player camp" that Slater alluded to.

But hey............I will take a hulking guy who knows how to play and can skate anyday. Key words being skate and smart.

I fully fully understand your point and its a very valid one

I just dont want to be run out (hit out) of the ring like last year...
I truly believe we could have won the gold if we had Myers as he was by far the best D we had...he got rung out

I dont want that happening again...the big guys we brought last year didnt really scare anyone...

Im hoping this year we bring some big guys that can scare people...

 

[jj cale]

W

I fully fully understand your point and its a very valid one

I just dont want to be run out (hit out) of the ring like last year...
I truly believe we could have won the gold if we had Myers as he was by far the best D we had...he got rung out

I dont want that happening again...the big guys we brought last year didnt really scare anyone...

Im hoping this year we bring some big guys that can scare people...

Well myers is pretty big though right? maybe my memory of him is off.

I did not see us get run out in that gold medal game last year, we had a bad round robin game against them but adjusted fine to their physicality for the gold medal game, we played them very well, what cost us in the end is what Jack Slater spoke about........................failure to get the puck out of the zone smartly and efficiently, it really burnt us and cost us that gold. I was screaming at the t.v the whole game long at their ineptitude in this one aspect and sure enough it bit us in the ass hard. I did not see size being an issue at all in that gold medal game.

But hey, if the guy can play and is built like Eric Lindros I am all for it!!