WJC: Canada 2018 Roster Talk

[Give and Go]

Anyone have some thoughts on what Canada's PP units will look like? Who quarterbacks the top unit, Mete, Clague, Makar or Bean?

Check out our blog! Predicted roster and the like. Here is a link for our special teams write up on PP and PK!

Team Canada World Jrs, Part 2: Special Teams

Just started and new to writing myself. Respect everyones opinion and would love to get some feedback or start some good discussion! Thanks everyone!

 

[PecnoTrunk]

Check out our blog! Predicted roster and the like. Here is a link for our special teams write up on PP and PK!

Team Canada World Jrs, Part 2: Special Teams

Just started and new to writing myself. Respect everyones opinion and would love to get some feedback or start some good discussion! Thanks everyone!

I believe foote will be on that right side as there are only 3-4 right handed shots

I hope as they will
Need his size.

 

[93LEAFS]

With Mete back, who do you guys have making it between Makar, Timmins, Cholowski, Mahura and Foote? Should be 3 of those 5 making it.

I think Makar has the inside edge because of draft position. But hes also an NCAA guy and 18 year old. He only has one goal this year and was a bit of a wild card being drafted out of that league. With Mete back and Bean being taken as more of an offensive specialist, I dunno if Makar is a guarantee for PP/the big offensive minutes either. I personally dont think he should be a lock but I think he ends up making it and starting in the line up.

Makar is 19 and it is his last year of eligibility (late birthday). I'm not 100% on this, but if he is cut, I'm pretty sure he would be the highest draft pick to not make it while being an option (this excludes guys like Seguin, Monahan ,Bennett, etc) in modern Hockey Canada history. I know Dal Colle is currently one of them having been cut twice after being a 5th overall pick. Aaron Ward also never made it as a 5th overall pick. I could be missing someone, but I don't think I am.

 

[93LEAFS]

is anyone else fed up with this tournament since we're never ever able to ice our best team? I know other teams miss players too at times but it's nothing close to whats been held back for us...how can we possibly call this a true measure of the best? we can't there is no best on best junior tournament

To be honest, this might be the rare year the most hurt team is the Finnish. There missing an elite goal scorer and Puljujarvi. USA is missing Keller. Canada may be missing more guys, but no one close to Laine and no one as good as Keller in my opinion. Best guy we are missing is PLD or Chychrun (coming off a big injury) who are good but not amazing. Guys like Girard, Jost, and Patrick add up, but its nothing compared to recent years.

 

[JackSlater]

Makar is 19 and it is his last year of eligibility (late birthday). I'm not 100% on this, but if he is cut, I'm pretty sure he would be the highest draft pick to not make it while being an option (this excludes guys like Seguin, Monahan ,Bennett, etc) in modern Hockey Canada history. I know Dal Colle is currently one of them having been cut twice after being a 5th overall pick. Aaron Ward also never made it as a 5th overall pick. I could be missing someone, but I don't think I am.

Neil Brady was picked at #3 in 1986 and didn't make the team despite playing in junior through 1988. I don't think that any Canadian was ever drafted higher than that and subsequently cut.

 

[hallhopkinseberle]

Steel-Glass-Kryou
Steenberger-McLeod-Raddysh
Katchouk-Thomas-Suzuki
Gadjovich-Howden-Lind
Dube

Mete-Fabbro
Bean-Foote
Clague-Makar
Stanley

Hart
Dipierto

Should be one of the fastest teams Team Canada has iced in awhile. We are missing a stud forward though.

 

[Statsy]

To be honest, this might be the rare year the most hurt team is the Finnish. There missing an elite goal scorer and Puljujarvi. USA is missing Keller. Canada may be missing more guys, but no one close to Laine and no one as good as Keller in my opinion. Best guy we are missing is PLD or Chychrun (coming off a big injury) who are good but not amazing. Guys like Girard, Jost, and Patrick add up, but its nothing compared to recent years.

I think we are missing a comparable level of talent to what we are usually missing. However, you are correct that Finland wins this year's prize for being the most handicapped by the NHL. Laine and Puljujarvi tore up this tourney and that was two years ago! My guess is they haven't gotten worse since then.

As for Webersshot's lament about not being able to see a true WJC best on best, please keep in mind that we've actually seen it on three separate occasions thanks to NHL work stoppages. Canada dominated the first two of those tournaments, but the last one was a down year for us even with all the NHL guys.

 

[93LEAFS]

I think we are missing a comparable level of talent to what we are usually missing. However, you are correct that Finland wins this year's prize for being the most handicapped by the NHL. Laine and Puljujarvi tore up this tourney and that was two years ago! My guess is they haven't gotten worse since then.

As for Webersshot's lament about not being able to see a true WJC best on best, please keep in mind that we've actually seen it on three separate occasions thanks to NHL work stoppages. Canada dominated the first two of those tournaments, but the last one was a down year for us even with all the NHL guys.

2017 we were missing McDavid, Marner and Chychrun; 2016 was McDavid, Ekblad, and Bennett; 2015 was Ekblad, Mackinnon. and Drouin; 2014 Mackinnon, Monahan, and Rielly; 2013 was a lockout year; 2012 was Seguin, RNH, Skinner, Couturier, and RyJo; 2011 was Duchene, Skinner, Hall, Evander Kane, ROR, Seguin, and Skinner; 2010 was Tavares, Stamkos, Duchene, Myers, and Del Zoto.

Considering what a bunch of those guys were doing in the NHL at the time, I'd say the crop we are missing this year is relatively minor. PLD is nice, but a bunch of those guys was putting up 60 or more point seasons, hell, McDavid and Stamkos were ppg players at times. Top level talent wise this is probably the least we've been effected this decade.

 

[tfantasy]

Dube-Steel-Steenbergen
Gadjovich-McCleod-Kyrou
Suzuki-Thomas-Formenton
Lind-Comtois-Batherson
Raddysh

Mete-Clague
Bean-Fabbro
Foote-Makar
Timmins

Hart
Dipietro

 

[Canada4Gold]

Yeah I'm not really concerned about the guys we are missing this year. It might be more annoying than in past years where we obviously were never getting McDavid, likely not Marner, Ekblad, etc. Top of the line draft picks. I guess Patrick, PLD and Jost would qualify as that this year. But not having Girard and back when we thought we weren't going to have Mete, those are guys you really didn't think you'd be missing. But still it's not really guys that would put a team as the massive favorite that we often have and that Finland is missing this year.

If we were going to list the 6 best missing guys this year, I don't think any of them are Canadian. Laine, Keller, Hischier, Sergachev, Puljujarvi, Bratt. PLD, Chychrun and Patrick are close, and Jost and Girard are good too, but what Bratt is doing is really impressive.

 

[Statsy]

2017 we were missing McDavid, Marner and Chychrun; 2016 was McDavid, Ekblad, and Bennett; 2015 was Ekblad, Mackinnon. and Drouin; 2014 Mackinnon, Monahan, and Rielly; 2013 was a lockout year; 2012 was Seguin, RNH, Skinner, Couturier, and RyJo; 2011 was Duchene, Skinner, Hall, Evander Kane, ROR, Seguin and Skinner; 2010 was Tavares, Stamkos, Duchene, Myers, and Del Zoto.

Considering what a bunch of those guys was doing in the NHL at the time, I'd say the crop we are missing this year is relatively minor. PLD is nice, but a bunch of those guys was putting up 60 or more point seasons, hell, McDavid and Stamkos were ppg players at times. Top level talent wise this is probably the least we've been effected this decade.

Yes, there are some good players on that list. I guess this is a down year for our NHL star power.

 

[93LEAFS]

Neil Brady was picked at #3 in 1986 and didn't make the team despite playing in junior through 1988. I don't think that any Canadian was ever drafted higher than that and subsequently cut.

Yeah, good mention. The list of top 10 guys who never did it is fairly short. Makar would be the highest in recent memory. Just looking since 1990 the only top 10 guys who didn't make it without the NHL reason are. Some guys may have been injured but I am not aware of it.

Scott Scissions (1990)
Drake Berehowsky (1990)
Aaron Ward (1991)
Alek Stojanov (1991)
Todd Wariner (1992)- He was on the 1994 Olympic team which was a full season obligation at that time
Cory Stillman (1992)
Brett Lindros (1994)- Knowing his history assuming he possibly missed due to concussions
Steve Kelly (1995)
Terry Ryan (1995)
Johnathan Aitken (1996)
Lance Ward (1996)
Nick Boynton (1997)
Kris Beech (1999)
Brent Krahn (2000)
Alexandre Picard (2004)
Devin Setoguchi (2005)
Derek Brassard (2006) - Pretty sure he was injured
Zach Hamil (2007)
Logan Couture (2007)
Keaton Ellerby (2007)
Scott Glennie (2008)
Dylan McIlrath (2009)
Slater Koekkoek (2012)
Michael Dal Colle (2015)

Man, that is an ugly list outside of Couture and Brassard (although that was injury related). Stillman and Ward also had good careers as role players.

 

[93LEAFS]

Yes, there are some good players on that list. I guess this is a down year for our NHL star power.

Annoying thing is, its not like we have a strong crop of 2018 draft eligibles who will change that. Some good players but likely don't have a top 5 pick at the moment.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Sorry, I was reading through the thread for a significant length and found comparisons between the two nations’ rosters/lineups. I easily prefer Canada’s from top to bottom - and I don’t think that is bias, just honest preference in a head-to-head, but I suppose I wouldn’t know the difference if it was one or the other. The one area where I would have given you the advantage is in top line forwards, as Mittelstadt-Brown-Yamamoto is fairly terrifying...or rather was. Mittelstadt is exceeding my expectations in college, but Yamamoto has been flat out horrendous since returning to the WHL, and he’s played enough hockey since the move that he really has no excuse. I also watch Windsor often, having personal connections to the area, and despite his stats I am wholly unimpressed by Brown, compared to how I believe he could and should be playing considering his situation.

Please, shoot back. This website is so barren of meaningful conversations and debates these days.

Fair enough. I think a lot of NCAA players end up getting underrated-not necessarily as pro prospects, but as contributors at this level. There's just not as much visibility as the CHL, especially for Canadians.

 

[admiralcadillac]

Well Mete is very good and will be a good addition, I think he will be the top dman for the team.

 

[JackSlater]

Yeah, good mention. The list of top 10 guys who never did it is fairly short. Makar would be the highest in recent memory. Just looking since 1990 the only top 10 guys who didn't make it without the NHL reason are. Some guys may have been injured but I am not aware of it.

Scott Scissions (1990)
Drake Berehowsky (1990)
Aaron Ward (1991)
Alek Stojanov (1991)
Todd Wariner (1992)- He was on the 1994 Olympic team which was a full season obligation at that time
Cory Stillman (1992)
Brett Lindros (1994)- Knowing his history assuming he possibly missed due to concussions
Steve Kelly (1995)
Terry Ryan (1995)
Johnathan Aitken (1996)
Lance Ward (1996)
Nick Boynton (1997)
Kris Beech (1999)
Brent Krahn (2000)
Alexandre Picard (2004)
Devin Setoguchi (2005)
Derek Brassard (2006) - Pretty sure he was injured
Zach Hamil (2007)
Logan Couture (2007)
Keaton Ellerby (2007)
Scott Glennie (2008)
Dylan McIlrath (2009)
Slater Koekkoek (2012)
Michael Dal Colle (2015)

Man, that is an ugly list outside of Couture and Brassard (although that was injury related). Stillman and Ward also had good careers as role players.

Oddly enough Lindros wasn't injured in 1995, just cut.

 

[Statsy]

Oddly enough Lindros wasn't injured in 1995, just cut.

I remember one of the coaches of the other countries lamenting their lack of depth by saying "We couldn't afford to cut a Brett Lindros."

 

[BrunoDaBear]

Spezza made the team as a 16,17and 18 year old but didn't even get invited as a 19 year old. Chris Bigras made the team as an 18 year old and was cut as a 19 year old

 

[JackSlater]

Spezza made the team as a 16,17and 18 year old but didn't even get invited as a 19 year old. Chris Bigras made the team as an 18 year old and was cut as a 19 year old

Spezza was splitting time between the NHL and the AHL in 2003. Spezza would have been the centrepiece of that team had he been available.

Regarding the Canadians missing this year, it is a below average crop for Canada. Not the worst (that's 2002) but low end. I would say that Finland is missing the most overall with Laine and Puljujarvi out, then Canada due to quantity then USA/Russia/Sweden/Switzerland. The noteworthy thing for Canada is that other countries can miss players of similar quality but still compete with Canada. For most of the tournament's history that hasn't been the case. It is something that Hockey Canada should consider.

 

[Neutral Hockey Fan]

As a Kitchener Rangers season ticket holder, PLEASE Canada, take Stanley. Get him away from our roster for a couple of weeks. He’s so bad

If he was 6’2” and not 6’7”, he would never have even been drafted, let alone a high draft pick like he was.

 

[izzy]

As a Kitchener Rangers season ticket holder, PLEASE Canada, take Stanley. Get him away from our roster for a couple of weeks. He’s so bad

If he was 6’2” and not 6’7”, he would never have even been drafted, let alone a high draft pick like he was.

a little dramatic considering he leads the teams defense in points by a lot

theyd definitely miss him

 

[Statsy]

a little dramatic considering he leads the teams defense in points by a lot

theyd definitely miss him

I do think people get carried away in their criticism. They really like to pile on.

 

[BrunoDaBear]

As a Kitchener Rangers season ticket holder, PLEASE Canada, take Stanley. Get him away from our roster for a couple of weeks. He’s so bad

If he was 6’2” and not 6’7”, he would never have even been drafted, let alone a high draft pick like he was.

I hope he doesn't make the team. He's good, just not that good.

 

[DDRhockey]

To be honest, this might be the rare year the most hurt team is the Finnish. There missing an elite goal scorer and Puljujarvi. USA is missing Keller. Canada may be missing more guys, but no one close to Laine and no one as good as Keller in my opinion. Best guy we are missing is PLD or Chychrun (coming off a big injury) who are good but not amazing. Guys like Girard, Jost, and Patrick add up, but its nothing compared to recent years.

Sweden will miss bratt and maybe nylander

 

[tony d]

I think we have a serviceable team for this year. Should contend for a medal, not sure we can be considered favorites this year though.