WJC: Canada 2018 Roster Talk
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TheKingSlayer
He was in the way!
86Habs
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- May 4, 2009
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NHL draft position typically doesn't factor into whether a certain prospect is selected for Team Canada or not (thankfully). The purpose of the World Juniors is to win gold, not stack the roster with as many high draft picks as possible and showcase them.
Further, it's always been said that this is a tournament for 19 year olds (I don't necessarily agree 100% with this), but if you look at it from this perspective you can see why Canada's coaching staff typically selects several guys who are really good junior players with skillsets that are necessary for building a complete team, but who aren't top NHL prospects. Even on the 2005 team - considered the best junior team of all time - the coaching staff selected guys like Stephen Dixon and Colin Fraser to fill some perceived gaps in the lineup.
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Its clear that they were looking for a certain type of player. Can you honestly say that Comtois and Howden are better than Glass and Suzuki? Probably not.
Disappointed that Lind didn’t make the cut too, have to think he would’ve made it if he didn’t catch mono right before. He’s got that swagger and confidence that you just love.
Also another thing going for Suzuki on the team is him and Gadjovich were linemates and both scored 40+ goals last year. Chemistry is so underrated and is especially important and magnified in such a short tourmament like the WJC
Hopefully the boys pull through but if we fail to score goals, the following scrutiny would be warranted
Disappointed that Lind didn’t make the cut too, have to think he would’ve made it if he didn’t catch mono right before. He’s got that swagger and confidence that you just love.
Also another thing going for Suzuki on the team is him and Gadjovich were linemates and both scored 40+ goals last year. Chemistry is so underrated and is especially important and magnified in such a short tourmament like the WJC
Hopefully the boys pull through but if we fail to score goals, the following scrutiny would be warranted
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WeThreeKings
Demidov is a HAB
Glass and Suzuki should absolutely be there.
Canada always falls in love with role players in this tournament, but this team doesn't have enough talent throughout the line-up to make up for that this year.
Canada always falls in love with role players in this tournament, but this team doesn't have enough talent throughout the line-up to make up for that this year.
Look at their forward goal/point totals throughout their entire 4 lines...its up there with any team in this tournament
WeThreeKings
Demidov is a HAB
That isn't a very good barometer for anything.
Finland, Sweden, Czech, they all play in a Men's league for the most part, which will skew the numbers.
Isaac Nootin
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- Sep 28, 2017
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Glass and Suzuki didn't perform well at camp and were correctly let go.
This team has plenty of talent, not sure where that narrative is coming from.
Big deal..If you're putting up 30-40+ goals in the CHL I still consider that better than getting 5-10 goals on one of those clubs. I guarantee you Kyrou or Steel could put up 20+ goals on many of those teams. If you look at overall team depth from top to bottom including goaltending in this tournament I would put Sweden, Canada, US as the top 3 and their is not much separating them. Finland and Russia a close second followed by the Czechs who may surprise.
BondraTime
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HasbeenHallzy
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Wadd
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We need a line that will crash the net and give a tiny cross check to the defensemen here and there. I feel like we didn't have that last year. Glass and Suzuki wouldn't provide that either. Comtois, Howden and Formenton now look out. We need that in order to win gold.
I really liked Lind. He would have been my pick over Batherson. Are they the same wing? I think they should have taken longer look at Mathew Phillips from Victoria. Very dynamic creative player.
TheBeastCoast
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TheBeastCoast
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1Gold Standard
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I don't think we were prohibitive favorites in either of the two European tournaments in 07 or 08 either. And if I remember correctly, I believe Sweden was the favorite in 09. but I could be wrong. I usually am.
JackSlater
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- Apr 27, 2010
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Both RW (for Canada's purposes) yes. Hockey Canada seems pretty high on Batherson. I've seen him play a few games in junior this year and he certainly looks very good. While I am generally glad for a Nova Scotian to have success, I don't know that I would have picked him over Lind. Batherson may be a better fit for an energy role though.
Just as Canada was overrated during that stretch, especially in retrospect, Canada is underrated in recent years. In the 2005-2009 stretch only 2005 and 2006 were thorough wins for Canada with limited scares, and the 2006 team performed well above its talent level. In that period it wouldn't be far off reality for Canada to have won only two tournaments. To be fair though it wouldn't have been unreasonable for Canada to win seven or eight tournaments in a row around that time as well.
PecnoTrunk
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- Dec 20, 2014
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Is he injured? Gadjovich will probably take his spot on the first line and Steenbergen will switch over to LW with McLeod and Batherson. Although you could swap Gadjovich and Steenbergen, both play similar shoot-first games. One plays with size, one with a little more speed.
