Canada All Time Team

[Gerulaitis]

I think they might

So I've got Lindros - at best - as a 4th line centre or winger. Either way, you insert him if the games are physical and he's your man. But he's far down the pecking order. It isn't as if he's the bread and butter of the team. He is not who you are relying on. Never mind how deep we are at centre, look at the right wing. Howe, Richard, Bossy, Lafleur. That's 4/5 of the best RWers in NHL history. Jagr being the 5th obviously. That's also some of the best and most clutch goal scorers in hockey history. What is the odds that all 4 of them are going to have an "off" game? Unlikely. That's just too much talent, too many Cups, too much hardware and that's just one position.

Even left wing, Hull, Messier (moved to LW), Crosby perhaps if you move him there. Maybe MacKinnon. Where is the break in the action? And then try penetrating that defense and then scoring on either goalie.

Sorry, but this team is not losing a 7 game series to anyone.

So I've got Lindros - at best - as a 4th line centre or winger. Either way, you insert him if the games are physical and he's your man. But he's far down the pecking order. It isn't as if he's the bread and butter of the team. He is not who you are relying on. Never mind how deep we are at centre, look at the right wing. Howe, Richard, Bossy, Lafleur. That's 4/5 of the best RWers in NHL history. Jagr being the 5th obviously. That's also some of the best and most clutch goal scorers in hockey history. What is the odds that all 4 of them are going to have an "off" game? Unlikely. That's just too much talent, too many Cups, too much hardware and that's just one position.

Even left wing, Hull, Messier (moved to LW), Crosby perhaps if you move him there. Maybe MacKinnon. Where is the break in the action? And then try penetrating that defense and then scoring on either goalie.

Sorry, but this team is not losing a 7 game series to anyone.

They're losing in 4.

 

[Johnny Tomala]

Lindros has no business being on all time Canada team over Yzerman and Sakic. Lindros was overrated during his career but he is overrated after it ended too.

 

[Crosby2010]

I think they might


They're losing in 4.

Canada is losing in 4 you mean? Or the World?

Lindros has no business being on all time Canada team over Yzerman and Sakic. Lindros was overrated during his career but he is overrated after it ended too.

I would say put him in there as a 13th forward anyway because he would be excellent to have if the games got more physical. Sakic and Yzerman are all-time greats but they don't bring anything different to the table. Crosby and MacKinnon can do what they can do. But how many people can do what a prime Lindros can do? The closest is Gordie Howe, and he's already on the team. And that is the thing, we are building a team here. A team that needs to have no weaknesses.

 

[Gerulaitis]

Canada is losing in 4 you mean? Or the World?



I would say put him in there as a 13th forward anyway because he would be excellent to have if the games got more physical. Sakic and Yzerman are all-time greats but they don't bring anything different to the table. Crosby and MacKinnon can do what they can do. But how many people can do what a prime Lindros can do? The closest is Gordie Howe, and he's already on the team. And that is the thing, we are building a team here. A team that needs to have no weaknesses.

Canada losing in 4, I mean.
They won't score more than a goal per game on the red-hot Hasek.
Team World will comfortably score 3 or more in each game.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Canada losing in 4, I mean.
They won't score more than a goal per game on the red-hot Hasek.
Team World will comfortably score 3 or more in each game.

Why does Hasek get to be red hot?

 

[JackSlater]

I am amazed that Dominik Hasek can be both the best goaltender ever (in my opinion) and still wildly overrated (in my opinion) by people with regularity.

Anyway for Canada these are the players I think are the must haves

F: Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe, Beliveau, Hull, Crosby, McDavid

D: Orr, Bourque, Potvin, Harvey

The rest of the spots are just complementing those players, though I would struggle to not put Clarke, Shore, and Kelly on the team as well. Those are your best players, the others need to be great but also versatile and have a clear role.

 

[Crosby2010]

Canada losing in 4, I mean.
They won't score more than a goal per game on the red-hot Hasek.
Team World will comfortably score 3 or more in each game.

Hasek and Roy are pretty much the same here. But Canada blows the World out in every other category. A power play that could ice Gretzky-Lemieux-McDavid-Orr-Coffey is going to score just one goal a game?

 

[wetcoast]

I am amazed that Dominik Hasek can be both the best goaltender ever (in my opinion) and still wildly overrated (in my opinion) by people with regularity.

Anyway for Canada these are the players I think are the must haves

F: Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe, Beliveau, Hull, Crosby, McDavid

D: Orr, Bourque, Potvin, Harvey

The rest of the spots are just complementing those players, though I would struggle to not put Clarke, Shore, and Kelly on the team as well. Those are your best players, the others need to be great but also versatile and have a clear role.

I know it's early in his career but 5 straight Norris finalist selections after winning rookie of the year and a 9th place in norris that season, Makar has the icing on his cake to be on this team really soon right?

 

[JackSlater]

I know it's early in his career but 5 straight Norris finalist selections after winning rookie of the year and a 9th place in norris that season, Makar has the icing on his cake to be on this team really soon right?

Yeah he'll get there, probably very soon. Made up team Canada could use another elite right handed defenceman. In terms of historical profile Makar has spent years as the consensus best defenceman in the NHL (spare me Quinn Hughes talk, Vancouver fans) and barring a late season injury will get another Norris this year. Would have had the Norris the year Fox got it had he not missed a few games, strong Conn Smythe in 2022. Very much passes the eye test, has a "winning pedigree", the way he generates offence has been influential in the league and so on. He's a historically relevant defenceman and Canada's best since Pronger.

I'm interested in seeing how he ages. I see parallels with the first third of Bourque's career, remains to be seen if he can peak like Bourque or even approach Bourque's longevity.

 

[wetcoast]

Yeah he'll get there, probably very soon. Made up team Canada could use another elite right handed defenceman. In terms of historical profile Makar has spent years as the consensus best defenceman in the NHL (spare me Quinn Hughes talk, Vancouver fans) and barring a late season injury will get another Norris this year. Would have had the Norris the year Fox got it had he not missed a few games, strong Conn Smythe in 2022. Very much passes the eye test, has a "winning pedigree", the way he generates offence has been influential in the league and so on. He's a historically relevant defenceman and Canada's best since Pronger.

Agree with most of this except that Hughes was worthy of his norris last season and was rightly so, the frontrunner this year until he got hurt.

Even with that I can see why in a vacum people would prefer Makar, I probably would even with my support of Hughes.

I'm interested in seeing how he ages. I see parallels with the first third of Bourque's career, remains to be seen if he can peak like Bourque or even approach Bourque's longevity.

It's an interesting comparison with bourge having 8 seasons through age 26 and Makar will have 6.

Makar is better offensively and has a better playoff resume but Bourque was healthy and very steady with elite play.

Actually scratch that Bourque missed games as well.

 

[Gerulaitis]

Why does Hasek get to be red hot?

Because he took the series personal

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Because he took the series personal

Oh, in that case.

 

[Gerulaitis]

Hasek and Roy are pretty much the same here. But Canada blows the World out in every other category. A power play that could ice Gretzky-Lemieux-McDavid-Orr-Coffey is going to score just one goal a game?

Not really the same. Hasek can outplay Roy.

What power play? Team World will be coached by Tikhonov. Their discipline will be on another level. The most important series of their virtual careers.
So Canada will get only one or 2 power play chances per game. They might convert one of them but only if Don Koharski will be the ref.

 

[Crosby2010]

Not really the same. Hasek can outplay Roy.

What power play? Team World will be coached by Tikhonov. Their discipline will be on another level. The most important series of their virtual careers.
So Canada will get only one or 2 power play chances per game. They might convert one of them but only if Don Koharski will be the ref.

There is a slim line, if one at all, between Hasek and Roy. And come to think of it, Roy is definitely the most clutch goalie of all-time. So Canada is not at a disadvantage with Roy in net. I'd probably pick him over anyone else. And that's getting past the forwards and the defense. Sorry, but a team that has 20 or more of the top 25 players of all-time is not losing a 7 game series.

 

[Gerulaitis]

There is a slim line, if one at all, between Hasek and Roy. And come to think of it, Roy is definitely the most clutch goalie of all-time. So Canada is not at a disadvantage with Roy in net. I'd probably pick him over anyone else. And that's getting past the forwards and the defense. Sorry, but a team that has 20 or more of the top 25 players of all-time is not losing a 7 game series.

Roy is a good goalie but not a super human.

There are 20 out of the top 25 in the world in your classification.

I agree. They're not losing in a 7 game series. Likely they would be losing in less than 7 games

 

[Overrated]

So I've got Lindros - at best - as a 4th line centre or winger. Either way, you insert him if the games are physical and he's your man. But he's far down the pecking order. It isn't as if he's the bread and butter of the team. He is not who you are relying on. Never mind how deep we are at centre, look at the right wing. Howe, Richard, Bossy, Lafleur. That's 4/5 of the best RWers in NHL history. Jagr being the 5th obviously. That's also some of the best and most clutch goal scorers in hockey history. What is the odds that all 4 of them are going to have an "off" game? Unlikely. That's just too much talent, too many Cups, too much hardware and that's just one position.

Even left wing, Hull, Messier (moved to LW), Crosby perhaps if you move him there. Maybe MacKinnon. Where is the break in the action? And then try penetrating that defense and then scoring on either goalie.

Sorry, but this team is not losing a 7 game series to anyone.

Lindros was very good on the big rink too and I think he'd be very good as a power forward winger.

 

[Overrated]

Oh there are a ton of players I wish I could add. It’s tough leaving Makarov off and Salming as well. Same goes for Kurri and Selanne, but there are more than enough quality players to take their place.

Leaving Makarov off is odd as he is likely the greatest non-Canadian skater ever apart from Jagr.

 

[Crosby2010]

Roy is a good goalie but not a super human.

There are 20 out of the top 25 in the world in your classification.

I agree. They're not losing in a 7 game series. Likely they would be losing in less than 7 games

I think that's a crazy notion, and your best argument was that Hasek would be the reason. Forgetting completely that goalies on the other side are basically at the same level. And Roy is the greatest clutch goalie in NHL history. So if there is a slim lead, and it would be ever so slim, it doesn't make up for the defenseman and forwards. For example, if you have a team where you can throw out 4 straight lines where Gretzky, Lemieux, McDavid and Beliveau are the centremen how do you compete with that? I just don't see how Team World matches that. And that's just a sample size of the advantage Canada would have.

Lindros was very good on the big rink too and I think he'd be very good as a power forward winger.

We would need him in there for his physical force. We tend to remember Lindros in a post-Scott Stevens hit manner. Let's remember the mid 1990s version of him, that's who I am picturing. And the options with him would be broad.

 

[authentic]

Leaving Makarov off is odd as he is likely the greatest non-Canadian skater ever apart from Jagr.

Yeah he could easily be on the team, just didn’t fit into any of the lines I had made at first glance. Ask me on a different day I could possibly make an even better team with him included.