Country with the Best Starting 5

[mphmiles]

I'm not arguing that he is overall effective; but on 1-on-1 vs the elite players he gets handed his lunch. I watched about half a dozen times last year at least that he got schooled.

Makar, Josi, Slavin, and other premium defenders don't get beat like that in those situations nearly as often.

The OP was about a "best 5" against the "best 5" hypothetical; not how these players rate out against the regular NHL.

This sounds like confirmation bias.

Josi hasn't been a high level defender since about 2021. (He got older and the defensive ability started to fall. Same thing happened with Carlson, and same as is currently happening to Hedman) At this point in his career he's very much an offense-first defenseman- more so than than Quinn.

 

[strattonius]

I'm not arguing that he is overall effective; but on 1-on-1 vs the elite players he gets handed his lunch. I watched about half a dozen times last year at least that he got schooled.

Stop lying.

 

[JackSlater]

Canada has the obvious best five, but I cannot help but think that for some people, intentionally or not, it obscures Canada's deficiencies in goaltending and depth.