Draper on Team Canada?
- Thread starter Coach Travis
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Like I said... Moreau is having a really good year in Edmonton, and he's a good leader. He has to be the next Canadian grinder instead of Draper. The only problem with Moreau is that he's playing left wing.. and we have a bunch really talented. Ryan Smyth will maybe handed the job of shutting down player.. well, I hope so..
Gretzky said:
In such a short tournament, Spezza, Staal or Crosby etc etc dont have enough time to learn the talent of being a good checker, especially one who is so good as Draper.
Draper already does that job so well. Stats arent the "be all and end all" (whatever that phrase is). Picking the most talented isnt necessarily the best way to go. You need different players for different roles and perhaps ones that are well rounded etc etc. Example why McCabe is not on the team.
therealdeal
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- Apr 22, 2005
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I hope they don't take Draper. This is supposed to be based on this season's performances, and if we go with the same old, same old... it will be annoying.
Morrow, Cooke, Madden, etc. are all better choices.
Morrow, Cooke, Madden, etc. are all better choices.
norrisnick
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- Apr 14, 2005
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Draper has 3 Stanley Cups, 2 or 3 World Championships, and a World Cup as a checking line center on his resume. Hard to pass up on that and I don't think Canada will.SopelFan said:
Don't expect goals as he is amazingly snakebitten right now. He's done absolutely everything but actually score the goals. He gets a few glorious chances a game and still plays amazing defense. If his luck were better his numbers would be dramatically improved. He's skating and playing very well out there.
Garbs
Registered User
I'm thinking Doan will be looked upon to fill the void Draper leaves in his absence.
A fourth line of Doan - Thornton - Bertuzzi (Assuming Thornton, and Bertuzzi start playing like they were built to play) would be a real nasty thing to play against.
* Smyth or Kariya could just as easily be chosen.
A fourth line of Doan - Thornton - Bertuzzi (Assuming Thornton, and Bertuzzi start playing like they were built to play) would be a real nasty thing to play against.
Gagne - Sakic - Iginla
Richards - Lecavalier - St. Louis
Nash* - Spezza - Heatley
Doan - Thornton - Bertuzzi
Richards - Lecavalier - St. Louis
Nash* - Spezza - Heatley
Doan - Thornton - Bertuzzi
* Smyth or Kariya could just as easily be chosen.
I don't want to see Draper on the team either. I think Canada has plenty of players who can grind and play defense almost as well as Draper, but are far better offensively. Even if they do insist on taking a "checking center", I agree that Madden is a better choice.
i still like Draper there,we could actually use one or two more guys like him on this team,which we most likely won't have. 
Good p.k guy,good draw man.Wish we had three of him.
Good p.k guy,good draw man.Wish we had three of him.
hmmm,dunno tucker.Teams usually and historically for us anyway...............need those type of players.
norrisnick
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No kidding. What team has EVER had any success with defensive forwards?Tucker316 said:
Except of course the teams Draper has played on for the last decade or so.
norrisnick said:
I know that man, but in this instance, I prefer going with the more talented players. We dont need a bunch of grinders on the team when you have so much quality on the roster already. Just look at the D alone, and the size and toughness we'll be bringing in. We have enough of the hard working types as is, without a mediocre player slotted in there.
We're not talking a bunch,just a few,like more then zero!!Tucker316 said:
These tournaments where teams have to come together quickly don't lend themselves to just bringing the 13 most offensively talented forwards.You are going to face adversity and players with Jam help you get past those low spots.I'm not for just bringing an all-star team at all.
Garbs
Registered User
1badbruin said:
What do you think he did at the World Cup? And I'm no quite sure why you would think centering Doan and Bertuzzi on a line is a role limited to just checking.
Yeah, but if I see a line of draper-maltby-doan, I'm gonna spaz.
One grinder who cant do anything else among a bunch of elite talents should do well enough. We dont need an entire line of them.
One grinder who cant do anything else among a bunch of elite talents should do well enough. We dont need an entire line of them.
Coach Travis
Back2Back!!!
I'd rather see Canada role four kick-*** scoring lines and just out score everyone. I mean, how much ice time is a grind line going to get for Canada anyway? If you're facing the Czech Rep. and Jagr is playing 22-25 minutes per game, does that mean you're going to play Drapper 22-25 minutes per game?
Exactly, when you have so much damnt alent on your team, like Canada can ice, the need for grinders and mediocre players like Draper become very nil.
I really hope not. Draper's played very porrly offensively this season and only contributes offesnively. I'd rather they roll 4 lines of offensively talented two-way players.
I mean, can you honestly say that you'd prefer Draper there over Staal/Spezza/Crosby/Kariya?
I mean, can you honestly say that you'd prefer Draper there over Staal/Spezza/Crosby/Kariya?
A team full of offensive players without a defensive specialist would be a huge mistake. In my opinion a player like Draper or Doan will be named to this team but I do like the idea of a guy like Ethan Moreau. Either way the third line needs quick forwards that are great defensively. These guys will kill the penalities and will be on the ice with 30 seconds to go.
Coburnfan05
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Gretzky said:
When will people learn...this is a tournament that only a complete hockey team can win. It's not a 2 week shinny fest.
I love Spezza, Staal and Crosby but if you use them as checkers they will be more of a hinderance then a help to the team.
If you anyone thinks that any of these guys can play a better checking role then Draper, they clearly are blided by "scoresheet stats".
All of thier times will come but you need role players on any great team.
And hey, why mess with what brought you a Gold Medal and a World Championship already?
I have said it before, and I will say it again....Guys like Draper are needed on winning hockey teams. They are not good Fantasy Hockey players, but they are good Real-Life Hockey players.
A team doesn't just win by scoring the most goals. A team also wins by preventing the other team from scoring. Guys like Draper excel at this aspect of the game.
You only have 2 weeks to gel in a tournament like this. You can't be expecting/assuming that scorers will be able to adjust to being defensive specialists in such a short time. Especially when the scorers that people want to take are youngsters, considering youngsters are generally no good defensively to begin with let alone defensive specialists.
Besides, it would be stupid to take 4 scoring lines, while neglecting other aspects of a winning team. The team would become completely one-dimensional.
Does anyone honestly think that Spezza, Staal, and/or Crosby are going to make a difference? Does anyone think that these guys are going to be the ones to win the tournament for Canada?
There is enough scoring already with Sakic, Richards, Thornton, Lecavalier, Gagne, Iginla, and Heatley.
If these guys can't get it done, why would Spezza, Staal, and/or Crosby get it done? If a team finds a way to stop 8 elite Canadian scorers, then finding a way to stop a couple of more won't be a problem.
Besides, there will be games when the scorers are getting shut-down. When these games come, it will be up to the defensive specialists and grinders to win the game. When games like this come, people will realize why defensive specialists and grinders need to be included on teams.
Canada would look pretty stupid if they found themselves in a tight-checking and physical game, and only had finesse offensive players on their team.
So considering the fact that the team already is full of offensive players, why not try to round out the roster with players who will help you win the games in other ways (ie. with defense or grit)?
A team doesn't just win by scoring the most goals. A team also wins by preventing the other team from scoring. Guys like Draper excel at this aspect of the game.
You only have 2 weeks to gel in a tournament like this. You can't be expecting/assuming that scorers will be able to adjust to being defensive specialists in such a short time. Especially when the scorers that people want to take are youngsters, considering youngsters are generally no good defensively to begin with let alone defensive specialists.
Besides, it would be stupid to take 4 scoring lines, while neglecting other aspects of a winning team. The team would become completely one-dimensional.
Does anyone honestly think that Spezza, Staal, and/or Crosby are going to make a difference? Does anyone think that these guys are going to be the ones to win the tournament for Canada?
There is enough scoring already with Sakic, Richards, Thornton, Lecavalier, Gagne, Iginla, and Heatley.
If these guys can't get it done, why would Spezza, Staal, and/or Crosby get it done? If a team finds a way to stop 8 elite Canadian scorers, then finding a way to stop a couple of more won't be a problem.
Besides, there will be games when the scorers are getting shut-down. When these games come, it will be up to the defensive specialists and grinders to win the game. When games like this come, people will realize why defensive specialists and grinders need to be included on teams.
Canada would look pretty stupid if they found themselves in a tight-checking and physical game, and only had finesse offensive players on their team.
So considering the fact that the team already is full of offensive players, why not try to round out the roster with players who will help you win the games in other ways (ie. with defense or grit)?
Coach Travis
Back2Back!!!
I suppose I can just agree to disagree. Looks like Drapper will be on the team (according to TSN) so I'll have to live with it. I think whether he's on the team or not, Canada wins gold, IMO. I really think it will be a non-factor whether it's Spezza or Drapper as far as medal hopes are concerned.
Perhaps I'm over confident in Team Canada.
Perhaps I'm over confident in Team Canada.
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