Favourites for WJC 2007

[RUSqueelin*]

If they lose both Barker and Staal that means that Pot Luck will have to play top 4 minutes. Woe be to the team that has to experiance that...

Sorry, hate to break it to you but Pokulok is overage and won't be back next year. He is an absolute non factor.

The US can only wish they had the Canadian depth.

"Reload, not rebuild"

 

[Dominator13]

next year the Price will be right and here's to hoping that Latendresee if he goes back get's one major kick in the but and starts producing like he's capable of..

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Sweden may not have Bergfors who is either their best or second best player. Without him I think they have some trouble even though he was snake bitten this tourney.

 

[orangeandblack]

anyone care to make roster predictions. ill make a usa roster, i think kessel and ej will be back, but jj is gone. might have missed some, doing this off the top of my head.

forwards
kessel (87)
ryan (87)
skille (87)
gerbe (87)
mueller (88)
nick foligno (87)
pat kane (88)
ryan flynn (88)
justin mercier (87)
dan collins (87)
luke lynes (87)
kyle okposo (88)
mike forney (88)
(alts; vlad nikiforov, justin abdelkader, zach mcvoy, jimmy fraser, tim kraus, chad rau, trevor lewis, blake geoffrion, rhett rahkshani, jimmy o'brien, others)

defense
erik johnson (88)
mark mitera (87)
brian lee (87)
taylor chorney (87)
joey ryan (87)
bobby saguinetti (88)
michael sauer (87)
(alts; chris summers, zach jones, nigel williams, tim kunes, nick petrecki, brandon gentile, others)

goalies
frazee (87)
billy sauer (88)
(alts; connelly, palmer, conway)

 

[Nash]

Too bad Canada and USA are both in the same pool again next year thanks to their 4th place finish. They will likely both be considered the top 2 teams next year and one of them will have to take the long route to the final.

 

[Bloggins]

Looking forward to a Canada vs U.S.A. final. It'll be a nice change from having to mop up the soft Russian teams

 

[God Bless Canada]

Canada and the U.S. have to be considered the favourites. Canada will have potentially 12 players back. They won gold at the 2004 and 2005 Junior World Cup and silver at the WU18. The U.S. will have 11 players back, many of whom were part of the WU18 gold medal team in 2005, and more importantly, something to prove. Finland will be dangerous with Rask, Czechs have some very good talent 1987-born talent and you can't count out the Russians, even though 1987 was not kind to them.

Price should be the goaltender. Parent, Russell and Letang are back for sure on the blue line. Staal already has a contract with the Rangers, so I'd be surprised if he's back. Bourdon might be back, but he nearly stuck with the Canucks this year. If one of those two returns, Canada has the best defence in the tournament. If both are back, they'll be incredibly tough to stop. Marc-Edourd Vlasic was a 1987-born defenceman cut in camp. He has been dynamic offensively in the Q this year and has a chance next year. Haven't heard much about the 1988 Canadian-born defencemen, so I'm not sure if any will step forward and make the team next year.

Lots to like up front. Cogliano, Downie, Bertram, Latendresse, O'Marra, Pyatt and Toews will all be a year older and a year better. 2005 first rounders McCardle and Setoguchi would be good additions, too. Brule is eligible to play next year, but I doubt Columbus will release him. 2006-eligible players like Little, Brassard (who missed being eligible for 2005 by about a week), Sheppard and J. Staal will likely be there, along with 2007-eligible Angelo Esposito. It would not surprise me to see Jon Tavares there, either, even though he doesn't come up until 2009.

 

[Big Phil]

Personally I dont think John Tavares will be there next year. We'll have too stacked of a team already. Esposito is the likely 1st overall pick in '07 so he'll be there for sure, but Tavares is still too young. I think he'll be on the '08 and '09 teams which is his draft year.

Either way I can almost guarantee a berth in the gold medal game. I wont guarantee a gold medal cause you never know who is injured or stays with their NHL team.

 

[Yaroslav]

Canada without a doubt.

Yeah, agree..

P.S.:
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[gars59]

i think canada will win !

 

[xtra]

Brule is eligible to play next year, .

If this is true then wow...he would dominate the tourney.

Bourdon being made aval would depend on the canucks off season. if they sign a couple of dmen like a #3-4 then i would expect Bourdon to be back at the WJC's.

I think that Toews will be the most suprising forward of the 07 tourney as he would finish his chances that he just couldn't this year.

 

[hifk88]

Finland's roster might look something like this:

Tuukka Rask Ilves/Toronto (87)
Niko Hovinen Jokerit (88)
Riku Helenius Ilves (88)

Teemu Laakso HIFK (87)
Timo Seppänen HIFK (87)
Juho Mielonen Ilves (87)
Tommi Leinonen Kärpät (87)
Mikael Kurki Blues (87)
Joonas Lehtivuori Ilves (88)
Eetu Heikkinen Ässät (88)

Perttu Lindgren Ilves (87)
Jesse Joensuu Ässät/NHL (87)
Sami Sandell WHL (87)
Jonas Enlund HIFK (87)
Mikko Lehtonen Blues (87)
Teemu Ramstedt HIFK (87)
Leo Komarov Ässät (87)
Miika Lahti JYP (87)
Oskar Osala OHL (87)
Tommi Huhtala Ilves (87)
Ville Korhonen Ilves (87)
Robert Nyholm HIFK (88)
Joonas Kemppainen Ässät (88)