World Cup: Four Nations Tournament-Team Canada

[PanniniClaus]

Seems like a long way away from the tourney to "tend to an ailment". I guess we will see how many games he misses before the tourney begins.

I assume notes will be taken for Milano 26 as well.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

Doughty, Tanev, or Weegar

 

[Suntouchable13]

More players should withdraw from this joke tournament.

 

[centipede2233]

Doughty, Tanev, or Weegar

I vote for weegar.

 

[Lumber]

I also have no interest in this tournament. Happy if the NHL loses its shirt on this one.

 

[centipede2233]

There should be a team mishmash made up of Germany, Slovakia, Czech, and left off Canadians.

 

[Matty Sundin]

I can expect a floodgates of withdrawals happening.

 

[hockey20000]

players are starting to drop out lol. i am s till excited cause i like international hockey and wish there was more international games but yea not looking good

 

[Riggins]

I hope half of every roster pulls out of this thing. Lol

 

[GhostfaceWu]

it seems so stupid for the two best goalies from canada this year Kuemper/Thompson didn't sniff this team while every goalie selected has a sv percentage worse than .905

 

[Brett44]

it seems so stupid for the two best goalies from canada this year Kuemper/Thompson didn't sniff this team while every goalie selected has a sv percentage worse than .905

Binnigton .898 Thompson .925
Hill .903 Kuemper .922
Montembeault .899 Blackwood . 916

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I can expect a floodgates of withdrawals happening.

Yeah, I kind of have the same feeling. It might make some teams better actually. Like, as an American I wouldn't mind if Kreider in particular pulls out.

 

[Magic Mittens]

Doughty, Tanev, or Weegar

Weegar would be good, I also thought about Thomas Harley

 

[HFpapi]

I can expect a floodgates of withdrawals happening.

Me too unfortunately.

People can say what they want but I'm excited for this tournament. Will suck if big stars start pulling out just to heal minor but nagging injuries.

Plays the wrong side (I think) but wonder if Vince Dunn gets a look to replace Pietrangelo.

 

[Thechozen1]

Wow! Huge blow to Canada’s PK. I suspect Weegar as he can fill a versatile role similar to Pietrangelo.

Don’t think it will be Bouchard, Hamilton or another offensively inclined guy.

Weeger would be my choice.

 

[Regal]

I can expect a floodgates of withdrawals happening.

I doubt it will be that many. As much as I don’t think the players are overly invested here, most players still show up when asked to these things. I don’t remember a lot of players missing the last World Cup despite the gimmicky nature of the teams. And I think most players also care about the Olympics and skipping out here might affect their selections on those teams.

 

[DJJones]

If Tanev got in over Weegar that would be outrageous.

Love Tanev but he's clearly not on the same level as Weegar. That would be the most Toronto biased thing I'd ever seen

 

[PanniniClaus]

I am a Leaf fan... Love Tanev... He should not be on a short list for this.

 

[David71]

no zack hyman is a complete dumb decision. he and mcdavid have chemistry. better choice than sam benett. how come matt duchense wasnt considered?

 

[Bounces R Way]

Most of you haven't watched Sam Bennett play for your team before so I can excuse your skepticism. Cooper knows. He knows Sam is a pitbull of a hockey player. Excellent on the boards, softens up defense pairings, and really quite good at transporting the puck through the NZ. Tons of net drive and can have the other team hearing footsteps with his aggressive physical speed. Responsible positionally and anticipates well defensively.

This is an ideal 4th line limited ice time player in a short tournament such as this. Generating offense is not going to be a problem for the top of this lineup. Makes their jobs a little easier when they take an OZ draw following an icing forced by a guy like Bennett bearing down on some poor tired defenseman who was just looking to make a simple outlet but instead got images of this crazy bearded f***er about to commit a war crime. And that little easier, those small margins are where are a contest with this many great players and four great teams is going to be won or lost.

 

[Channelcat]

Might makes just to add the partner of one of the existing roster d. Like Dylan Demelo to play with Morrissey for example.

 

[Nucks2001]

Most of you haven't watched Sam Bennett play for your team before so I can excuse your skepticism. Cooper knows. He knows Sam is a pitbull of a hockey player. Excellent on the boards, softens up defense pairings, and really quite good at transporting the puck through the NZ. Tons of net drive and can have the other team hearing footsteps with his aggressive physical speed. Responsible positionally and anticipates well defensively.

This is an ideal 4th line limited ice time player in a short tournament such as this. Generating offense is not going to be a problem for the top of this lineup. Makes their jobs a little easier when they take an OZ draw following an icing forced by a guy like Bennett bearing down on some poor tired defenseman who was just looking to make a simple outlet but instead got images of this crazy bearded f***er about to commit a war crime. And that little easier, those small margins are where are a contest with this many great players and four great teams is going to be won or lost.

What you described is the perfect player for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, not a best-on-best.
That being said, I could be completely wrong and Bennett might end up being the MVP of the tournament.

As of now, I stand with my statement that Sam Bennett is the worst pick for Team Canada at the 4-Nations

 

[Nucks2001]

Anxious to see who plays on McDavid’s LW. I think it’s a given that the Nova Scotia line will at least start the tournament out as Canada’s 2nd line.

Reinhart is likely the 1st line RW. I think Hagel could complement the 1st line well as the LW. Be the forechecker and puck retrieval guy while Reinhart focuses on getting in front of the net.

But don’t you want Hagel with Cirelli? A lot of questions. Excited to see what Cooper comes up with.

 

[Nucks2001]

Scheifele is certainly playing with a chip on his shoulder. If a forward replacement is needed and it’s not a checking role, I think it’s a lock to be his.

 

[Matty Sundin]

I doubt it will be that many. As much as I don’t think the players are overly invested here, most players still show up when asked to these things. I don’t remember a lot of players missing the last World Cup despite the gimmicky nature of the teams. And I think most players also care about the Olympics and skipping out here might affect their selections on those teams.

I can definitely see the being considered for Olympics being a reason to not pull out yes. I think the difference between the two gimmicks like World Cup and this is that the World Cup is that the World Cup usually starts before the season is almost like an intense training camp for players to get into game speed faster. The World Cup even though felt gimmicky, the hockey was still high level play.

I was never fan of international hockey starting in middle of season. I know with olmypics, they don’t have a choice but the olmypics still has that prestige that makes players wanna join. Most players have played 50+ and their bodies are starting to wear down and it might also put them out synch playing a team system all year with same team mates and now you gotta play high level hockey with different line mates in a short period of time and then go back to your team mates. I get why they might work through for the olmypics and a gimmick tourney like this in the middle of the season I can still see a lot players pulling out or the level hockey not soft like an all star but also probably intense like a pre season game. It’s just not an attractive option for players to take it serious.