World Cup: Four Nations Tournament-Team Canada

[jj cale]

I'm a little concerned about Bedards production, especially goal scoring which was and is supposed to be his bread and butter. By this point he was supposed to be terrorizing goalies with his shot but thus far in his career he really hasn't.

Would like to see more, in fact there should be more. It's making me start to wonder a little bit.

 

[Nucks2001]

I'm a little concerned about Bedards production, especially goal scoring which was and is supposed to be his bread and butter. By this point he was supposed to be terrorizing goalies with his shot but thus far in his career he really hasn't.

Would like to see more, in fact there should be more. It's making me start to wonder a little bit.

I’m not worried one bit. When teams play the Blackhawks, it’s simple. Surround Bedard with 4 of your players and you win the game. I’m sure, you’ll see his production flourish when playing alongside someone who can give him that breathing room. As far as goalies go, every goalie I see has their eyes widen when they see Bedard. You can sense it and see it though their body language. Some of the goals he’s scored off his wrister, I have never seen before. Such a deceptive and accurate shot.

 

[jj cale]

I’m not worried one bit. When teams play the Blackhawks, it’s simple. Surround Bedard with 4 of your players and you win the game. I’m sure, you’ll see his production flourish when playing alongside someone who can give him that breathing room. As far as goalies go, every goalie I see has their eyes widen when they see Bedard. You can sense it and see it though their body language. Some of the goals he’s scored off his wrister, I have never seen before. Such a deceptive and accurate shot.

I hope you're right. I know teams get to focus on him because the Hawks still don't have much playing with him but you would think even with that he would still have more goals.

i mean..............it's what everyone talked about, Elite shot/goal scoring. Time to bring it I'd say, it's year 2.

 

[jj cale]

zeros across the board again for Bedard today.

Yep....he needs to pick it up, no excuses.

 

[Hint1k]

While as a Tampa fan I would like to see Cirelli on team Canada, I think some people here watch too much NHL.

There is no salary cap for national teams, therefore there is no such things as "shutdown players". You take the best players possible or you lose.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

While as a Tampa fan I would like to see Cirelli on team Canada, I think some people here watch too much NHL.

There is no salary cap for national teams, therefore there is no such things as "shutdown players". You take the best players possible or you lose.

People worry wayyyy too much about making a roster for a Stanley Cup run and not international play.

Giroux? cmon lol. Lets throw Perry out there with Tom Wilson as well.

 

[Sky04]

What an idiotic decision. With those first five picks the only thing you can do wrong is pick a player early who might not be good enough for the team when the time comes.

The only thinking involved is don’t pick players who might be on a decline. Of course you have dinosaur GM’s making the picks, so that’s what you get.

Marchand is not a pick worth crying over like you're doing. You're talking like he's useless lmao.

 

[JackSlater]

I believe that this team is supposed to be announced in less than a month but in my eyes there are still so many spots that should be open. Other than the players who are already named I think you have to include Reinhart, Bedard, and Lafreniere at forward plus Makar and Morrissey on defence. Other than that not a lot of guys are forcing their way onto the team or have the talent to project them onto a 2026 roster.

 

[Voight]

While as a Tampa fan I would like to see Cirelli on team Canada, I think some people here watch too much NHL.

There is no salary cap for national teams, therefore there is no such things as "shutdown players". You take the best players possible or you lose.

Bobby Clarke would agree with you

 

[Regal]

While as a Tampa fan I would like to see Cirelli on team Canada, I think some people here watch too much NHL.

There is no salary cap for national teams, therefore there is no such things as "shutdown players". You take the best players possible or you lose.

I think it’s something to consider when it comes to guys who are still top liners, like Toews or Mike Richards in the past, but I agree it’s not ideal when talking about guys who are more middle 6 types in the NHL.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Marchand is not a pick worth crying over like you're doing. You're talking like he's useless lmao.

We’re talking about who the right picks are.

Marchand is a questionable pick. If you are a questionable pick, you shouldn’t have been in the first group named. The only thing you could’ve done wrong at that time is name players you aren’t sure if six months on deserve to be picked. There are plenty of players you were sure of are on the team at the time and now. Picking Marchand is listening too much to the PR staff.

 

[jj cale]

We’re talking about who the right picks are.

Marchand is a questionable pick. If you are a questionable pick, you shouldn’t have been in the first group named. The only thing you could’ve done wrong at that time is name players you aren’t sure if six months on deserve to be picked. There are plenty of players you were sure of are on the team at the time and now. Picking Marchand is listening too much to the PR staff.

He shouldn't have been one of the first group named at this stag of his career but I'm not overly worried about it really, we have bigger problems.

He will be a factor and get his licks in one way or another, he's just that type of player. He's a guy teams don't want to underestimate.

 

[JackSlater]

I think it’s something to consider when it comes to guys who are still top liners, like Toews or Mike Richards in the past, but I agree it’s not ideal when talking about guys who are more middle 6 types in the NHL.

Yeah this is a problem stemming from Canada's lack of depth now. In the past Canada could just name a number one centre who was elite defensively. Toews last decade, who would have been succeed by Couturier/O'Reilly had the 2018 and 2022 Olympic tournaments been worthwhile, all the way back to Clarke when Canada started sending best on best rosters. There isn't one of those guys anymore. The lack of a Benn/Iginla replacement is why they are likely taking a serious look at Wilson. Good teams are versatile so it is nice to have variety, but you can't force it if the talent isn't there. If anything Mark Stone is probably the big winner and looks to have strong odds to make this team if he is healthy.

In terms of variety among centres Canada has McDavid and MacKinnon, both elite skaters but they are the two best centres in the sport so variety doesn't matter all that much. Crosby brings a very different style of play, which is a plus. There is no first line calibre centre who is elite defensively though.

We’re talking about who the right picks are.

Marchand is a questionable pick. If you are a questionable pick, you shouldn’t have been in the first group named. The only thing you could’ve done wrong at that time is name players you aren’t sure if six months on deserve to be picked. There are plenty of players you were sure of are on the team at the time and now. Picking Marchand is listening too much to the PR staff.

It was clearly a mistake to name him in the first six. I blame Sweeney. In retrospect the best choice in that spot would have been Morrissey, who was always going to make this team. I do think that Marchand can be effective at this event in the right role but there were safer players to pick.

 

[Regal]

He shouldn't have been one of the first group named at this stag of his career but I'm not overly worried about it really, we have bigger problems.

He will be a factor and get his licks in one way or another, he's just that type of player. He's a guy teams don't want to underestimate.

If nothing else he’s still a pretty elite PKer and can piss off the competition. But he probably won’t get the offensive role he would have a couple years ago

 

[Nucks2001]

With 1 month of hockey, these are the clear locks in my opinion:

FORWARDS
Mitch Marner
Sam Reinhart
Mark Stone

DEFENCE
Morrissey
Toews

This leaves Canada with their entire right side covered if you decide to move MacKinnon or Point to the RW. Canada’s left side was the one that was most wide-open. I think Laf has done a good enough job to be near a lock on LW. Aside from that, it’s wide open for the last 2 spots. Hagel, Hyman, Verhaege or Konecny’s jobs. If they chose to bring a center to fill those spots on LW then ROR, Cirelli, Barzal, Scheifele, Stamkos, and Johnston are all in the conversation. Bedard is very near a lock, management still probably has some questions regarding him, that’s why I didn’t include him with the other 3. He’ll be there though, no doubt.

Defensively, I don’t see how Canada leaves off Toews and Morrissey. From there, it really depends on what management is looking for. Could go either way with good or bad decisions. I will say that both Theodore and Pietrangelo have made it very HARD for Canada to leave them off the roster. Will be interesting to see if their play is sustainable this next month.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Leaving Bédard off for Stamkos is… a choice

 

[amnesiac]

View attachment 926153
Leaving Bédard off for Stamkos is… a choice

Bedard, Thomas, Bouchard > Marchand, Hyman, Theodore

 

[jj cale]

People just can't leave Zach Hyman off can they?

 

[Plastic Joseph]

Barzal starting out with 5 pts in 10 gp and now he's out 4-6 weeks, I don't think he makes it.

 

[JackSlater]

People just can't leave Zach Hyman off can they?

I think a lot of people wrote him in as a lock after his obvious outlier year but yeah... it's surprising that he remains stapled to McDavid in so many projections. Obviously just like he is not as good as his numbers last year, he is certainly better than his numbers this year. I like Hyman as a versatile option and all and he may still make the team but clearly the guy is not forcing his way onto the team.

I'm more curious to see what he does now with McDavid out, because I was never interested in seeing him stapled to McDavid's left side.

 

[jj cale]

I think a lot of people wrote him in as a lock after his obvious outlier year but yeah... it's surprising that he remains stapled to McDavid in so many projections. Obviously just like he is not as good as his numbers last year, he is certainly better than his numbers this year. I like Hyman as a versatile option and all and he may still make the team but clearly the guy is not forcing his way onto the team.

I'm more curious to see what he does now with McDavid out, because I was never interested in seeing him stapled to McDavid's left side.

Yep, we will see just how deserved his so called spot on this team is now.

I'm of the same mind as you, I like Zach, solid hockey player who is versatile............but a lock for a best on best Team Canada caliber type player he doesn't strike you as being.

 

[Nucks2001]

View attachment 926153
Leaving Bédard off for Stamkos is… a choice

Several head scratchers:
I don’t think Barzal makes it with his injury and inconsistent play.

Scheifele’s had a great start to the season, but he’s not the type player I want in a 4th line role. Ideally, if Thomas is healthy, he’d be my 4th line option. If not, then Suzuki or ROR instead of Scheifele.

Bedard should definetly be in there instead of Stamkos.

Wyatt Johnston deserves a mention. He should be on here as the extra. He can fill the one-timer role on the 2nd PP instead of Stamkos and plays such a mature game for his age.

 

[Voight]

The Athletics projected roster -

I dont think Johnston, Bennett, Suzuki should be there over guys like Scheifele, Kyrou and Robert Thomas.. to name a few.

 

[Nucks2001]

The Athletics projected roster -

View attachment 926294

I dont think Johnston, Bennett, Suzuki should be there over guys like Scheifele, Kyrou and Robert Thomas.. to name a few.

I would love to see Robert Thomas as well. Huge Rob Thom guy. Has not been a single mock roster of mine that's left him off and he's the obvious choice for 4th line center. With that being said, if he's injured, the next closest thing to his replacement would be Suzuki.

With Barzal and Thomas out, I wouldn't mind Scheifele as a winger for some added offence. I just don't want him as my 4th line center.

Couldn't agree more with Sam Bennett. He just doesn't belong there.

I have Johnston over Kyrou for the same reasons as Suzuki. I trust Johnston more with the puck and he fills the shooting role that Kyrou would provide. Additionally, we don't know what Johnston's ceiling is yet and I would like to see him groomed by Hockey Canada.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

I believe that this team is supposed to be announced in less than a month but in my eyes there are still so many spots that should be open. Other than the players who are already named I think you have to include Reinhart, Bedard, and Lafreniere at forward plus Makar and Morrissey on defence. Other than that not a lot of guys are forcing their way onto the team or have the talent to project them onto a 2026 roster.

Makar was one of the first 6 players named to the team.

He was the only defenseman named, in fact.