World Cup: Four Nations Tournament-Team Canada

[JackSlater]

I'm not trying to build an all-star team. Trying to build a team to win a short tournament on NA sized ice. Familiarity, defined roles for players and lines, etc. Trying to stay away from too much shifting guys to their off-wing or centers playing wing. It's unavoidable to a certain degree but I'd like to mitigate it. Canada has too many centers and too many high-end scoring right shot forwards. I can't take them all. Hench a guy like Lafreniere gets a nod due to the lack of high-end left-shot wingers. He can compliment a goal scoring C in Point with the play driving RW Marner. Brings a straight-line game and a bit of size and physicality to boot. Has already has success for Canada in international competition.

If you want to flip-flop Reinhart and MacKinnon fine, I'm good either way. McDavid is used to a right-shot on his LW so you get that with Reinhart or MacKinnon. I felt having the pure shooter in Reinhart on his off-wing would be better but that might be splitting hairs.

Crosby's line is your shutdown line, 4th line role is clearly defined. I took Duchene as he can play all 3 forward positions.

There might be better RD than Parayko but you can't have all skill back there on D. He's one of the best shut-down defenders in the league, should compliment Morrisey well. They can go up against any line. Weegar gets the nod as the spare D as he's a rare commodity in that he's a right-shot who can play both sides. Pairs of Toews-Makar and Theodore-Pietrangelo should be able to hit the ground running in Game 1 the chemistry/familiarity is already there. You don't have time in a tournament this short to figure everything out. You need the team ready right from the start. You go with just the 13 best forwards and 7 best D and by the time you get everyone in their correct place, your tournament might already be over.

I don't like any of the choices in net but I'll take two guys with cups and the other guy is comfortable playing at the Bell Centre which can be a tough place to play.

A lot of people just pick a bunch of players without consideration to how they would play or function as a team. Credit for actually thinking things through.

 

[JackSlater]

With around a week left before the team comes out I'm pretty set on most of the skaters. Obviously included the players already named to the team I am set on

Forwards: McDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby, Point, Marchand, Reinhart, Marner, Stone, Point, Konecny, Thomas, Bedard

Defencemen: Makar, Morrissey, Pietrangelo, Theodore, Toews

That leaves only one forward spot, someone to play LW, and two defencemen, one of whom at least would be a penalty killer.

 

[PanniniClaus]

I don't know what you can't grasp. It is pathetic that Canada does not have even one elite goaltender to select. It is a random quirk that Daccord, born and raised in the United States, happens to have Canadian citizenship through a parent and Canada should pick a goaltender that Canada actually produced rather than hoping to be selected by the likes of Joey Daccord. Canada's goaltending has been a problem for a long time and while the interest in Daccord indicates how significant it is, selecting him or not won't make it less obvious.

I think we can all grasp it... it's been staring us in the face for a long time. Still need to choose three and go play. I am not sure why you are so hung up on it... should we just recuse ourselves from the event? We have a goaltending problem so we feel it best if the Czechs take our place.