Is Canada a wagon at WJC this year?

[jj cale]

All I'm saying.. Czechs eliminated Canada last year. Fought them to OT and a silver medal the year before. Meanwhile, the age groups represented here saw the Czechs and Canada battle for gold at the hlinka back to back summers. Both 2-1 games.

Not one mention of the Czechs as competition? You people make me sick.lol.

Sweden also looks very good and a guy like ASP seems poised to have a good tourney. US look very good as well.

Agree Finn's are looking to have a weak year.. so expect them to win it.lmao

Don't get too comfortable with that CB.

You;ve had your fun and no one here was as happy as me to see you have it..............but the parties over.

Big Moose train incoming and the Czechs are on the track.

 

[Czechboy]

Don't get too comfortable with that CB.

You;ve had your fun and no one here was as happy as me to see you have it..............but the parties over.

Big Moose train incoming and the Czechs are on the track.

What if I told you our next 3 teams all look pretty good?

Dawn of a new era big moose!

Beating Canada for gold in Ottawa will be glorious lmao

I'll see myself out!

 

[jj cale]

What if I told you our next 3 teams all look pretty good?

Dawn of a new era big moose!

Beating Canada for gold in Ottawa will be glorious lmao

I'll see myself out!

We're on a collision course

Mark that game on the calendar ladies and gentlemen.

 

[Czechboy]

We're on a collision course

Mark that game on the calendar ladies and gentlemen.

This is out house now!

 

[Leviathan899]

I think you might have forgotten 1 pretty good forward in particular. There some northern rivalry between Yellowknife and Whitehorse or what lol
Team looks pretty average on the whole to me. Not a wagon year, not a down year. Normal average year.
Bjarnason should be one of the goalies i think. On talent Ravensbergen, but he's 17 and hasn't had the greatest start to the season so far.

There’s no country that can touch Canada on paper this year, and it’s not particularly close imo. Who knows how it’ll play out, but they’re heavy favourites as of now I’d say.

What have guys like Barlow or Boisvert (an 06) done to be considered ahead of guys like Cataford?

This isn’t a glamour competition about “highest upside NHL prospect”.

Cataford and Gauthier as experienced 05’s with some role versatility and who are absolutely dominating similar aged junior competition absolutely deserve consideration.

I’m a Barlow fan, but I’d be taking Gauthier and Cataford, and Barkey as well before him. Gauthier is a near lock imo. I’d be surprised if Nadeau isn’t given a long look as well.

 

[Leviathan899]

Boisvert already played for team Canada at the U-17 and is a top line player at North Dakota at 18.

North Dakota stinks though. I’d say Boisvert is a real long shot at this point. Was cut from the Hlinka team as well. He’s good but I’d take an 05 ahead of him for sure.

Cataford was a 3rd round pick which is really good. It's not some draft position bias. We're not talking about some undrafted player nobody knew about.

Hockey Canada has a strong preference for selecting players who played previously in the Ivan Hlinka and the U-17. Cataford has never played at those tournaments.

I'm sure Cataford will be invited but he will have to be head and shoulders above someone who already has the history with Hockey Canada to make the team.

Yes, he has. Cataford was on the Hlinka team for the 05’s. I’d bet a good chunk of that roster makes up this team, with some 06’s like Catton, Martone, Sennecke, Lindstrom, Beaudoin, Spence to challenge for spots.

 

[Leviathan899]

Barkey and Nadeau should make it. Both looked solid at the WJSS and Barkey is strong defensively. I get that finishing was a problem last year but there needs to be a balanced lineup with defined roles the kids excel in. Celebrini would have been an option but no way after his injury.

Heidt should be the 1C or 2C and run one of the PPs. I think Canada will likely lean on the 2005s more and less on the 2025 draft prospects. I think Catton, Iginla, Luchanko, and Sennecke make it, with Hage replacing Luchanko is he isn't released; Letourneau, Greentree, Boisvert, Lindstrom shouldn't. Don't think Misa makes it either. Martone didn't look good against the US at the WJSS so maybe they leave him off as well. Malcolm Spence did and he's an elite PK'er, so no surprise if he's added to a fourth line.

On defense, Danford and Brunicke likely miss the cut. Need one of Caden Price, Quinton Burns, or Andrew Gibson there. Chances are, the USA will have a crash line hitting everything in sight and Canada needs to stand up to it. That's where Beaudoin comes in to help. Vincent Collard may also be a consideration.

I think this is the final pool they'll be considering:

Cowan-Heidt-Barkey
Iginla-Yager-Rehkopf
Cristall-Luchanko/Hage-Sennecke
Barlow-Catton/Cataford-Wood
Nadeau-Beaudoin-Collard

Dickinson-Bonk
Molendyk-Yakemchuk/Parekh
Price-Gibson/Akey
Burns

Bjarnasson-George-Ratzlaff-Ivankovic. Don't think Ravensbergen will be a serious candidate this year.

On paper, the Americans have the better goalies, more physical shutdown defenders, and the better top line. If Will Smith is released, that bumps Hagens to 2C with Musty and Eiserman. My issue with Canada's defense that you listed is that there are too many playmakers. It looks like Team USA will have one physical shutdown option with each puck rusher and in theory can former two nasty PK duos with Schulz-McCarthy or Fortescue-Emery

Perreault-Smith-Leonard and Eiserman-Hagens-Musty with Augustine in goal by itself is strong enough to run the table to gold.

Price is a near lock as well IMO. Was excellent at the Hlinka with this age group and he’s a talented two way guy. Danford ahead of Brunicke for sure, but both probably not making it until next year. Although Danford is an elite defender and PK guy. One under the radar guy to keep an eye on is Luca Marrelli. Great start to the season in Oshawa at both ends of the ice. I think Barkey makes the team for sure as well, was one of their go to PK guys at the Hlinka for the 05’s, and he has skill and can score too. Would love to see Buffalo do something smart for once and send Benson here to regain some confidence, playing for a terrible Buffalo team two years in a row is tough on a young kid. Cal Ritchie will be here as well imo, he’ll be back in Oshawa in a bit I think.

 

[Leviathan899]

Yeah you’re not wrong, I shouldn’t say lock. That’s a strong word in this context. Sennecke had a slow couple first games but he was absolutely dominant and dynamic vs Saginaw the other night. If that’s how he keeps playing, it’ll be hard to keep him off. I know Cameron is a no nonsense type of coach though, and if there’s one knock on Sennecke for me it’s his tendency to over handle the puck and ill timed turnovers, which with so much talent to choose from, he may opt for a more “safe” option. I’d give Martone about a 90% chance of making this team, but yeah not a lock right now.

I know it's your take and not what TC is thinking but those first two are definitely not locks, a lot closer to bubble guys fighting for spots. Canada's forward depth is pretty insane this cycle.

 

[lanky]

Best chance for Barlow to make the team is for Barlow - Ritchie - Sennecke to become a dominant line in Oshawa.

 

[moropanov]

Canada in this age group propably has best roster, but not in its own class Usa is also potential champion level team sweden is third gold contender those three teams are clearly top 3. Finland and Czech 4-5 interchangeable in advance they could get bronze but gold seems utopistic. Slovakia Switzerland Germany are next tier medal seems farfetched but not impossible to get to semi final...