WC: Latvia Roster Talk 2023

[Namejs]

Visited NHL recently? He's one of the worst goalies in the NHL this season. .880 SV% .45ft in the league. Worst of all goalies for GAA with 4.10. If that is bounced back, good luck.

Either your English is so bad you're not able to understand the words I'm saying or you're just not very good with numbers and logic.

In any case, discussing this with you is a pointless exercise.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Either your English is so bad you're not able to understand the words I'm saying or you're just not very good with numbers and logic.

Imagine writing this while pulling "numbers" out of the ass You might just want to repost my previous post @Nikolajs Sillers , pretty sure this genius has me blocked. Too bad with numbers

 

[Eye of Ra]

Either your English is so bad you're not able to understand the words I'm saying or you're just not very good with numbers and logic.

In any case, discussing this with you is a pointless exercise.

Agreed.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

Either your English is so bad you're not able to understand the words I'm saying or you're just not very good with numbers and logic.

In any case, discussing this with you is a pointless exercise.

Dude, chill. All I 'm saying is that Merzlikins is not very good this year. If you think otherwise, good on you. Have a nice day.

 

[SoundAndFury]

He hasn't been very good for almost 2 years now, last year's WC was the best example. He just seems mentally out of it, maybe the Kivelnieks tragedy impacted him so much, or maybe it's something else. But saying "nothing is wrong, he's back" when he is still posting sub-.900 Sv% and now left the team altogether for whatever reason, is just... Ignorant? For lack of a better term?

 

[Namejs]

Imagine writing this while pulling "numbers" out of the ass You might just want to repost my previous post @Nikolajs Sillers , pretty sure this genius has me blocked. Too bad with numbers

These have not been weighed correctly, so very minor discrepancies can be possible, since I don't have the free time to spoon-feed a couple of numerically illiterate people online to make a point that could go through a peer-reviewed journal.

 

[Namejs]

And to make an argument that a goalies showing at a short tournament spanning 5 games is indicative of, well, anything just shows a complete lack of understanding of how to understand and read data.

The difference between an elite NHL goalie and a mediocre one is <2% in terms of SVS%. That is the difference of a forward scoring 100 points or 102 points.

You simply do not get it.

One does not look at said forward's point tally in a World Championship that lasts 5 games to tell if he's better compared to the other guy.

I have very few hopes of you finally grasping this very simple simple concept, though.

 

[SoundAndFury]

These have not been weighed correctly, so very minor discrepancies can be possible

How about instead of having to "weight it correctly" you go to the site with official stats, here is a couple of links for you:

Elvis Merzlikins 2024-25 Stats per Game - NHL - ESPN

The 2024-25 NHL season stats per game for Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets on ESPN. Includes full stats, per opponent, for regular and postseason.

www.espn.com

Elvis Merzlikins Stats And News

Get all the latest stats, news, videos, and more on Elvis Merzlikins.

www.nhl.com

Sv% in March .891, Sv% in 2023 .893

So nice drawings bruh

And to make an argument that a goalies showing at a short tournament spanning 5 games is indicative of, well, anything just shows a complete lack of understanding of how to understand and read data.

Am I the one insisting on ignoring his 30 NHL games this season or is it you? I'm not basing my opinion on 5 games, I'm saying those 5 games were the epitome of what's been going on with him for almost 2 years now. You are the one insisting "nothing is wrong, Elvis is back" based on 5 games in February when he wasn't god awful.

Elvis has .898 Sv% OVER THE LAST 2 SEASONS. Is that good? How is that for a sample size? And you are here teaching us... Draw some more pictures of how it turns into 91,26 please, I love people drawing mountains.

 

[Namejs]

I have no idea what sort of a mental illness you have, might be BPD, but you clearly are not willing to engage in a discussion, to hear other people's views and interpret and analyze new information that enters your brain. You are extremely annoying, argumentative, contrarian and talking with you is less pleasant than going to a dentist.

The point made was that Silovs is a better goaltender and that something is currently wrong with Elvis.

I made a simple, testable argument that Elvis has immensely improved after a very rough start to the season and that Silovs is by no means the better goaltender based on solid data. I never told Elvis has been a good NHL goaltender in 2023. Silovs is a below average AHL goalie. That is what I was comparing him with.

I provided the data, you decided to cling on to something I explained very clearly, yet you decided to split hairs over it and dwell on it.

I see no reason to continue wasting my precious time on you, as you are unable or unwilling to understand what is being told.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I see no reason to continue wasting my precious time on you, as you are unable or unwilling to understand what is being told.

Yeah, imagine continuously providing "data" that in this case was just flat-out wrong and people having an issue with it... That's not "different views", that's lying. Or skewing reality, at the very least. And you want to be the smartest person in the room so bad you can't even acknowledge your original statement was false, you would rather backtrack into "I never told" territory a million times.

Also amazing, that you go on these tangents regarding Merzlikins but Silovs, at 21, is unmovably stuck at being "below average AHL goalie" and this opinion isn't being challenged nor could it be wrong in your mind. Someone like Georgiyev has .904 career Sv% in the AHL. Imagine realizing it's not be all end all. But at least in his case you are just terrible at interpreting data (which is nothing new), not just providing false one like with Elvis.

For your information, which I do not doubt you don't know nor you cared, in addition to his stint in the NHL, Silovs is .920 in the AHL in 2023. That's 18 games. But surely it means nothing, we should only care about Elvis' recent stats, or stats in 2023, or recovering from the bad start or whatever. When it comes to 21 yo prospect, that means nothing, mediocre AHLer for life.

But you know, it's us who have problems accepting other opinions, not you degrading to statements like "Either your English is so bad you're not able to understand the words I'm saying or you're just not very good with numbers and logic" after your claims get challenged. I wonder why other people are unpleasant to you, truly weird, such a nice, non-confrontational guy.

 

[GX]

53 player candidates list has been announced - it is updated in the original post. Like other years, will do my best to keep the camp roster in the original post up-to-date.

In other news, Arturs Irbe and Lauris Darzins join the coaching staff for the Latvian team. Also, first major tournament for Petteri Nummelin as Latvia's assistant coach.

 

[Dofs]

Looking at the list, would add some other comments:
The era of Džeriņš in Team Latvia is officially over. Wonder if he will also claim that he "retired" from the team? It's a bit trendy to do when you don't make it anymore.
I see a lot of defensmen from NCAA and none of the forwards. But it would be interesting to check guys like Marcinkēvičs or Prohorenkovs, they definitely have the stats for the call.
Picking Anžāns over Zemgale's Brants or Goršanovs is also kinda surprising given that both are more successful than him in the same league.

But anyway, neither of whom I've mentioned would have made the final team, so whatever.

EDIT: Omg, I totally missed Džeriņš, he is there after all

 

[SoundAndFury]

I see a lot of defensmen from NCAA and none of the forwards. But it would be interesting to check guys like Marcinkēvičs or Prohorenkovs, they definitely have the stats for the call.

I suppose it boils down to NCAA Ds having a semi-realistic chance to make the team in case of declines injuries and forward depth is just that much better.

None of the forwards playing in France being even on this extended list is a bit odd.

 

[Lartsaman]

I´ll make my roster projection:

Girgensons - Abols - Indrasis
Kenins - Smirnovs - Daugavins
Ri.Bukarts - Dzerins - Krastenbergs
Ro.Bukarts - Batna - Ansons
Tralmaks, Veinbergs

Rubins - Balinskis
Zile - Jaks
Ozols - Cibulskis
Cukste - Mamcics

Merzlikins - Silovs - Grigals

 

[hypereconomist]

Rubins probably won't be available. The Calgary Wranglers are #1 in the AHL and primed to go on a long playoff run

 

[PanniniClaus]

I´ll make my roster projection:

Girgensons - Abols - Indrasis
Kenins - Smirnovs - Daugavins
Ri.Bukarts - Dzerins - Krastenbergs
Ro.Bukarts - Batna - Ansons
Tralmaks, Veinbergs

Rubins - Balinskis
Zile - Jaks
Ozols - Cibulskis
Cukste - Mamcics

Merzlikins - Silovs - Grigals

This team badly needs an injection of offense... They are professional enough on the defense side of the puck to keep things close but they don't even have enough forward talent for a decent powerplay... I like Jaks..

 

[SoundAndFury]

I´ll make my roster projection:

Girgensons - Abols - Indrasis
Kenins - Smirnovs - Daugavins
Ri.Bukarts - Dzerins - Krastenbergs
Ro.Bukarts - Batna - Ansons
Tralmaks, Veinbergs

Some odd choices.

1) No way Dzierkals doesn't make it unless you know something we don't regarding his health/etc.
2) Smirnovs as a legitimate 2C would be a tragedy. Whatever steps have to be taken to not let that happen - play Girgensons, Daugavins or Indrasis at center - it has to be done. Especially considering the god-awful center depth further down as well.
3) Kinda connected to the 2nd point but winger depth is still a relative strength. You don't give the corpse of Andris Dzerins, who is at this point a 3rd line center in the Danish league, at the very fringes of professional hockey, regular minutes while perfectly good Tralmaks in his prime just chills on your bench.

Overall, obviously having Balcers and Blugers would go a long way. The center situation needs to be figured out, I personally would prefer seeing Girgensons center the 2nd line, he is a natural center after all, Smirnovs there is definitely not an option. It's probably also the time to move Kenins to the checking line and acknowledge the fact at this point Roberts Bukarts is probably the 2nd best offensive forward and play him accordingly.

Makes me wish Darznis came back from retirement. Kinda sad, not gonna lie But also like I've said before, I don't think Balcers playing is that unlikely.

 

[Vikz]

Some odd choices.

Yeah. Kenins and Dzerins have no businees being anywhere besides the 4th line. Even then I would go for more energetic younger guys. Andersons, Egle and Lapinskis will definitely be in the conversation - our coach sure loves some swiss guys.

Both Krastenbergs and Ri. Bukarts might be moved to top lines. They both had fantastic tournaments previously. Too bad they could not convert it in to more successful carreers. But they easily can complement guys like Abols and Daugavins and you wont have an impression that only two guys out of three on a line can do something. Never liked Ro. Bukarts, but he always proves me wrong. A top guy in the Czech league is certainly top line material in this roster.

Ansons and Veinbergs are too young. Ansons might turn in to a Blueger-light type of player, but it should take few more years at best. Veinbers, despite all the praise that "he is doing things right", will never be anything more than a fourth liner on any team even in his prime. I hope that there will be enough interest from guys to play in the home tournament, so that we wont have to resort to playing a guy who, as an overager, has a mediocre season in not even the best junior league.

 

[Elvs]

Can Guntis Galvins make a comeback please?

It's tradition that Sweden should play Latvia in the first game, and Guntis Galvins is playing. Withous this, the world championships will never feel whole again.

 

[GX]

Hadn't noticed that Veinbergs hasn't even made the 50+ candidates list for the NT. So, not only is he not going to the WC, he won't be at the camp either.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Roberts Bukarts missing 2nd game with an injury, hopefully nothing too bad.

 

[wmupreds]

Balcers is finally starting to heat up in AHL. Not only is Syracuse in a playoff position but it's hard to imagine TBL wouldn't want him around as a black ace/callup for as long as their run lasts.

 

[tobu]

Latvia - Ukraine friendly 1-10
1) What

 

[Eye of Ra]

Latvia - Ukraine friendly 1-10
1) What

wtf

 

[GX]

That's Latvian club national team. So, consisting of Latvian league semi-pros.

In more relevant news, no Merzlikins and Girgensons this spring. Both refusals sort of expected. I mean, Girgensons had promised to come, which was a surprise for many.