Olympics: Team Canada 2022, Part III

[Regal]

Pietrangelo is literally first in the league in high danger scoring chances against, ten more expected goals against than Nurse in 15 more minutes of icetime.

Unless you think Theodore + Stone + Pacioretty + Lehner is worse defensively than Barrie + McDrai + Koskinen...

Pietrangelo has been not very good this year.

Same goes with Pelech who has more High Danger Scoring chances against and more expected goals against than Nurse in the same 5 on 5 playing time playing behind NYI instead of EDM.

The Islanders have been poor as a whole so raw numbers shouldn’t matter as much. Pelech’s regression numbers are still very strong this year and regardless, we already know what he is. He’s clearly better defensively than Nurse. Though they would fill different roles, so I’m not sure they’re directly competing for a spot.

Pietrangelo has been poor, but he’s already named to the team, and his track record is generally much better anyway so he’ll likely turn it around

 

[Regal]

My concern with Barzal is he doesn't seem to have taken that next step offensively this year. He's a tremendous puck carrier through the neutral zone, but he seems to be less effective than he should be when he's in the offensive zone.

I think this is why I’m not as sold on him either. I think he’s more valuable as a top line player on an NHL team where his transition ability is huge, but Canada will have no problems in transition and better players need the puck on their sticks. I don’t think he works as well as a complementary player, which is what his role would need to be

 

[JackSlater]

My concern with Barzal is he doesn't seem to have taken that next step offensively this year. He's a tremendous puck carrier through the neutral zone, but he seems to be less effective than he should be when he's in the offensive zone.

It's true, even accounting for the situation going on with his team. I do think that he could be an asset in transition on a more defensive line (at left wing) but I'm doubtful that he makes it at this point.

On the subject of Tavares, I think he has a reasonable chance of being selected. His speed (or lack thereof) is a concern, but he’s a very smart and effective player. Competent defensively, elite on the faceoff dot, can easily move to left wing (which is probably where he’d end up given our depth at center). Hard to see where he’d fit in in our lineup, as we don’t project to have a physical possession line that I think Tavares could complement effectively (he did good work on Getzlaf’s wing in 2016). I don’t think he really has the speed anymore to hang with McDavid or MacKinnon (and I think they could benefit from something a little different on their lines than what Tavares brings to the table), but a 4th line LW role with, say, Couturier or O’Reilly, and Stone or Marner wouldn’t be bad configuration.

Not 100% sure if he’d thrive in a 4th line role with limited ice time, but he’s a fairly low risk/high floor player.

I'd guess that Tavares is still in contention. At this point he's just a sort of underwhelming selection to me. You know what you're going to get but it's also not really anything different. I'd like to have seen what Tavares could have done at the 2018 Olympics had NHLers been there or at the 2019 IIHF wc if he hadn't been pulled by doctors. He didn't do much in his limited 2014 opportunity even though he was probably a top five forward in hockey at the time but I don't blame him much given that he was on Canada's afterthought fourth line.

 

[86Habs]

I think this is why I’m not as sold on him either. I think he’s more valuable as a top line player on an NHL team where his transition ability is huge, but Canada will have no problems in transition and better players need the puck on their sticks. I don’t think he works as well as a complementary player, which is what his role would need to be

I'm of the view that Barzal's highest and best use is as a spare forward/break glass in an emergency sort of player, though we would likely want someone with more center/wing versatility for that role. To my knowledge, Barzal has limited, if any, experience on the wing and for certain doesn't play a winger's game. If someone like McDavid or MacKinnon went down to injury though, Barzal would be an ideal replacement (in theory); however, I don't think burning a roster spot for that very specific scenario is worthwhile.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I think this is why I’m not as sold on him either. I think he’s more valuable as a top line player on an NHL team where his transition ability is huge, but Canada will have no problems in transition and better players need the puck on their sticks. I don’t think he works as well as a complementary player, which is what his role would need to be

I know it was an all-star game, so take it with a grain of salt. But I remember how good Barzal looked with Sid and Letang, largely because Barzal took care of the puck carrying through the neutral zone and gaining the offensive zone, then dished off to Sid to let Sid do what he does best in the offensive zone with cycling and puck protection.

Problem is it will require Barzal to be used in a specific role (ie. carry puck through neutral zone then dish off after entering O-zone) and, like you said, Canada's not lacking for players who can do that.

 

[alphahelix]

Are these guys the top “game score” players?

View attachment 485318

It seems quite a coincidence that most of the D-men are with their actual D partners. Kinda makes it seem like the stat has no ability to distinguish between individual contribution and team contribution, and is therefor completely useless.

 

[zeke]

Fairly amusing that people are discussing Dubois as a good selection and then in the very next post claiming that Tavares isn't.

Let go of your biases, people. It's silly.

 

[Zybalto]

Fairly amusing that people are discussing Dubois as a good selection and then in the very next post claiming that Tavares isn't.

Let go of your biases, people. It's silly.

Current top 5 point totals among the most popular Canadian forwards to make the team.

1. McDavid: 36
2. Marchand: 24
2. Stamkos:24
4. Tavares: 22
5. Huberdeau: 20

Just 5v5 this year:

1. McDavid: 14
1. Tavares: 14
3. Stamkos: 12
4. Marchand: 11
5. Huberdeau: 10

Add in the fact he's a top 3 faceoff guy in the league this year and he's certainly cementing a place in the lineup IMO.

 

[Folignos Helmet]

But why?

New Covid variant.
NHL games continue to get postponed.
Risk of players being quarantined for 3 weeks in China.

I would have thought we would have better then that overseas.

 

[Boonk]

Fairly amusing that people are discussing Dubois as a good selection and then in the very next post claiming that Tavares isn't.

Let go of your biases, people. It's silly.

I've always said that Tavares would probably make this team, he's in good graces with Hockey Canada. Hell, he was gonna go to the Worlds in 2019 but had to pull out due to injury. I'm sure that team would have loved to have him during that run in Slovakia.

 

[Regal]

I know it’s early and he’s coming off surgery and Covid, but what happens if Crosby doesn’t pick up his play this year? He’s been well below his standard from what I’ve seen. He’s on the team regardless, but if he doesn’t play well at the start, does he move down the lineup, or even out of it?

 

[Mathieukferland]

I know it’s early and he’s coming off surgery and Covid, but what happens if Crosby doesn’t pick up his play this year? He’s been well below his standard from what I’ve seen. He’s on the team regardless, but if he doesn’t play well at the start, does he move down the lineup, or even out of it?

5 points in his last 3, he seems to be getting going. I wouldn’t be too worried

 

[JackSlater]

I know it’s early and he’s coming off surgery and Covid, but what happens if Crosby doesn’t pick up his play this year? He’s been well below his standard from what I’ve seen. He’s on the team regardless, but if he doesn’t play well at the start, does he move down the lineup, or even out of it?

I don't think that Cooper has the standing to bench Crosby, nor do I think it would be worth the distraction. I've watched two of Crosby's games since he came back and he looked decent enough to warrant his spot.

 

[86Habs]

I thought Crosby was skating well last night. I mean, even if the offense isn't where we'd like it be, he'd still be an elite middle-six center for us. With Marchand and Bergeron on his wings, Cooper can give them responsibility for defensive zone starts and matching up against the opposition's top lines. You've got everything you'd want in a shutdown line with those three players. Let McDavid and MacKinnon concentrate on generating offense.

 

[zodiacbiller]

I don't think Jamie Benn's mother even expects him to make the Canadian Olympic team at this point.



Acknowledging that there is about a month of hockey remaining until the roster is announced, we should want to select players who are playing well. Scheifele is not playing his best hockey right now, and Dubois is. While you would expect some reversion to the mean, Scheifele is probably in tough to make the team at this point (again, with a good amount of hockey left to play before selections are finalized). Additionally, Dubois has a good physical element that can provide balance on a lower line and in a more limited role, and he's a LHS, where we're not as deep as we are for RHS.

Physical element doesn't matter, and up front you're getting fairly physical play from O'Reilly, Couturier, Crosby, Marchand, Stone, etc. And it's not like Scheifele is a soft guy.

 

[zodiacbiller]

I probably mix it up a bit.

Crosby - McDavid - Stone
Benn - Mackinnon - Marner
Dubois - Bergeron - Marchand
Huberdeau - Couturier - O'Reilly
(Stamkos, Point, Barzal)

Adds some grit to every line, let's Canada play the traditionally Canadian hard forecheck style.

On D, I don't think you bring Pietrangelo at all.

I also probably bring Nurse instead of Pelech. Only argument before was fancy stats, but Nurse has him beat in that regard soundly this year. Higher xGF lower xGA, more actual goals, less actual goals against... Bigger, faster, etc.

Nurse has those numbers because of the time he plays with the Oilers' stars, dude. And Pietrangelo was already named to the team.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Not that I think he was under any serious consideration, but Weegar has been walked too many times for my taste this year. If he makes it he will be a recipient of “Brent Seabrook syndrome”, seeing as Ekblad has been amazing this year

 

[iginlafan77]

Not that I think he was under any serious consideration, but Weegar has been walked too many times for my taste this year. If he makes it he will be a recipient of “Brent Seabrook syndrome”, seeing as Ekblad has been amazing this year

Ekblad has been fantastic this year, but Weegar has still been very good. And last year, it was Weegar carrying the pairing.

 

[86Habs]

Physical element doesn't matter, and up front you're getting fairly physical play from O'Reilly, Couturier, Crosby, Marchand, Stone, etc. And it's not like Scheifele is a soft guy.

The physical element absolutely matters. Go back and look at how our 2010 and 2014 teams were built.

 

[DeysArena]

Tavares will probably make it because 1) he is playing well this season, 2) he has a good relationship with Hockey Canada, and 3) he can play any role on the forward lines.

 

[J bo Jeans]

I probably mix it up a bit.

Crosby - McDavid - Stone
Benn - Mackinnon - Marner
Dubois - Bergeron - Marchand
Huberdeau - Couturier - O'Reilly
(Stamkos, Point, Barzal)

Adds some grit to every line, let's Canada play the traditionally Canadian hard forecheck style.

On D, I don't think you bring Pietrangelo at all.

I also probably bring Nurse instead of Pelech. Only argument before was fancy stats, but Nurse has him beat in that regard soundly this year. Higher xGF lower xGA, more actual goals, less actual goals against... Bigger, faster, etc.

Nurse makes a brutal play 2/3 times he has the puck. Please god don't let him near this team.

 

[JackSlater]

Tavares will probably make it because 1) he is playing well this season, 2) he has a good relationship with Hockey Canada, and 3) he can play any role on the forward lines.

I do believe that Hockey Canada is big on Tavares. I think that he's very tempting to them at the moment.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Nurse makes a brutal play 2/3 times he has the puck. Please god don't let him near this team.

I don’t know how Holland will talk about him in the evaluations; seeing as he sees him every night he should be rather down on his puck security, but knowing what older NHL GMs are like they are blinded to all defaults in someone’s game if they are big and a good skater

 

[zodiacbiller]

The physical element absolutely matters. Go back and look at how our 2010 and 2014 teams were built.

Every Canadian Olympic team is built like that. Every single one. And they usually win because Canada has significantly more good players than other countries. If you think Canada wins gold medals because of Brenden Morrow and Mike Richards, you're out of your mind.

 

[86Habs]

Every Canadian Olympic team is built like that. Every single one. And they usually win because Canada has significantly more good players than other countries. If you think Canada wins gold medals because of Brenden Morrow and Mike Richards, you're out of your mind.

LMFAO. No point in talking to you if either you didn't watch, or aren't smart enough to recognize what physical players like Richards and Morrow (and Nash) brought to the table in 2010 (or Benn/Carter/Perry in 2014).