Team Canada 2022

[SOLR]

Not fussy on your lines, my friend.

We have 3 amazing centers (MacDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby) so why move them around?

I'd also keep Crosby / Bergeron / Marchand together.

No Tavares for me. Too old and slow.

MacKinnon is clearly not a center at this level for this team. He's a complete shooting forward, thus in the NHL you have to put him in the middle. Not at this level, there are better centers (players doing the functions of a center better). Point is a better center in almost every way. Zone coverage, faceoffs, playmaking, under pressure line organization etc. Point has it all, he's our new Jonathan Toews.

Crosby is slowing down, I think he has great chemistry with Tavares and is a fantastic grinder in the corner. Tavares & Crosby create the most space for McDavid. A McDavid with a lot of space is impossible to stop.

Again, the same argument as MacKinnon, Barzal is more valuable in the middle than Crosby (Crosby is still better overall, but Barzal brings a lot more to the team if he's the center). So if you're going to play Crosby on the wing, might as well play him with McDavid. This is what the opponents least want.

Tavares: doesn't matter with McDavid, you just want someone with steady hands and that's Tavares. Tavares is still much faster than Stamkos. When I see Huberdeau with McDavid I go crazy, Huberdeau is a playmaking winger, McDavid is the playmaker, he needs wingers that will put it in.

 

[ORRFForever]

MacKinnon is clearly not a center at this level for this team. He's a complete shooting forward, thus in the NHL you have to put him in the middle. Not at this level, there are better centers (players doing the functions of a center better). Point is a better center in almost every way. Zone coverage, faceoffs, playmaking, under pressure line organization etc. Point has it all, he's our new Jonathan Toews.

Crosby is slowing down, I think he has great chemistry with Tavares and is a fantastic grinder in the corner. Tavares & Crosby create the most space for McDavid. A McDavid with a lot of space is impossible to stop.

Again, the same argument as MacKinnon, Barzal is more valuable in the middle than Crosby (Crosby is still better overall, but Barzal brings a lot more to the team if he's the center). So if you're going to play Crosby on the wing, might as well play him with McDavid. This is what the opponents least want.

Tavares: doesn't matter with McDavid, you just want someone with steady hands and that's Tavares. Tavares is still much faster than Stamkos. When I see Huberdeau with McDavid I go crazy, Huberdeau is a playmaking winger, McDavid is the playmaker, he needs wingers that will put it in.

You make some interesting points. Others have also expressed concern over too many play makers and not enough goal scorers.

 

[ORRFForever]

As the season ends, here is my team (assuming health), next update will be after the playoffs


Bergeron-Crosby-Marchand
Scheifele-McDavid-Huberdeau
Marner-MacKinnon-Point
Couturier-O’Reilly-Stone
Stamkos

Theodore-Pietrangelo
Toews-Makar
Ekblad-Hamilton
Chychrun-Chabot

Fleury
Kuemper
Price

Taking a lineup at random, the age of the players at the time of the 2022 Olympics...

Bergeron-Crosby-Marchand
Scheifele-McDavid-Huberdeau
Marner-MacKinnon-Point
Couturier-O’Reilly-Stone
Stamkos

36-34-33
28-24-28
24-26-25
29-31-29
32

Not a bad mix but we certainly could use some young blood.

**

The defense is younger - which is not what you'd expect.

Theodore-Pietrangelo
Toews-Makar
Ekblad-Hamilton
Chychrun-Chabot

26-32
28-23
26-28
23-25

 

[JackSlater]

Crosby on the wing, and right wing at that, is a bizarre choice to me. Doesn't fit in terms of style and there is no precedent for him there. There is no need to overthink things with Crosby at this point. I can easily see MacKinnon on the wing if a centre really steps up and shows something in the months to come. I'll also be surprised if Canada doesn't have one obvious defensively oriented line, but that isn't a lock.

 

[ORRFForever]

If you'd asked me, years ago, I would have thought Jake DeBrusk would be on Team Canada in 2022. What happened?

Nice to see him score tonight.

 

[Gold Standard]

Crosby on the wing, and right wing at that, is a bizarre choice to me. Doesn't fit in terms of style and there is no precedent for him there. There is no need to overthink things with Crosby at this point. I can easily see MacKinnon on the wing if a centre really steps up and shows something in the months to come. I'll also be surprised if Canada doesn't have one obvious defensively oriented line, but that isn't a lock.

completely bizarre. And also not opposed to Nate playing the wing...but only if it's Crosby's wing. Marchand - Sid - Nate. That's only in the event Marchand-Sid-Bergeron is not an option.

 

[JackSlater]

completely bizarre. And also not opposed to Nate playing the wing...but only if it's Crosby's wing. Marchand - Sid - Nate. That's only in the event Marchand-Sid-Bergeron is not an option.

The Scotia line would be something. No real weakness there. With MacKinnon I view it as a strength that his game is pretty transferrable to the wing, though switching him isn't a necessity. Depends on how some of the other prospective centres are doing heading into February.

 

[Gold Standard]

The Scotia line would be something. No real weakness there. With MacKinnon I view it as a strength that his game is pretty transferrable to the wing, though switching him isn't a necessity. Depends on how some of the other prospective centres are doing heading into February.

The Scotiabank line. the sponsorship and endorsement deals are ripe for the making...that's if they return home with the goods.

I remember Nate playing LW at a WHC *can't remember which year it was...but me railing against the idiot coach for making that move...and young Nate just going out there and wowing.

 

[JackSlater]

The Scotiabank line. the sponsorship and endorsement deals are ripe for the making...that's if they return home with the goods.

I remember Nate playing LW at a WHC *can't remember which year it was...but me railing against the idiot coach for making that move...and young Nate just going out there and wowing.

I'm not sure which year specifically. He was a depth player in 2015 and did fine. He really broke out in 2017 though and led the team with O'Reilly. I recall that it was easily the best MacKinnon had ever looked to that point, and since then he's been on another level.

And really, you'd think that Scotiabank would want to do something with Crosby, MacKinnon, and Marchand. We've all seen Crosby and MacKinnon getting their Tim's countless times over the years but a national advertisement with Marchand in it would be hilarious

 

[86Habs]

completely bizarre. And also not opposed to Nate playing the wing...but only if it's Crosby's wing. Marchand - Sid - Nate. That's only in the event Marchand-Sid-Bergeron is not an option.

McDavid + MacKinnon together would be something to behold, in my opinion. Would probably the best pairing since Gretzky + Lemieux. Part of it is that I don't really see any other appropriate wingers that can keep up with McDavid, play off him effectively, or maximize his talents. Maybe Stamkos, if he's healthy (I'd settle for the 2018-2019 version), maybe Point if we're willing to move him to the wing. Stone could be an option too I guess, but the pacing could be off.

So at the moment I'd run with McDavid + MacKinnon, then still have Crosby, Scheifele, and Point on the depth chart. That is INSANE center depth.

 

[Mathieukferland]

McDavid + MacKinnon together would be something to behold, in my opinion. Would probably the best pairing since Gretzky + Lemieux. Part of it is that I don't really see any other appropriate wingers that can keep up with McDavid, play off him effectively, or maximize his talents. Maybe Stamkos, if he's healthy (I'd settle for the 2018-2019 version), maybe Point if we're willing to move him to the wing. Stone could be an option too I guess, but the pacing could be off.

So at the moment I'd run with McDavid + MacKinnon, then still have Crosby, Scheifele, and Point on the depth chart. That is INSANE center depth.

Scheifele has played with him and played well at the World Cup and 2016 worlds, I have McDavid with him and Huberdeau

 

[JackSlater]

With McDavid I think that the key thing is to have a player who can do the dirty work for him - winning battles, getting him the puck, providing defensive cover, staying out of the way basically. To me O'Reilly is the ideal candidate. On the other side someone smart who can quickly get their shot off (ala Draisaitl when they play together) and I'm not sure who the best candidate is at the moment. McDavid is going to be the one carrying the puck most of the time on his line so the other players need to be able to succeed without having a whole lot of the puck.

 

[86Habs]

Scheifele has played with him and played well at the World Cup and 2016 worlds, I have McDavid with him and Huberdeau

Scheifele is certainly a reasonable option. I like him more as a 3rd/4th line center, but in the absence of someone like Stamkos or Seguin making a strong push to make this team, or the coaching staff wanting to split up McDavid and MacKinnon, Scheifele could certainly work. Re: Huberdeau, and this is my opinion only (and one which is not shared by everyone), but I don't think he's sufficiently tested or proven enough to merit a top-6 role on this team. Maybe there is a spot for him as an extra forward that can step in if a LW gets injured/doesn't perform, but he's not a guy I would want stepping in and playing ~22 minutes a night on by far the biggest stage of his career. Maybe this spring/summer is his coming out party and he makes that leap, but for now I'd pass on him for anything other than a depth role.

With McDavid I think that the key thing is to have a player who can do the dirty work for him - winning battles, getting him the puck, providing defensive cover, staying out of the way basically. To me O'Reilly is the ideal candidate. On the other side someone smart who can quickly get their shot off (ala Draisaitl when they play together) and I'm not sure who the best candidate is at the moment. McDavid is going to be the one carrying the puck most of the time on his line so the other players need to be able to succeed without having a whole lot of the puck.

I agree 100% on O'Reilly. I think he will be a critical piece for us in 2022. He could potentially fills needs and roles in various spots in the lineup and I'm interested to see how the coaching staff deploys him. He has demonstrated that he could be the best forward on a Cup-winning team, so I hope they lean on him accordingly.

 

[JackSlater]

I agree 100% on O'Reilly. I think he will be a critical piece for us in 2022. He could potentially fills needs and roles in various spots in the lineup and I'm interested to see how the coaching staff deploys him. He has demonstrated that he could be the best forward on a Cup-winning team, so I hope they lean on him accordingly.

O'Reilly is a big piece at forward for me. Elite defensively, proven at centre and left wing, very experienced internationally, proven internationally and in the playoffs, experience with MacKinnon. If he could fulfil the role he had on the Giroux/Seguin line at the 2015 IIHF WC that would be great, and although the level of competition is higher he's also a better player now. He could also of course play on a checking line, as he did in 2016 with Scheifele and Stone, and be elite in that role. I like the versatility of Canada's forwards at the moment.

 

[surixon]

This is one hard team to pick as we have so many great players especially upfront.

 

[Voight]

*Replace Horvat w/ Huberdeau*

Freidge mentioned last week that TC has started speaking to Cooper. May as well name him coach now and get that out of the way.

 

[Mathieukferland]

O'Reilly is a big piece at forward for me. Elite defensively, proven at centre and left wing, very experienced internationally, proven internationally and in the playoffs, experience with MacKinnon. If he could fulfil the role he had on the Giroux/Seguin line at the 2015 IIHF WC that would be great, and although the level of competition is higher he's also a better player now. He could also of course play on a checking line, as he did in 2016 with Scheifele and Stone, and be elite in that role. I like the versatility of Canada's forwards at the moment.

If last night was anything to go by, Huberdeau can certainly be top 6 on this team

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Imagine McDavid, MacKinnon, and Makar on the ice at the same time.

They'd be skating circles around the opponents all shift.

 

[Gold Standard]

Imagine McDavid, MacKinnon, and Makar on the ice at the same time.

They'd be skating circles around the opponents all shift.

I am looking forward to that...especially on the PP. and double especially on a 5-3 PP. It would be something.

 

[JackSlater]

If last night was anything to go by, Huberdeau can certainly be top 6 on this team

I'm not sure. I had him on my last projection but if I had to guess he won't actually be selected. Playmaking wingers have a hard time making team Canada at the best on best level and there seems to be something weird going on between Huberdeau and Hockey Canada. He's definitely one of the four best LW options in a vacuum, behind Marchand and O'Reilly. Limited international experience unfortunately, with the only slightly relevant thing I can remember being that he played well on a line with Stone back at the 2012 WJC. I can't see Huberdeau with McDavid stylistically but perhaps with MacKinnon in a sort of Rantanen role. I wouldn't mind having Huberdeau as the primary offensive threat on a defensively oriented fourth line for Canada given his history with Barkov. Maybe with Couturier or Scheifele at centre.

 

[SOLR]

Crosby on the wing, and right wing at that, is a bizarre choice to me. Doesn't fit in terms of style and there is no precedent for him there. There is no need to overthink things with Crosby at this point. I can easily see MacKinnon on the wing if a centre really steps up and shows something in the months to come. I'll also be surprised if Canada doesn't have one obvious defensively oriented line, but that isn't a lock.

Was he not on the RW in the WJC when he was 16?

 

[JackSlater]

Was he not on the RW in the WJC when he was 16?

He was LW in 2004 and 2005. All things considered for those years I think you could say that he was fine but not much else, at least relative to expectations and ability.

 

[SOLR]

He was LW in 2004 and 2005. All things considered for those years I think you could say that he was fine but not much else, at least relative to expectations and ability.

Just remember him getting quite a few goals after the wrap-around from the RW.

I don't think positions matter too much for Crosby and McDavid.

 

[JackSlater]

Just remember him getting quite a few goals after the wrap-around from the RW.

I don't think positions matter too much for Crosby and McDavid.

He had two goals in 2004 against overmatched opposition. Wasn't really a big factor, but to be fair other than Gretzky no 16 year old has been for Canada at the WJC. Crosby was Bergeron's LW in 2005 and had a better tournament (Perry was the RW) though Bergeron was the star of the line. Crosby is still good enough to be one of Canada's top three centres and plays the game very much like a centre. I wouldn't expect to see Hockey Canada start shifting things around when it very likely won't be needed. There are other players who can do the dirty work for McDavid and are proven on the wing.

McDavid sort of plays a LW game, but he won't be shifted over either as he's clearly the best player on the team. If the situation was really pressing I could see Canada maybe giving McDavid some LW shifts just to get him more ice time but who knows.

 

[ORRFForever]

... there seems to be something weird going on between Huberdeau and Hockey Canada.

Why would you say that?