WC: TEAM CANADA 2023

[garbageteam]

It's amazing how much press time Lucic gets for not being that significant of an NHL player for many years now - maybe 7 and counting.

That said I respect every player that laces the skates up for Canada at the WHCs where it's entirely optional to come, there is almost nothing in it for a Canadian to show up. At this tournament on the fourth line he'll be more than capable, definitely above replacement level on that line considering the rosters iced in recent years.

 

[iginlafan77]

Lucic is a beast.

Don't mind that pickup at all.

Are you sure you've watched him recently?

 

[PecnoTrunk]

I’m trying to search all the nhl for another person named lucic not named Milan but I can’t find

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

What about McTavish?

They could form a really good team with recent grads of the U20 program.

McTavish essentially did not have a summer in 2022 since Hamilton played deep into June and like 5 weeks later he was at the WJC. So I would not expect him to go.

 

[namttebih]

McTavish essentially did not have a summer in 2022 since Hamilton played deep into June and like 5 weeks later he was at the WJC. So I would not expect him to go.

No playoffs this year though. Dude is 20 years old. Still lots of summer left after the WHC.

 

[Great99]

Lucic on European sized ice? Really?

WC is played on NHL size rinks

Re : "Lucic on European sized ice? Really?"

Yeah. I'm not fussy on that idea, either - it smacks of desperation. Too big, too slow, too old for the big ice.

But they play WC on NHL size

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

Hmm, looks like that change was recent. I stand corrected!

As of 2022 - World Championships to be played on NHL-size rinks

At the congress in Rome, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has voted to play the World Championships on NHL-size rinks as of 2022.

swisshockeynews.ch

 

[ORRFForever]

But they play WC on NHL size

???

I doubt the Latvian / Finnish rinks will be NHL size.

 

[Bgav]

So right now:

xxx
Montembeault
Levi

Weegar - xxx
xxx - Myers
xxx - Bear

Toffoli - xxx - xxx
xxx - xxx - xxx
Crouse - Laughton - Quinn
Lucic - Fantilli - xxx

Bear is 10000000000000x better player than Myers lol

 

[Playmaker82]

???

I doubt the Latvian / Finnish rinks will be NHL size.

Since 2022 all WC is gonna be played at NHL size.

 

[ORRFForever]

Since 2022 all WC is gonna be played at NHL size.

???

 

[Playmaker82]

???

As of 2022 - World Championships to be played on NHL-size rinks

At the congress in Rome, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has voted to play the World Championships on NHL-size rinks as of 2022.

swisshockeynews.ch

 

[Boonk]

Milan Lucic? Ugh yuck

 

[JPeeper]

Lucic is a beast.

Don't mind that pickup at all.

LOL no he isn't. He's terrible.

 

[ORRFForever]

As of 2022 - World Championships to be played on NHL-size rinks

At the congress in Rome, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has voted to play the World Championships on NHL-size rinks as of 2022.

swisshockeynews.ch

Thanks!

Did they alter the current rinks?

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Are you sure you've watched him recently?

He hits everything that moves and plays with a ton of passion. Perfect 4th line player.

Who did you think this team was attracting as a 4th liner? Brayden Point? Sidney Crosby? This is the world championships, people need to lower their expectations. Its always been like this and it always will.

LOL no he isn't. He's terrible.

Look at the roster of the team that won gold last year. More than half of them are guys that wouldn't sniff an NHL roster. Lucic is exactly the kind of player you want as a 4th liner. This isn't the Olympics.

 

[Golden_Jet]

WC is played on NHL size rinks


But they play WC on NHL size

Hmmm, will this signal a change in Europe on new rinks built or modifying old ones.

I know Finns go down the middle at 93’ as a hybrid.

 

[Boonk]

He hits everything that moves and plays with a ton of passion. Perfect 4th line player.

Who did you think this team was attracting as a 4th liner? Brayden Point? Sidney Crosby? This is the world championships, people need to lower their expectations. Its always been like this and it always will.


Look at the roster of the team that won gold last year. More than half of them are guys that wouldn't sniff an NHL roster. Lucic is exactly the kind of player you want as a 4th liner. This isn't the Olympics.

Lmao what roster are you looking at from last year. PLD, Barzal, Chabot, Severson, Batherson, Cozens, Sanheim, Graves, Mercer, Lowry, Johnson, Whitecloud, Thompson were all there. We didn’t win gold last year either, we won gold in 2021 when the entire world was still dealing with COVID and the tournament was in a bubble. Obviously players weren’t going to go then but they still had players like Mangiapane, Kuemper, Ferraro, Brown, Hill, Hagel, Henrique show up.

Lucic is dog water in 2023. He’s not a World Championship calibre player for Canada let alone an NHL calibre player now.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Lmao what roster are you looking at from last year. PLD, Barzal, Chabot, Severson, Batherson, Cozens, Sanheim, Graves, Mercer, Lowry, Johnson, Whitecloud, Thompson were all there. We didn’t win gold last year either, we won gold in 2021 when the entire world was still dealing with COVID and the tournament was in a bubble. Obviously players weren’t going to go then but they still had players like Mangiapane, Kuemper, Ferraro, Brown, Hill, Hagel, Henrique show up.

Lucic is dog water in 2023. He’s not a World Championship calibre player for Canada let alone an NHL calibre player now.

I'm looking at the gold medal roster from last year (Finland). Which had 6 NHL players.

The 2021 and 2022 teams for Canada also had players like Eric O'Dell, Brandon Pirri, Danforth and Matt Tomkins in net. The idea that every player on Canada should be a top tier NHL player is not realistic and has never been the case for this team and probably never will be.

 

[Boonk]

I'm looking at the gold medal roster from last year (Finland). Which had 6 NHL players.

The 2021 and 2022 teams for Canada also had players like Eric O'Dell, Brandon Pirri, Danforth and Matt Tomkins in net. The idea that every player on Canada should be a top tier NHL player is not realistic and has never been the case for this team and probably never will be.

Most of the players from Finland are still better than Lucic in 2023. Finland just got Laine, Kakko AND Rantanen, and have a European league core that are proven winners at this level. Go ahead and try and send out Lucic against them LOL.

And again, 2021 COVID bubble tournament was bound to have most players from the NHL refuse, and I’d still take the non-NHL forwards that were on that roster over Lucic in 2021, and I still would in 2023.

 

[Mathieukferland]

People are worried about Lucic with international ice, I’m more worried about him with international referees

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Most of the players from Finland are still better than Lucic in 2023. Finland just got Laine, Kakko AND Rantanen, and have a European league core that are proven winners at this level. Go ahead and try and send out Lucic against them LOL.

And again, 2021 COVID bubble tournament was bound to have most players from the NHL refuse, and I’d still take the non-NHL forwards that were on that roster over Lucic in 2021, and I still would in 2023.

Id be fine with sending Lucic out against any European league core. Laine, Kakko and Rantanen are not the players Lucic should be worrying about. You'd hope Canada brings in top 6 guys to worry about those. If Lucic is in Canada top 6, then theres a massive problem with the team that is far beyond Lucic being a member of the overall roster.

If you want to take European players like Daniel Winnik or whoever over Lucic thats fine but give me a guy who plays a bruising style and has a stanley cup ring and is still in the most skilled league in the world.

 

[Boonk]

Id be fine with sending Lucic out against any European league core. Laine, Kakko and Rantanen are not the players Lucic should be worrying about. You'd hope Canada brings in top 6 guys to worry about those. If Lucic is in Canada top 6, then theres a massive problem with the team that is far beyond Lucic being a member of the overall roster.

If you want to take European players like Daniel Winnik or whoever over Lucic thats fine but give me a guy who plays a bruising style and has a stanley cup ring and is still in the most skilled league in the world.

A bruising style that has barely, if ever worked at the international level? Yeah no thanks. Lucic hasn’t done those things at the NHL level well since what, when he was in LA and the first year of his contract in Edmonton? You’re not getting the Lucic of 7-8 years ago or from Boston. I’d rather have a younger player or prospect fill that slot in the lineup.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

A bruising style that has barely, if ever worked at the international level? Yeah no thanks. Lucic hasn’t done those things at the NHL level well since what, when he was in LA and the first year of his contract in Edmonton? You’re not getting the Lucic of 7-8 years ago or from Boston. I’d rather have a younger player or prospect fill that slot in the lineup.

He was a bruising in the series vs Winnipeg and Dallas in the bubble and wasn't shy about laying the big hits against players like McDavid last year. I think if you play a heavy game against some of the euro teams, they will retaliate and get off their game. Nothing wrong with having someone like that on your fourth line. Which younger players though? Many of the candidates could probably use an off season since most of them played at the world jrs in the late summer and many others are still in their leagues playoffs in the CHL or AHL.

 

[Boonk]

He was a bruising in the series vs Winnipeg and Dallas in the bubble and wasn't shy about laying the big hits against players like McDavid last year. I think if you play a heavy game against some of the euro teams, they will retaliate and get off their game. Nothing wrong with having someone like that on your fourth line. Which younger players though? Many of the candidates could probably use an off season since most of them played at the world jrs in the late summer and many others are still in their leagues playoffs in the CHL or AHL.

The bubble was two years ago, and he was not good at all in that Edmonton series last year, he’s only regressed since then. That spot would be much better served for guys like Foerster, Hayton, McTavish, Johnson, Krebs, etc. provided that they ever accepted an invite.