Team Canada forwards

[BruinsBtn]

Marner is not only one of the highest scoring players in the league, but he's an all situations winger that's great defensively. 0% chance he doesn't make it.

You think Marner is one of the guys they're going to put on Team Canada to kill penalties or defend a lead?????

I think he'll make the team but he's not going to sniff the ice on the PK or in strictly defensive situations.

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

You think Marner is one of the guys they're going to put on Team Canada to kill penalties or defend a lead?????

I think he'll make the team but he's not going to sniff the ice on the PK or in strictly defensive situations.

I don't see him being used for defensive situations, but he's a really good on the PK.

 

[Big Cactus]

You serious?? Couturier is a bottom 6 forward on team Canada

Tavares is having a brutal start so far. So not sure he makes the team at this rate

Ppg is brutal?

 

[Pongs21]

Don't see how Scheifele isn't on the team. I see him moving over on the wing though as he's not an elite face off guy. Interested to see how PLD develops and if he forces himself back into the conversation. Morrissey seems to be playing his way out of consideration unfortunately.
There's going to be a lot of so called "snubs".

 

[rocketdan9]

Cirelli will never play for Team Canada. Ridiculous to include him.

Naw. Can't say never

could be on the team on the next one

 

[AnInjuredJasonZucker]

Bold prediction: Kyrou as an extra forward (Armstrong's "develop my guy" pick)

 

[rocketdan9]

Ppg is brutal?

my bad. Didn't see the last 3 games

but before that he only had 2 pts in 6 or 7 games after a good start

 

[slobbergob]

Scheifele - McDavid - Stone
O'Reilly - Mackinnon - Marner
Marchand - Crosby - Bergeron
Barzal - Couturier - Point

I could see any combination of Huberdeau/Tavares/Stamkos beating out someone on that 4th line.

I really like the idea of giving McD and Mack a strong defensive winger to play with them,
letting them open it up more offensively. Having a schooter like Scheifele will be great for McDavid and having a passer like Marner should be great for Mackinnon.

O'Reilly and Mackinnon had great chemistry on the Avs, and it gives Mack a safety net on faceoffs too.

Not much needs to be said about Crosby's line. Crosby plays like the best 3rd line centre in the world so it's fitting he plays the roll here, even though I could see his line getting more time than Mack's.

 

[hamzarocks]

Mcd
Crosby
Marner
Hall
Stamkos
Point
Tavares
Stone
Mack
Seguin
Marchand
Bergeron

Are the starting 12 I'd have with extras of

Huberdeau, Scheifele, RoR and maybe Couterier

Hall-Mcdavid-Marner
Point-Mack-Stone
Marchand-Crosby-Bergeron
Stamkos-Tavares-Seguin

Would be my starting 12

 

[Regal]

Cirelli is good but no chance he makes it. Stamkos might be there depending on how sentimental the GM is.
Your missing Scheifele, Tavares and Marner who are locks.

Why is Stamkos a sentimental pick but inferior players are locks?

 

[Voight]

These 9 would be a lock for me:

1. Bergeron
2. Couturier
3. Crosby
4. Marchand
5. McDavid
6. MacKinnon
7. O'Reilly
8. Point
9. Stone

The offensive and defensive capabilities of that group is insane.

After that I'd consider Barzal, Huberdeau, Marner, Scheifele, Stamkos

Huberdeau is the best natural LW Canada has. He will be there.

 

[Critical13]

You think Marner is one of the guys they're going to put on Team Canada to kill penalties or defend a lead?????

I think he'll make the team but he's not going to sniff the ice on the PK or in strictly defensive situations.

FYI, of players who have 150 mins TOI on the PK in the past 2 seasons, only 1 Team Canada potential forward has a better xGA/60 - ROR.

Under the same filters, zero players that are Team Canada potential forwards have a better xGF% - meaning Marner is one of the best in terms of both defending and creating chances on the PK:

The reason I bother to point this out, is that if Mitch ends up lower on the food chain 5v5, which is what I expect, I imagine he will get PK time and PP time.

In the last 2 years + 2021, he's 5th in pts/gp among Canadians (McDavid, Mackinnon, Marchand, Crosby, Stamkos all ahead).

I could see our PK forward units being:

O'Reilly - Marner

Point - Marchand

 

[Draiskull]

McDavid doesnt need to play C and would be better used on team Canada as a winger. Same goes for MacKinnon and Stamkos

ROR, Crosby and Couturier IMO should be locks as Cs.

 

[Regal]

The players who need to be there imo are:
McDavid
MacKinnon
Crosby
Bergeron
Marchand
Point
Stamkos
O'Reilly
Stone
Couturier

Then 4 of Marner, Huberdeau, Scheifele, Tavares, Hall, or Barzal.

I would probably go with something like:

Stamkos - McDavid - Point
Huberdeau - MacKinnon - Stone
Marchand - Crosby - Bergeron
O'Reilly - Couturier - Marner
Ex: Scheifele, Tavares

 

[Regal]

FYI, of players who have 150 mins TOI on the PK in the past 2 seasons, only 1 Team Canada potential forward has a better xGA/60 - ROR.

View attachment 392977

Under the same filters, zero players that are Team Canada potential forwards have a better xGF% - meaning Marner is one of the best in terms of both defending and creating chances on the PK:

View attachment 392979


The reason I bother to point this out, is that if Mitch ends up lower on the food chain 5v5, which is what I expect, I imagine he will get PK time and PP time.

In the last 2 years + 2021, he's 5th in pts/gp among Canadians (McDavid, Mackinnon, Marchand, Crosby, Stamkos all ahead).

I could see our PK forward units being:

O'Reilly - Marner

Point - Marchand

Marner's underrated defensively but I'm not sure if xGA over a small sample is all that telling. I imagine team Canada would be using Couturier and Bergeron on the PK over him

 

[Regal]

Huberdeau is the best natural LW Canada has. He will be there.

Marchand is a clearly better player. And I don’t think natural wings have mattered to Canada that much.

 

[Critical13]

Marner's underrated defensively but I'm not sure if xGA over a small sample is all that telling. I imagine team Canada would be using Couturier and Bergeron on the PK over him

I didn't have Couts pencilled in, but I guess you are right.

Bergeron I expect to play a ton of 5v5 minutes and when I looked up his PK stats it doesn't really look like it's his biggest strength. His defensive superiority seems to take a big hit on the PK when comparing both situations to his peers.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

FYI, of players who have 150 mins TOI on the PK in the past 2 seasons, only 1 Team Canada potential forward has a better xGA/60 - ROR.

View attachment 392977

Under the same filters, zero players that are Team Canada potential forwards have a better xGF% - meaning Marner is one of the best in terms of both defending and creating chances on the PK:

View attachment 392979


The reason I bother to point this out, is that if Mitch ends up lower on the food chain 5v5, which is what I expect, I imagine he will get PK time and PP time.

In the last 2 years + 2021, he's 5th in pts/gp among Canadians (McDavid, Mackinnon, Marchand, Crosby, Stamkos all ahead).

I could see our PK forward units being:

O'Reilly - Marner

Point - Marchand

point doesnt kill penalties anymore and hes not good at it btw. thats one area where cirelli could be very valuable though.

 

[Critical13]

point doesnt kill penalties anymore and hes not good at it btw. thats one area where cirelli could be very valuable though.

If Cirelli doesn't make the team, maybe they go: Couts / ROR / Marchand / Marner with a handful of guys who can play during longer PK stretches.

 

[Sheppy]

I don't care which "line" they are, but Marchand, Crosby and Bergeron need to be together.

 

[Regal]

I didn't have Couts pencilled in, but I guess you are right.

Bergeron I expect to play a ton of 5v5 minutes and when I looked up his PK stats it doesn't really look like it's his biggest strength. His defensive superiority seems to take a big hit on the PK when comparing both situations to his peers.

Fair enough. I haven't looked enough at PK stats compared to 5v5 and PP. I wonder how influenced they might be by what units they tend to play against or whatnot. Seems odd Bergeron wouldn't be great there as well. I do like Marner on the team for the fact that he brings more defensive ability than the other "offensive" guys. I actually think he might be a great option on a "shutdown" line with O'Reilly and/or Couts which allows for spreading more defensive players throughout the lineup.

 

[Critical13]

Fair enough. I haven't looked enough at PK stats compared to 5v5 and PP. I wonder how influenced they might be by what units they tend to play against or whatnot. Seems odd Bergeron wouldn't be great there as well. I do like Marner on the team for the fact that he brings more defensive ability than the other "offensive" guys. I actually think he might be a great option on a "shutdown" line with O'Reilly and/or Couts which allows for spreading more defensive players throughout the lineup.

That would be sweet. I would love to see him get some ice with McDavid on the PP, and possibly Point 5v5. I think he would mesh well with both. We will have to see if he makes it first, although I think it would take a serious decline for him to miss now.

I wonder if Nick Suzuki can make enough strides between now and then to get into the conversation.

 

[danpantz]

FYI, of players who have 150 mins TOI on the PK in the past 2 seasons, only 1 Team Canada potential forward has a better xGA/60 - ROR.

View attachment 392977

Under the same filters, zero players that are Team Canada potential forwards have a better xGF% - meaning Marner is one of the best in terms of both defending and creating chances on the PK:

View attachment 392979


The reason I bother to point this out, is that if Mitch ends up lower on the food chain 5v5, which is what I expect, I imagine he will get PK time and PP time.

In the last 2 years + 2021, he's 5th in pts/gp among Canadians (McDavid, Mackinnon, Marchand, Crosby, Stamkos all ahead).

I could see our PK forward units being:

O'Reilly - Marner

Point - Marchand

I was wondering why Marchand and Bergeron weren't on these lists but they pk'ed 133 and 128 minutes respectively. Both of those guys have better xGA/60 and xGF% than Marner and it would be crazy not too have those two Pk together over him.

 

[Critical13]

I don't care which "line" they are, but Marchand, Crosby and Bergeron need to be together.

Agreed, I would have that penciled in as our top 5v5 line, maybe only 2nd to the McDavid line if they start slow. Too much good history for that trio.

I was wondering why Marchand and Bergeron weren't on these lists but they pk'ed 133 and 128 minutes respectively. Both of those guys have better xGA/60 and xGF% than Marner and it would be crazy not too have those two Pk together over him.

What site did you use? I could have sworn Bergeron was way down on my list when I broadened the TOI...I used Evoling Hockey btw.

 

[ViewsFromThe6ix]

You think Marner is one of the guys they're going to put on Team Canada to kill penalties or defend a lead?????

I think he'll make the team but he's not going to sniff the ice on the PK or in strictly defensive situations.

Why not? He's pretty good at it.