GDT: WJC 2024 Thread

[1440]

I was quite surprised they left off some big names such as Misa, Yakemchuk, Parekh and Cristall.
I feel like Canada in the 4 Nations will also feel the repercussions of missing out on some big names players aswell.

Rehkopf, Cristall, Yakemchuk, Parekh all laughing their asses off.

Yes certainly some criticism for the lineup chosen.

Looks like they built a bottom 6 with intent on experience and checking vs having a few players who could break a game open with some better individual talent. Howe Gauthier Cataford collectively were odd choices for what was available in Wood Cristall Sennecke Misa. Not that they had to dump all of them but 1 or 2 would have been good for what i was describing above. I can see moving off Cristall after his poor past performance

Bonk running the PP is incredibly odd too when Parekh and Yakemchuk were available. Parekh is outstanding as a PPQB and they could have just 7th D him if they were worried about making mistakes 5v5

Losing Iginla to a season ending hip surgery was also a big blow as the team needs better net presence and finish and he would have supplied that in spades. Nadeau Catton Pinelli Yager all are good players and crafty but smaller perimeter types and all of them sucked against Latvia Catton cannot finish and Yager has been bad as the leader and emotional heartbeat.

Such a junior thing to want to dance around the outsides and try and score off clean shots. The sooner they figure out to score they need to get inside and in the goalies grill the better. A little adversity is always good to wake them up. It's still a good enough team to win it all but Dave Cameron wasn't inspiring much of a response after the game either IMO.

I don't understand why Yakemchuk and Parekh are being mentioned as big PP omissions when Mynio is on the team already and has been a more productive (factoring in team quality) PP quarterback this year with an abysmal supporting cast in Seattle, not to mention that he is a better defensive player.

 

[LemonSauceD]

I don't understand why Yakemchuk and Parekh are being mentioned as big PP omissions when Mynio is on the team already and has been a more productive (factoring in team quality) PP quarterback this year with an abysmal supporting cast in Seattle, not to mention that he is a better defensive player.

I didn’t mention them as PP omissions but rather notable omissions from the team. Price and Gibson over those two is quite honestly a joke.

And I did say I’d be curious to see if they use Mynio on the PP next game because of the reasons you mentioned.

Parekh however would absolutely be the best PP threat.

 

[supercanuck]

This is only because Schaefer is out for the tournament. But good to see him get in.

Tough break for Schaefer. Hope he slides to us at 32nd overall this draft.

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

US already up 4-0 but actually being outshot by Latvia.

Latvia playing the same goalie who has allowed 4 goals on 21 shots today.

Ya... Hockey Canada could have added a little offense.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

US already up 4-0 but actually being outshot by Latvia.

Latvia playing the same goalie who has allowed 4 goals on 21 shots today.

Ya... Hockey Canada could have added a little offense.

US is going to wreck the Canadians.

Canadian kids are hard working but can’t finish their dinner.

Americans have a ton of skill.

Could be ugly.

 

[Quinning]

Tough break for Schaefer. Hope he slides to us at 32nd overall this draft.

We badly need a player like him, but I don't see any shot.

I would absolutely love a shot at McKennan in 2026...only way that happens is if Hughes tells the team he's testing FA and they trade him.

 

[lawrence]

Pretty sweet for Latvia. You know that means a shit ton to them, and while they got caved in hard, they hung around enough and created enough to be able to win. Full marks to them.

Canada really galaxy brained themselves into some strange moves this tournament. Wonder if this group pulls together for some better showings or if the wheels come fully off.

that lose reminds me of the time back in 2006 olympics when we lost to the swiss. we outshot them 49 18 or something, and we still lose. (like losing to an ahl team) Ran into a hot goalie, did everything right but put one in the net. the wonders of hockey as we've all seen, a goalie a steal a win at any moment.

 

[lawrence]

USA allows 1 to the Latvians
Canada allows 2.

Its pretty even steven between us and the Americans again. We just had bad luck yesterday, but it seems like USA has better "snipers" finishers this time around. .

 

[Quinning]

Willander and Sanssonnens playing each other now.

 

[Quinning]

Willander scores on the PP!

 

[Vector]

 

[MS]

Some weird takes on D in this thread, going back a few pages, like that Willander is a 'risky' prospect because he has some issues with the 10th most important skill for defenders will being elite at the actual important ones. Or that Tanev is only good because he has a will to block shots instead of understanding that he was a Brodin-level player at his peak who became the best shutdown D in the NHL because of his willingness to block shots on top of that.

It's always worked well for me to think of defensive skills as an inverted pyramid something like this :


Shot speed PP skills/creativity Hitting Forward skating/puck rushing
. ........... . . .Mobility/footwork Size/reach
. . ............ . . . .Hockey sense/IQ


Everything depends on IQ and how you process the game and if you don't have that to support everything else the whole pyramid crumbles. You can be a superstar at literally everything else (Jack Johnson) and you still won't be very good if you can't think the game and play the position. Then just above that you have your size and mobility. And if you're smart, you can skate, and you have NHL size ... you're going to be a good NHL defender even if you kind of suck at everything else at the top of the period. Conversely, you can be all-world at that top line of stuff and if you don't have the three base skills in order to give you a platform for those skills to be successful ... you won't be an NHLer.

Jim Benning couldn't evaluate defenders because all he looked at was that top line. Flashy tools. But being a good defender isn't about having flashy tools. Having those flashy tools might be the difference between being a good player and a star but it isn't what gets you to the NHL and makes you a good player.

Willander is all-world as a prospect in the foundational, most important skills for a defender. He's going to be a very good NHL player as a result.

Chris Tanev was terrible at the entire top line of that inverted pyramid but became one of the best defenders in the NHL, but you still have fans locked into the 'he has a muffin shot and gets knocked down lots, ceiling is a #5' sort of mindset.

 

[Vector]

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Amazing if true.

Hoping he gets in and plays well.

 

[LemonSauceD]

Oof, Willander ripped another shot home.

 

[Vector]

 

[Canucks LB]

Willander looks like the best defender in the tournament honestly.

I don’t think that’s even a hot take, ASP has been average since that first game.

Both great prospects

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Willander looks like the best defender in the tournament honestly.

I don’t think that’s even a hot take, ASP has been averaged since that first game

Average Sandin-Pellikka

 

[Canucks LB]

Willander plays like slavin

 

[MS]

Willander plays like slavin

I've compared him to Brodin a fair bit.

He won't play PP1 in the NHL so he'll probably 'only' score 25-35 points/season but he's going to be a 22-25 minute top-pairing D for a decade+.

 

[Canucks LB]

I've compared him to Brodin a fair bit.

He won't play PP1 in the NHL so he'll probably 'only' score 25-35 points/season but he's going to be a 22-25 minute top-pairing D for a decade+.

That that’s a decent comparison also, but I think he’s a better skater than that.

I’m completely convinced he’s gonna be a star for us, I think he has 50+ point potential also once he develops his slap shot

 

[MS]

That that’s a decent comparison also, but I think he’s a better skater than that.

I’m completely convinced he’s gonna be a star for us, I think he has 50+ point potential also once he develops his slap shot

I think he'll be in that Slavin-Brodin sort of range.

He won't score 50+ points on a team that has Quinn Hughes on it. But I think you can be a star without scoring 50 points. I think Slavin is a star.

 

[timw33]

Looks like a three point game for Willander.

 

[ManVanFan]

I've compared him to Brodin a fair bit.

He won't play PP1 in the NHL so he'll probably 'only' score 25-35 points/season but he's going to be a 22-25 minute top-pairing D for a decade+.

I don't see him being a top 2 defensive defencemen in the NHL personally.

 

[Canucks LB]

I think he'll be in that Slavin-Brodin sort of range.

He won't score 50+ points on a team that has Quinn Hughes on it. But I think you can be a star without scoring 50 points. I think Slavin is a star.

Depends on if he plays with him or not