With the Team Canada announcement just two weeks away it's time to start making those hard decisions and there are still a handful of them to be made on the back end.
The way things are looking right now it seems as though its going to be a good mix of veteran guys with some younger stars. Team Canada should have no problems getting offence from their back end and that will be huge in this tournament.
Here is how I see the defence shaking down...
Niedermayer-Weber
Pronger-Boyle
Keith-Seabrook
Doughty
Those are the seven guys I would go with if I were Steve Yzerman.
I know Drew Doughty is young but he has just been too good to pass up. Bouwmeester is the biggest name that gets left off the list but tough decisions have to be made.
In most cases I think you would go with Bouwmeester over Seabrook but the fact that Keith and Seabrook play together in Chicago is a huge factor in a short tournament.
What do you guys think? Who cracks your seven man defensive squad?
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18 to 24 months ago I would have never believed that Phaneuf and Bouwmeester wouldn't be locks to make the team. How quickly things change. Phaneuf in particular has had quite a spectacular fall from grace...
ReplyDeleteIs Mike Green not Canadian?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of top plus/minus, how about Ian White?
Speaking of Phaneuf, if he can still hit and intimidate, he should be in the squad. I haven't seen alot of Calgary games but lookin on the NHL website, he has 78 hits! Sign him up, he will give his all for Canada.
Scratch Seabrook (disagree with the "they play together" argument; different team, different coach, different system; it could even be a hinderence having them together.)
by the way, why does ctv have the monopoly on olympics news?
ReplyDeleteI'd go with Bouwmeester over Seabrook myself, otherwise I like your picks. Have a feeling Yzerman will leave Doughty off simply because of his inexperience and age.
ReplyDeleteNeidermayer-Pronger
ReplyDeleteKeith-Seabrook
Bouwmeester-Weber
Boyle
Good balance between skill and grit, first two pairings built for chemistry/familiarity.
The top 6 excel in all three zones.
I think developping players for future experience is silly considering the NHL has not committed to Russia in 2014.
ReplyDeleteAs others have pointed out, 2, let alone 4 years makes a huge difference in a players development/regression... so there's very little indicating that Doughty's chances of playing for the 2014 team (if they happen) are increased because he's on the "taxi squad" this year.
So here's my list:
Neidermayer-Boyle
Seabrook-Keith
Pronger-Weber
Green
Green was a lock until his play in his defensive was exposed by Pittsburgh in Round 3. He should be carried along, in case Canada has trouble putting the puck in the net or needs help on the PP.