For part one of my Canadian Olympic Thoughts click here.With Steve Yzerman set to announce Team Canada's roster tomorrow, here's how my roster would look if I was in Steve Y's shoes.
Forwards:
Line 1: Rick Nash - Sidney Crosby - Ryan Smyth
-No change here from my first edition of Team Canada. While I'm sure my inclusion of Ryan Smyth - not only on the team, but on the first line - may raise some eyebrows, I still maintain his smarts, net presence, and ability to cycle down low would compliment Crosby well.
Line 2A: Corey Perry - Ryan Getzlaf - Martin St. Louis
- Once again, I'm sticking with my original second line. There is no reason to break up the dynamic duo of Perry and Getzlaf, who continue to perform in Anaheim even without any aid in the form of secondary scoring. A smart player who can win puck battles, play the high man in the offensive zone, and create plays all over the ice like St. Louis will compliment the Ducks' duo perfectly.
Line 2B: Dany Heatley - Joe Thornton - Jarome Iginla
- Here's my first big change. I originally left Heatley off of the roster because of his lack of well-roundedness. Well, phooey to that. He's having an excellent season playing with Jumbo Joe, and is even killing penalties out in San Jose. There's no way to leave Heatley off of the roster, right now.
Checking Line: Brad Richards - Mike Richards - Patrice Bergeron
- There's a few reasons why I like this trio on my checking line. Brad Richards has an excellent resume (Cup, Conn Smythe, leading scoring for Canada during '06 Olympics), is having a tremendous season, and I want him running one of the power play units from the point. He has played wing before, and can play up and down the line-up. So, too, can Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron has played tremendously in a checking role for the Bruins, and is their leading scorer to boot. He had success playing on Crosby's wing during the WJC, and can be plugged into any spot in the line-up. Mike Richards' play hasn't been too great this season, but I want him going up against the other teams' top players (cough, cough Alex Ovechkin). All three of these guys are team first guys who bring loads of intangibles to the table.
Extra: Eric Staal
- Instead of Steven Stamkos, I'm going with Eric Staal. While Stamkos' play has plateaued, Staal's has begun to flourish. Staal has more experience, a Stanley Cup, and knows how to play in high pressure situations.
Defensemen:
Chris Pronger - Scott Niedermayer
Brent Seabrook - Duncan Keith
Dan Boyle - Jay Bouwmeester
Drew Doughty
- I have a couple changes here. I decided to not only add Keith into the top six instead of as a spare (a no-brainer), but also to add his defensive partner in Seabrook. There's no reason to mess with a good thing, and I happen to think Seabrook is a safe pick. Niedermayer, Pronger, and Boyle are no brainers in my estimation, and I believe Bouwmeester is too dominant on the defensive side of the puck to be left off of the roster. As for Doughty being the extra - I don't care what his age is, I think he's a better all-around defenseman than the other candidates.
Goaltenders:
1. Roberto Luongo
2. Martin Brodeur
3. Marc-Andre Fleury
- No change in the names, but a change in the order. All three are playing well, but Luongo is the top guy in my opinion. Brodeur, as great as he is, lets in too many weak goals from bad angles - and you can bet Canada's opponents will be firing shots from all over the place.
Special Teams:
- As far as special teams, you have a lot of possible combinations with prior chemistry here - Getzlaf, Perry, Pronger, Niedermayer + Heatley, Thornton, Boyle + B. Richards, St. Louis, Boyle, etc. Obviously a guy like Crosby along with others will factor in here, but it's nice to have some prior chemistry on the power play. On the penalty kill, you have plenty of candidates which should pose no problem for the Canada Coaching Staff.
Captains:
I'd make Niedermayer Captain - his resume is second to none and he's in his home town. My three alternates would be Crosby, Iginla, and Pronger. Crosby is the best player on the team and just captained his squad to a Cup victory, and Iginla and Pronger have the experience.
Snubs:
Patrick Marleau - I simply don't buy that since he is successful with Thornton and Heatley that he should make the team. How do you think a guy like Iginla or Staal would fair playing with those two? Finding chemistry with Thornton and Heatley, even in a short tournament, should be no problem for somebody else.
Jordan Staal - He's a great defensive player, but there's no reason to put such a one dimensional player on the team when guys like Mike and Brad Richards and Patrice Bergeron bring more offense to the table.
Brendan Morrow - I just think other people are playing better.
Shane Doan - Much like Morrow, others are simply outplaying him. I like his experience internationally, but there are other players more deserving based on their play.
Jonathon Toews - He's a very well-rounded player who can be used in many situations, and I like his international experience, but he's not yet at a level to knock off any of the players that I selected for a scoring role, and Mike and Brad Richards and Patrice Bergeron have more experience in a checking role.
Jeff Carter - Not playing well enough.
Vincent Lecavalier - Ditto.
Steven Stamkos - I like the kid a lot, and think he could really bring a spark to the team, but I happen to think Staal is a better fit based on recent play. There's no denying Stamkos' play has cooled off a bit.
Mike Green - He's just not good enough defensively. I'd actually argue he's below (NHL) average defensively. The power-play will be A-Okay without him, especially with a guy like Brad Richards taking a position at the point.
Shea Weber - His play has been "okay," and I see no reason that he should make the team at the expense of a breaking up a successful pairing like Seabrook and Keith.
Dion Phaneuf - The team doesn't need his offensive presence, and his play is too inconsistent. I don't trust him against top-end talent.
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