It's time - to predict 2014 Team Canada

[Yzerfan1999 81]

"And as Team Canada executive director Steve Yzerman put it: 'There will be more of a premium placed on skating.'"

Forwards: Patrice Bergeron, Jeff Carter, Logan Couture, Sidney Crosby, Matt Duchene, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Getzlaf, Claude Giroux, Taylor Hall, Chris Kunitz, Andrew Ladd, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Rick Nash, James Neal, Corey Perry, Mike Richards, Patrick Sharp, Eric Staal, Jordan Staal, Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, Joe Thornton, Jonathan Toews

Defense: Karl Alzner, Jay Bouwmeester, Dan Boyle, Drew Doughty, Mike Green, Dan Hamhuis, Travis Hamonic, Duncan Keith, Kris Letang, Marc Methot, Dion Phaneuf, Alex Pietrangelo, Brent Seabrook, Marc Staal, PK Subban, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Shea Weber

Goalies: Corey Crawford, Braden Holtby, Roberto Luongo, Carey Price, Mike Smith

My Picks:

Forwards

Nash - Crosby - Stamkos

Tavares - Giroux - Toews

Staal - Getlzaf - Perry

Nash - Richards - Carter

Bergeron

St. Louis

Defense

Doughty - Weber

Keith - Seabrook

Pietrangelo - Subban

Letang

Boyle

Goalies

Luongo

Price

Smith

There are plenty of guys, especially at the forward position, that I would be happy with on this team. Tough to leave out speed like Hall and Sharp, and great talents like Thornton and Neal. Defense is an easier pick for me. I never want to see Phaneuf on the team, nor do I want Letang and Subban playing at the same time...too unpredictable. Goaltending? Er..........

[mackel 679]

I think Crawford is a lock in goal... Also Bergeron will be a starter on this team.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Yeah I think Crawford has a really good shot, but I am thinking (hoping) the Hawks have a bit of a Cup hangover and don't perform well in the first half...maybe he's partially to blame.

[BleedRed&White25 36]

My Picks:

Forwards

Nash - Crosby - Stamkos

Giroux - Toews- Tavares

Staal - Bergeron - Perry

St. Louis - Richards - Carter

Eberle

Getlzaf

Defense

Doughty - Weber

Keith - Letang

Pietrangelo - Subban

Boyle

Seabrook

Goalies

Price

Crawford

Luongo

Babcock said that because of all the depth down the middle, Giroux and Stall will likely be moved to the wing. I bolded the changes I made. I switched up the offense, basically kept the defense the same, and put Crawford as the backup.

Edited July 24, 2013 by BleedRed&White25

[MabusIncarnate 5,344]

My Picks:

Forwards

Nash - Crosby - Stamkos

Giroux - Toews- Tavares

Staal - Bergeron - Perry

St. Louis - Richards - Carter

Eberle

Getlzaf

Defense

Doughty - Weber

Keith - Letang

Pietrangelo - Subban

Boyle

Seabrook

Goalies

Price

Crawford

Luongo

Babcock said that because of all the depth down the middle, Giroux and Stall will likely be moved to the wing. I bolded the changes I made. I switched up the offense, basically kept the defense the same, and put Crawford as the backup.

I like this lineup better except for one spot which is Letang. He's godawful defensively, and I think that will inevitably damage his starting lineup chances. I think the goaltending order is right on also.

I'll toss the hail mary and put Hamonic as a top 6 defender, you heard it here first. Underrated because of where he plays imo but valuable defensively.

St. Louis will be on the roster also, there's no reason why he wouldn't make the squad.

Edited July 24, 2013 by MabusIncarnate

[WingsallTheway 383]

giroux - crosby - perry
stamkos - toews- st louis
hall - tavares - nash
getzlaf - richards - duchene

E stall
eberle

Hard to decide but based on the large ice this is the team I would go with, not essentially the team that will be picked. A solid mix of fast, two way players and lines which complement eachother. As much as i'd like to put Eberle on the team, he just doesn't fit at this point but could replace Hall. I left out Eric Stall just because there are enough playmakers on the team and would most likely only need his size against the states.

Keith (L) Letang ®
Boyle ® Doughty ®
Weber ® Pieterangelo ®

Seabrook ®
Hamhuis (L)

Defence was a bit easier to decide on, I left Seabrook out because he seems to be declining although he has chemistry with Keith. Much more right handers to choose from and I'm positive this wont be the actual roster Yzerman chooses as Babs wants to mix up R's and L's...but this is what i would go with. Hamhuis is in the reserve spot because his speed can be utilized, along with his left handed shot.

Crawford
Luongo
Price

Basically just picking the best of the worst here.... I think goaltending will be Canada's achilles heel for the tournament. Hopefully the forwards picked can continue playing a solid two way game, while the offensive defenceman can be relied on to play a defensive game as well

[Guest The Axe]

Nash-Crosby-Stamkos

Damn

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Stamkos-Crosby-St. Louis

Tavares-Toews-Giroux

Staal-Bergeron-Richards

Hall-Getzlaf-Perry

Couture/Nash

I think Canada will want speed and 2-way play, which is a big reason I don't think Nash will play. He's regressed a lot since 2010.

Doughty-Weber

Keith-Seabrook

Pietrangelo-Subban

Letang/(Hamhuis/Bouwmeester)

Same deal, have to be able to play D. Subban plays over Letang, Letangs in zone defense is atrocious. I also think whoever has the better first half of 2013 between Hamhuis and Bouwmeester will make the roster because there lefties.

Luongo

Price

Crawford

Lou's got the experience, Price was great last season until he melted down late in the season, I don't really like Crawford but the dude just won the Cup and he'll be playing behind a similar Chicago team in a weaker division. He'll be there.

[xtrememachine1 795]

Very impressive team, as always, but goaltending could be their undoing. No more Roys, Brodeurs or Belfours. Its kind of amazing considering how loaded they are,talent wise, at every other position. You would have thought some Canadian goalie would have stepped up by now as being the elite go-to-guy for international competition.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Tavares - Crosby - Stamkos

Nash - Toews - Giroux

Staal - Bergeron - Richards

Lucic - Getzlaf - Perry

Doughty - Weber

Keith - Seabrook

Pietrangelo - Letang

Luongo

Price

Crawford

Despite goaltending this größter is extremely impressive. The first line means pure magic and the fourth has skill and grit

Edited July 24, 2013 by frankgrimes

[Yzerfan1999 81]

I have no problem with any of the rosters I am seeing on this thread. Should be an impressive team. Hopefully they perform!

[hillbillywingsfan 792]

Prediction.....THEY LOSE!!!

USA USA USA USA.......HAHAHAHA j/k but yeah....USA

Canada always has a scary roster. SO MUCH STAR TALENT.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

The big ice should give the Euro teams an advantage. It will be interesting to see how Canada and the US keep up.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Well if a guy like Getzlaf is only for fourth line, that's a huge statement in terms of roster quality

[amato 3,210]

Nash - Crosby - Stamkos

Tavares - Giroux - Toews

that top 6... 1. damn! 2. pretty much a lock IMO.. arrange it anyway you'd like, that's killer.

also, i'd like to see a Couture-Duchene-Hall line on the 3rd

[Guest The Axe]

Is Kovalchuk-Datsyuk-Ovechkin better than any line Canada can form?

[amato 3,210]

Is Kovalchuk-Datsyuk-Ovechkin better than any line Canada can form?

Malkin-Datsyuk-Ovi/Kovy is what i'd think the top line would be

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Is Kovalchuk-Datsyuk-Ovechkin better than any line Canada can form?

Probably, but Russia's other potential lines don't match up as well, IMO. Other than Malkin there is a pretty big drop off after those guys.

Then again, they have home ice advantage. They may all play like superstars.

[amato 3,210]

Probably, but Russia's other potential lines don't match up as well, IMO. Other than Malkin there is a pretty big drop off after those guys.

Then again, they have home ice advantage. They may all play like superstars.

Anisimov, Radulov, Semin, Tarasenko, Yakupov.... not as good as canada skillwise of course but there is some good potential there offensively.

[Guest The Axe]

Probably, but Russia's other potential lines don't match up as well, IMO. Other than Malkin there is a pretty big drop off after those guys.

Then again, they have home ice advantage. They may all play like superstars.

Yakupov-Malkin-Semin

Radulov-Zherdev-Afinigenov

Not bad.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Yakupov-Malkin-Semin

Radulov-Zherdev-Afinigenov

Not bad.

er...I guess. But didn't half of those guys get chased out of the NHL for being lazy? I also didn't see Afinigenov or Zherdov among the invitees. Maybe I am blind...

I think any combination of the remaining Canadian options are much better.

[St. Michael (the Red Wing) 422]

Forwards

Nash - Crosby - Stamkos

Bergeron - Giroux - Toews

Staal - Richards - Carter

Tavares - Getzlaf - Perry

St. Louis

Duchene

Defense

Letang - Weber

Keith - Seabrook

Doughty - Subban

Mike Green

Alex Pietrangelo

Goalies

Crawford

Price

Lulu

[Guest The Axe]

Babs: "Cleary?"

Canada Committee: "NO." (resoundingly)

Babs: "Sheesh."

[hillbillywingsfan 792]

Babs: "Cleary?"

Canada Committee: "NO." (resoundingly)

Babs: "Sheesh."

Axe: "Quincy????"

Canada Committee: "OH HELL NO"

Axe: "Canada suxors"

I had to buddy=) all in good fun.

[Datsyukian Videos 2]

I think Crawford is a lock in goal... Also Bergeron will be a starter on this team.

100% agree. Crawford is outstanding. One of the few goalies who Datsyuk can't score on in the shootout.

Bergeron is deadly in all areas of the game.

The team looks UNBELIEVABLE!!! Gold again!