It's time - to predict 2014 Team Canada

[Datsyukian Videos 2]

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

I don't know if I would have the leading 2013 NHL season points getter (St. Louis) as the extra forward. He's been I would actually be surprised if they split up Louis and Stammer.

In the past 7 years, Louis has been top 6 in points 4 times (1st, 18th, 2nd, 6th, 16th, 14th, and 5th).

It will be interesting if they want to take Kunitz as well...I would think not though,

[St. Michael (the Red Wing) 422]

I don't know if I would have the leading 2013 NHL season points getter (St. Louis) as the extra forward. He's been I would actually be surprised if they split up Louis and Stammer.

In the past 7 years, Louis has been top 6 in points 4 times (1st, 18th, 2nd, 6th, 16th, 14th, and 5th).

It will be interesting if they want to take Kunitz as well...I would think not though,

St. Louis didn't make the Canadian roster in 2010. He probably should make it this year as I like him and have nothing against him. I guess it will really depend on how he does this season.

The problem for the Canadians is they have so much forward depth it's not even funny. They seriously could probably ice two teams at the Olympics this year.

Kunitz isn't making the roster as of now.

Edited July 26, 2013 by St. Michael (the Red Wing)

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

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

And going by that, Nash does not make my team. And I will explain guys that don't make my version of team Canada.

Stamkos-Crosby-St. Louis

Perry-Getzlaf-Tavares

Giroux-Toews-E.Staal

Lucic-Bergeron-Ladd

Carter/Couture

Pietrangelo-Weber

Keith-Seabrook

Doughty-M.Staal

Boyle/Alzner

Luongo-Crawford-Smith

Forwards - I like the idea of keeping Stamkos/St.Louis together and having Crosby centre the 2 of them. That is a very dangerous line where you never know if Stamkos will be the triggerman or if the other 2 will surprise with the shot or drive to the net when the D spreads out to cover Stamkos. 2nd line keeps chemistry with a speedy dangler added to the mix. 3rd line has a Selke style shutdown centre with a big body in Staal for the cycle and another triggerman in Giroux. That line would have speed, size and has 3 forwards that are great on the cycle. 4th line, that's just a dirty shutdown line. Bergeron, another Selke finalist will be the defensive zone faceoff king and with Lucic and Ladd hitting everything in sight and adding 4th line scoring, team Canada could have a better element than throwing out a disappearing act Shark line this time around.

Cuts:

Neal - nothing more than a good shot. He's normally lazy, doesn't battle enough and isn't a strong enough skater to get into his shooting positions on the large ice in a timely manner.

Hall/Eberle - Both really good players who would be even better on the large ice, but they are both not strong enough and aren't the go-to guys they were in Jr which is shown in Edmonton's playoff appearances lately.

Thornton/Nash - Both lack the intensity to make this squad. Both float a lot and I think they would both suffer on the big ice.

Defense - I kept to the system of having OFD/DFD or OFD/TWD and not loading up on OFD like an idiot and sacrificing D to try and outscore teams that may have equivalent forwards to us. USA, Sweden, Russia...we don't want to trade goals with them especially if Luongo fails in goal. I added in Boyle and Alzner as my extras to have an OFD and a DFD ready to jump in depending on who would go down.

Cuts:

Bouwmeester/Hamhuis/Phaneuf/Vlasic - Alzner is higher on my list cause of his outstanding defensive game and he's my extra DFD.

Subban/Letang - Both horrific in the D zone. I don't want that anywhere near the Norris let alone an olympic team defending the best the rest of the world has to offer. ALL of the Dmen I chose above have a superior D zone game to them essentially canning them from my team. I hope like hell neither of them get a spot. Yzerman should know better being one of the best 2-way forwards ever to play the game.

Goal - Luongo will be on fire this year, unfortunately though cause I hate the Cansucks. He will take the #1 G-spot and let everyone know he's the best goalie in Canada not named Marty Brodeur, whom apparently isn't invited, though Price is???

Cuts:

Which brings me to Price. He's been MAF like the past couple years, which I'm fine with cause eff the Habs... I don't want that inconsistency anywhere close to the olympics.

Everyone on the team I picked is a strong skater, and knows how to battle and win hockey games. The last thing I want to see is a team that's 100% balls to the wall offense, cause that team will lose to USA or Sweden whom have teams that are pretty close to as strong, but with as good if not better goalies in Quick and Lundqvist. We need skill, size and DEFENSE! If we don't have the role players that keep the puck out of the net, it'll be 2006 all over again. At least this time, Pronger won't have his own lounge area in the penalty box.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

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

And going by that, Nash does not make my team. And I will explain guys that don't make my version of team Canada.

Stamkos-Crosby-St. Louis

Perry-Getzlaf-Tavares

Giroux-Toews-E.Staal

Lucic-Bergeron-Ladd

Carter/Couture

Pietrangelo-Weber

Keith-Seabrook

Doughty-M.Staal

Boyle/Alzner

Luongo-Crawford-Smith

Hmm... you emphasize the skating part by cutting Nash, yet you have Lucic on the team. Lucic is a big, tough power forward, but he is definitely NOT known for his skating or his speed. I think he'd get into a bit of trouble on the big ice. I still think Nash is a better skater and scorer than Lucic.

Ladd is also an interesting choice. Great player, but I don't know if he has earned a spot over some of the other guys. He surely deserves a camp invite, and he may play really well during the first part of the season...so who knows. Hard to quibble though, I like all of these lineups.

[Guest The Axe]

Axe: "Quincy????"

Canada Committee: "OH HELL NO"

Axe: "Canada suxors"

I had to buddy=) all in good fun.

Touche!!

Added instigation minor for spelling his name wrong!

4 minutes in the sin bin for you. Axe on the pp.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

I think by looking at their impressive top 6 team Canada can easily care some role players such as Lucic. Keep in mind no other tram is going to have an answer for him, this guy will give Canada a lot of options so opponents can't simply focus on the top two lines. Lucic - Getzlaf - Nash would also be an interesting experiment.

Edited July 27, 2013 by frankgrimes

[Guest The Axe]

Lucic is a beast

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Easily the best roster, but Canada doesn't do well in Olympic competitions abroad. Not to mention, it's tough to repeat as Gold Medal winners.

[TheDetroitRedWings 286]

Easily the best roster, but Canada doesn't do well in Olympic competitions abroad. Not to mention, it's tough to repeat as Gold Medal winners.

Yeah, and also they have arguably the weakest all-around goaltending of all the gold medal contending countries. They'll be competitive, but I do highly doubt they'll repeat

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Easily the best roster, but Canada doesn't do well in Olympic competitions abroad. Not to mention, it's tough to repeat as Gold Medal winners.

Well it just shows what a great GM Stevie really is, he is building another great roster and selected an unbelievable coaching stuff. Whenever Holland moves up I really hope he will be the next GM of the Wings. Usually I would agree with the pressure situation but keep in mind Russia is playing at home, so they are the ones under enormous pressure and their roster is not as impressive. I think only two teams are having a real chance of beating Canada:

Sweden and the USA because their goaltending is better

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

Hmm... you emphasize the skating part by cutting Nash, yet you have Lucic on the team. Lucic is a big, tough power forward, but he is definitely NOT known for his skating or his speed. I think he'd get into a bit of trouble on the big ice. I still think Nash is a better skater and scorer than Lucic.

Ladd is also an interesting choice. Great player, but I don't know if he has earned a spot over some of the other guys. He surely deserves a camp invite, and he may play really well during the first part of the season...so who knows. Hard to quibble though, I like all of these lineups.

Every team needs a shutdown line. Nash is horrific on the defensive side of the game whereas Lucic is not bad and he has some chemistry with Bergeron. Ladd is one of the best pure competitors in the NHL. There's a reason he has 2 Stanley Cup rings cause he's a workhorse and he was the guys that drove the 3rd line on the SC champion teams. He's like Helm with less speed, but more goal scoring ability.

[Donohue75 17]

Neal - Crosby - Stamkos
Giroux - Getzlaf - Perry
Eberle - E Stall - Toews
Taveres- J Staal - St. Louis

Bergeron

Couture

Doughty - Letang
Webber - Keith
Pietrangelo - Boyle

Subban
Bouwmeester

Luongo

Crawford

Price

[Guest The Axe]

I like Canada's chances.

[Aznknight 139]

Neal - Crosby - Stamkos

Giroux - Getzlaf - Perry

Eberle - E Stall - Toews

Taveres- J Staal - St. Louis

Bergeron

Couture

Doughty - Letang

Webber - Keith

Pietrangelo - Boyle

Subban

Bouwmeester

Luongo

Crawford

Price

You can't put Neal and Eberle on the top line ahead of Tavares haha...and Bergeron is the extra man behind those two lol. Go home line combo, you're drunk.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

You can't put Neal and Eberle on the top line ahead of Tavares haha...and Bergeron is the extra man behind those two lol. Go home line combo, you're drunk.

That may have been his "I don't want a medal" team. Neal is a one-dimensional player and likely won't make the team even when Crosby begs for him to be on it.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

Because of the high cost of insurance, coach Mike Babcock had to get creative, putting players through ball-hockey walkthroughs on a boarded-up international-sized rink at Canada's Olympic Park. (CP/Jeff McIntosh)

[frankgrimes 1,836]

At first Ithought wow someone has some great photoshop skills but since TSN confirmed this just wow. I don't know but how does this help the players? They might see the bigger angles but other than that? Playing hockey office is not the same as on ice hence why rollerhockey is useless.

[Opie 308]

At first Ithought wow someone has some great photoshop skills but since TSN confirmed this just wow. I don't know but how does this help the players? They might see the bigger angles but other than that? Playing hockey office is not the same as on ice hence why rollerhockey is useless.

He did it for this reason:

Make no mistake: Babcock wanted to skate at this orientation camp. He would have learned more about the players that way, and it would have been easier to use the ice. But Team Canada decided not to skate because of the cost of insuring the players’ NHL contracts, and if you know Babcock, he doesn’t mope about problems – or allow anyone else to mope about them. It is what it is. So what are you going to do about it? How can you make the best of it?

[Dabura 12,207]

He did it for this reason:

Yup. No big story in this (i.e. Babs hasn't suddenly lost his marbles, Wings will be fine, etc.)

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

Just to add a little detail to the story: the insurance talked about was an added 1.3 million dollars, mostly dealing with coverage of concussion injuries. The money not spent will go towards other Hockey Canada initiatives, especially with players at younger levels.

By the way, TSN is already providing some great coverage of what's going on in Calgary.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Just to add a little detail to the story: the insurance talked about was an added 1.3 million dollars, mostly dealing with coverage of concussion injuries. The money not spent will go towards other Hockey Canada initiatives, especially with players at younger levels.

By the way, TSN is already providing some great coverage of what's going on in Calgary.

TSN is just hands above everyone else when it comes to hockey. I could watch them 24/7 easily sadly I don't have time for that. The panel talked about snapping guys like Perry, Getzlaf other countries such as mine would be jump for joy having those guys as potential players just goes to show you, how strong their roster is going to be.

Anyone else thinking Y is downplaying the favorite part a bit? I mean he is the GM of team Canada everyone knows it's gold or bust for them.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

Anyone else thinking Y is downplaying the favorite part a bit? I mean he is the GM of team Canada everyone knows it's gold or bust for them.

One of the favourites, no doubt. From Sportsnet:

Below is a full list of 2014 Olympic hockey odds courtesy of Bodog and here’s a list of prop bets to consider:

Russia : 11/5

Canada : 9/4

Sweden : 4/1

USA : 6/1

Czech Republic: 17/2

Finland : 10/1

Switzerland : 20/1

Slovakia : 25/1

Norway : 200/1

Latvia : 400/1

Austria : 900/1

Slovenia : 900/1

Edited August 28, 2013 by cusimano_brothers

[robb himself 143]

Here is MY Team Canada:

Stamkos - Crosby - Neal
Giroux - Tavares - Perry
Hall - Toews - Sharp
Duchene - Seguin - Benn

Thornton, Cotoure

Kieth - Doughty
Weber - Subban
Bouwmeester - Pietrangelo

Seabrook, Phaneuf

Luongo
Price
Fleury

[stillwater 186]

Stamkos - Crosby - Taveras

St.Louis - Toews - Nash

Perry - Getzlaf - Benn

Giroux - Bergeron - Couture

Doughty - Keith

Pietrangelo - Weber

Vlasic - Bouwmeester

Price and Smith

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Updated earlier predictions

Tavares - Crosby - Stamkos
St. Louis - Toews - Giroux
Nash - Bergeron - Richards
Lucic - Getzlaf - Perry

Doughty - Weber
Keith - Seabrook
Bouwmeester - Pietrangelo

outside D: Vlasic over Subban

outside O: St. Louis over Hall, Benn and Seguin

Luongo
Price
Crawford

I think Letang has played too much on the offensive side in order to be trusted on the bigger ice. Vlasic is a stable, non maintenance kind of guy so if any injuries happen, he should be in.

3 + 4 line are obviously the grind it out, shutdown lines with physicality and intimidation in form of Lucic.