Back for Part 2 of my Olympic preview of Team Canada. Yesterday I talked about the invited goalies, and my thoughts on who deserved what spot so far. Today, I'll be discussing Canada's defence.
The group invited to the Olympic team for defence are:
Karl Alzner (Washington)
Jay Bouwmeester (St. Louis)
Dan Boyle (San Jose)
Drew Doughty (Los Angeles)
Mike Green (Washington)
Dan Hamhuis (Vancouver)
Travis Hamonic (NY Islanders)
Duncan Keith (Chicago)
Kris Letang (Pittsburgh)
Marc Methot (Ottawa)
Dion Phaneuf (Toronto)
Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis)
Brent Seabrook (Chicago)
Marc Staal (NY Rangers)
P.K. Subban (Montreal)
Marc-Edouard Vlasic (San Jose)
Shea Weber (Nashville)
There's a few eyebrow raisers in here, but remembering that Canada is only going to take 8, this is a good set to choose from.
Right away, I can pretty much assume that Subban, Letang, and Keith are going to be on the final roster. Subban has plenty of international experience, Letang is probably the best playmaking D-man in the NHL, and Keith was probably Canada's best defencemen in the 2010 Olympics.
Shea Weber and Brent Seabrook are two good, veteran presences that can help guide the younger Canadian players, which is most of the team. Seabrook might not be skillfully in the top 8 here, but his international experience and leadership should be a case to join the team. I fully believe that Seabrook was the best leader of the Chicago Blackhawks during their cup run last season, settling Toews down and playing very clutch hockey. Weber's biggest concern is his style of play in the international game, but he has the skill set to belong on the roster.
If scoring was an issue for Canada, Mike Green would be an instant top-line D. He led Canadian defencemen in scoring last season, and is one of the best offensive defencemen in the league. However, Canada has plenty of scoring up front, and Green is a bit of a defence liability. Having said that, I think he might be able to clinch at least a spare spot on the roster.
Phaneuf, like Weber, would have to adjust to the international style of play in order to stay out of trouble (see Canada in 2006). However, Canada's strength against the world is it's physical play, and Phaneuf is the prime example of that. He puts up good numbers, has international experience, and can change the game with a single "Double Dion" hit. He is a bit of a liability defensively, but he should have better defence and goaltending to back him up than he's used to. I think he makes the team.
That's 7, which is probably how many Canada will take. But they could take 8, so I'll pick one more for my roster. We have these guys left:
Karl Alzner (Washington)
Jay Bouwmeester (St. Louis)
Dan Boyle (San Jose)
Drew Doughty (Los Angeles)
Dan Hamhuis (Vancouver)
Travis Hamonic (NY Islanders)
Marc Methot (Ottawa)
Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis)
Marc Staal (NY Rangers)
Marc-Edouard Vlasic (San Jose)
Looking at this, and picking one, I can safely eliminate Alzner, Boyle, Hamhuis, Hamonic, and Vlasic. They have the time to play their way into the roster, but I think they're the biggest longshots right now.
Bouwmeester is probably Canada's best skater. He is dependable for playing time, and strong defensively. He gets a lot of bad rap because of the teams he's been on for his entire career. But he is still a solid defensive defenceman, has tons of international experience, and I think he's a front runner in this group.
Doughty also has a strong chance, with his playing style and experience being beneficial to the team. He was LA's best player in the Stanley Cup run of 2012. He's nothing flashy, and he has some cold streaks, but he can be a dependable player for Canada's back end.
Marc Methot probably isn't the top of anyone's list, but he shouldn't be overlooked. He doesn't bring much scoring into Canada's game, but he's one of the best stay-at-home defencemen in the league. In a team full of scoring stars with a few defensive liabilities, he could be a valuable asset to the team.
Pietrangelo is one of the best young defencemen in the game, and has some promising international experience. But I think his skill will be overlooked over some other young defencemen, and his youth will be passed for some needed experience.
Marc Stall probably could have made a case to be on the team, and would be cool to see 3 Staal brothers on the same team. However, the eye injury he suffered this year will probably tarnish his skill, and will make him a liability going forward. I wish him the best, but I don't like his chances.
So after all is said and done, here is my projected line-up for Canada's defence:
Subban-Letang
Weber-Phaneuf
Seabrook-Keith
Spares: Green, Bouwmeester
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