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Originally Posted by Table 5
• Gets to directly compete against elite players his age to see where he stands.
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Why should anyone care about "where he stands" among a group of young players, 90% of whom will NEVER play a single game in the NHL? I would think that evaluating Monahan agains NHL competition is tremendously more valuable. We already know everything we need to know about how Monahan compares to other hockey players under 20-years old.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Table 5
• Gets the chance to possibly play in a high-pressure sudden-death situation.
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He has had that experience in many other high-level hockey tournaments, and in international competitions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Table 5
• Gets to represent his country and possibly fulfill a dream (what hockey kid doesnt have great memories of watching the WJCs?).
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He has already represented his country, and will almost certainly have plenty more opportunities to do so again. We really have no idea about how much Monahan pines to play in the WJC, but I suspect that he is already presently fulfilling the biggest dream of his young life right now. If he were still in Ottawa? That would be a different story, but for every kid in his position, the NHL is the goal and HE HAS MADE IT. The WJC is just a stop along the way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Table 5
• Gets the chance to develop his leadership skills.
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The value of this is probably negligible. It's a two-week tournament, and he is only 19-years-old. I seriously doubt that the "leadership experience" gained in two weeks around the New Year of 2014 will have any bearing whatsoever on his ability to lead when he is approaching his mid-twenties; when this team should be starting to re-round into contending form; when it really counts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Table 5
• Gets to see hot swedish babes.
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This part of the world is DARK in the first week of January. There is not much to see at this time of year, and besides, I suspect that this benefit is in fairly sharp contradiction with the supposed "leadership skills" that he is supposed to be simultaneously developing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Table 5
I think those are pretty good reasons. The WJC's might not be the NHL playoffs, but I think they are a great learning experience for a 19 year old.
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Maybe. Maybe not. I'm not convinced that Monahan has anything to gain from going, and I am just as convinced that he has little to lose from staying in the NHL. Let's be honest here: the great incentive for Monahan to participate in the WJC is for the fans. We as fans would get a thrill out of seeing him there; beyond that, I don't think the experience itself is all that beneficial for him from a developmental perspective.