Pick Your 2018 Team Canada Olympic Men's Hockey Team

[P-DAZZLE]

The Olympic Hockey Tournament is going to look very different from how it has for the past five instalments. Just for fun over the Christmas lull in NHL hockey action, let's pretend this tournament was the same as in years past and that everyone is eligible to go (NHL and KHL). Pick your team of 13 forwards, 7 defencemen, and 3 goalies.
Try to pick the team you think would be going/should be going based on how the teams have been selected in the past. That means don't pick Monahan and Giordano because you love the Flames, unless you actually think they would/should be going.

I'll start:

TEAM CANADA

Forwards:
Marchand-Crosby-Bergeron
Hall-McDavid-Stamkos
Tavares-Seguin-MacKinnon
Schenn-Toews-Stone
Scheifele

Defensemen:
Keith-Doughty
Pietrangelo-Burns
Vlasic-Weber
Subban

Goaltenders:
Price
Crawford
Holtby

[Da_Chief]

McDavid-Crosby-Seguin
Hall-Tavares-Stamkos
Schwartz-Getzlaf-Giroux
Marchand-Scheifele-Benn
Schenn-Monahan-Stone

These would be the top 8 guys. No idea who would play where.
Pietrangelo-Doughty
Vlasic-Subban
Burns-Parayko
Keith-Giordano

Price
Holtby
Murray

[flamesfan1297]

If that was the team we sent they'd destroy everyone. Really wish NHL players were going to the Olympics

[AC]

Its a real shame Giordano never got picked for a team in these high end tournaments.

He absolutely deserved to the last couple. Instead they wanted to keep key pairs like Seabrook/Keith, and Doughty/Muzzin...

[Greybeard]

Depressing to think we are not going to see these guys play!!!

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by AC

Its a real shame Giordano never got picked for a team in these high end tournaments.

He absolutely deserved to the last couple. Instead they wanted to keep key pairs like Seabrook/Keith, and Doughty/Muzzin...

Giordano was, for a period of 3 years, the best Canadian left D. Injuries and politics kept him out.

[jlh2640]

Forwards:
Marchand-Crosby-Stamkos
Tavares-McDavid Giroux
Benn- Toews - Seguin
Monahan- Getzlaf- McKinnon
Scheifele- Bergeron


Defensemen:
Keith-Doughty
Bouwmeester- Pietrangelo
Giordano -Weber
Burns

Goaltenders:
Price
Murray
Holtby

[P-DAZZLE]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Giordano was, for a period of 3 years, the best Canadian left D. Injuries and politics kept him out.

Guys like Giordano and Subban are absolutely amazing d-men and don't get picked. I feel like there are always forwards that go without being picked and people complain, but on D it seems more egregious because they often pick really innocuous, steady but not standout guys in their place.

[Party Elephant]

Originally Posted by jlh2640

Forwards:
Marchand-Crosby-Stamkos
Tavares-McDavid Giroux
Benn- Toews - Seguin
Monahan- Getzlaf- McKinnon
Scheifele- Bergeron


Defensemen:
Keith-Doughty
Bouwmeester- Pietrangelo
Giordano -Weber
Burns

Goaltenders:
Price
Murray
Holtby

Bouwmeester shouldn't even be in the discussion as he has barely played this season.

[jlh2640]

Originally Posted by Party Elephant

Bouwmeester shouldn't even be in the discussion as he has barely played this season.

I would take him as Piets partner and his skating makes him easier to pick then Vlasic

[codynw]

McDavid/ McDavid / McDavid
McDavid/ McDavid / McDavid
McDavid/ McDavid / McDavid
McDavid/ McDavid / McDavid

McDavid/ McDavid
McDavid/ McDavid
McDavid / McDavid

McDavid
McDavid

Originally Posted by Party Elephant

Bouwmeester shouldn't even be in the discussion as he has barely played this season.

He's also not good anymore.

[united]

Stamkos - Crosby - MacKinnon
Hall - McDavid - Tavares
Marchand - Bergeron - Schwartz
Couturier - Getzlaf - Scheifele
Stone

Giordano - Doughty
Subban - Pietrangelo
Keith - Hamilton
Burns

Price
Murray
Crawford

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by AC

Its a real shame Giordano never got picked for a team in these high end tournaments.

He absolutely deserved to the last couple. Instead they wanted to keep key pairs like Seabrook/Keith, and Doughty/Muzzin...

Agreed. But considering how dominant those teams were kind of hard to argue with the results.

[Party Elephant]

Originally Posted by jlh2640

I would take him as Piets partner and his skating makes him easier to pick then Vlasic

In that case Colton Parayko would be a better choice, as he has been paired with Pietrangelo all season.

[Eric Vail]

Three out of four teams have picked Hall in this tread. It was laughable that he be included last time because of his brutal two way game. Has he really improved that much in Jersey?

These are the top Canadian left winger scorers over the past two seasons:
1 Brad Marchant 117
2 Jamie Benn101
3 Jaden Schwartz 90
4 Jeff Skinner 89
5 Taylor Hall 87
6 Mike Hoffman 85

After #6, the group drops off a bit.

If you look at all Canadian forwards, Hall comes in at #17 with Toews and Bergeron coming in later that that, and most would include these two for their tremendous defensive games.

I wouldn't put Hall on my Canadian team. He is one dimensional, and not great at that dimension.

[killer_carlson]

I also wouldn't put Hall on my team. Off ice concerns

[CN10]

It's really too bad this tournament is no longer best against best. Go Mason Raymond I guess...

Otherwise, my Team Canada for international size ice would look like:

Marchand - Crosby - Bergeron
McDavid - Tavares - Stamkos
Benn - Seguin - MacKinnon
Schenn - Toews - Scheifele
x- Giroux

Keith - Pietrangelo
Muzzin - Doughty
Giordano - Burns
x- Subban

Price
Holtby
Murray

[no_joke]

When this discussion comes up, I like to beam with pride at the Canadian "B" team and their medal prospects.

[The Cobra]

I am surprised that most are leaving Weber off their lists.

The Weber-Keith combo was Canada's best pairing I thought 4 years ago.

[Machiavelli]

^ 4 years ago