Gio becoming bonafide top 2 D?

[MissTeeks]

From Peter Maher this morning:

Jason Deforest‏@FAN960Jason6h

Peter Maher: "Giordano is getting some consideration by the folks selecting Team Canada. He's in the picture now." #Flames

[The Yen Man]

I know it's a long shot, but man would I ever be happy if Gio somehow made the team.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

I don't know if this is just a phase, or if he's legitimately raised his game after being named captain.

He's had some very long stretches of being a mediocre 2nd pairing guy, but right now he's playing at a level that honest-to-god does put him in the category of Canadian Olympians.

I don't know if he's going to fall back to earth or not, it's a legitimate mystery to me.

But for now, I'm just going to sit in awe, because he is playing AMAZING, and is exactly what this team needs right now. If he makes the Olympics, it will be an even better underdog story than Alexandre Burrows, and without any of the biting or beating up teenage goalies at rec hockey games.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by dammage79

It's a delusion thinking any team will trade their freshly named captain in the same season he was named.

Not that I think Gio will be traded.. but Vanek.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by codynw

Not that I think Gio will be traded.. but Vanek.

Technicality as Ott and Vanek were both named captains. One for home and one for away.

[Cole436]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

From Peter Maher this morning:

Jason Deforest‏@FAN960Jason6h

Peter Maher: "Giordano is getting some consideration by the folks selecting Team Canada. He's in the picture now." #Flames

But does he get enough puck touches?

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

From Peter Maher this morning:

Jason Deforest‏@FAN960Jason6h

Peter Maher: "Giordano is getting some consideration by the folks selecting Team Canada. He's in the picture now." #Flames

Got to hand it to Gio his game has been great this year. Just being considered is a huge step for him.

[Coach]

If they're looking to take a versatile type 7th dman rather than offensive specialists (Subban/Letang), I think Gio is the best of the bunch. I haven't seen much of Vlasic this season, but I can't see how either he or Hamuis are better than Gio. The guy does everything very, very well. He doesn't really have any one top end talent (maybe shot blocking?), but he can contribute to the d-zone, breakout, rush, physicality and scoresheet.

Why do you need defensive liabilities like Subban and Letang when Weber/Pietrangelo/Doughty/Keith can work your powerplay? It makes no sense to take specialist players that have lapses in their game when you have players that can do both. Just like they said with the US team, you need guys to play roles, especially on defense. You can have a run and gun type team, but your defensemen still have to know how to play defense. Especially when goaltending is relatively weak.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Any defenceman on an Olympic roster is one icing call away from taking a defensive zone face off against Malkin, Ovechkin, and Datsyuk. The Russians have also been known in the past to put snipers like Federov and Kovalchuk on the points when there's an advantageous offensive zone face off and they smell blood.

Even against relegation-calibre teams, an unexpected line change can see your defenceman facing Gaborik carrying the puck up the middle at the speed of heat, and trying to decide whether the pass is going to Marian Hossa who is charging the net, or is going to a pinching Lubomir Vishnovsky, all the while aware that a drop pass is going to end up on Chara's stick.

Just about every team at the Olympics can break a game wide open if you give them the slightest chance to do so.

Although he's playing at that level now, I'd be hesitant to put Giordano in those situations.

I don't even want PK Subban in the same building as any of that action.

[saillias]

You could use the same criticisms against several defenders who will be on Team Canada, like Doughty, Keith, Seabrook, Weber. They have achieved demi-god status with the 2010 win but as a group they're not infallible and there's not a generational talent in the mix (Pronger, Lidstrom type).

[BACKCHECK!!!]

I absolutely disagree with Seabrook being on the Olympic team. He was stapled to the bench in 2010 because he was simply not able to play at the Olympic level, and I haven't seen a quantum leap in his level of play since then.

I think people get the impression that Doughty isn't defensively responsible because he's not afraid to handle the puck. He plays a puck-moving game, and will carry it in himself if he thinks it's the right move. There is certainly a debate to be had as to whether his overall game is at the Canadian Olympic level, but there are plenty of defensively responsible players who have played the same style (ie Scott Neidermeyer).


Kieth and Weber, on the other hand, are two of probably the top 10 defencemen in the world. No they're not in the same class as Pronger or Lidstrom in their primes, but now that Chara is getting on in age I honestly don't think that there are any active defencemen currently at that level. The list of defenders I would trust ahead of Weber and Keith is very, very short.

If I had to face a shorthanded defensive zone faceoff against Sedin, Sedin, Zetterberg, Erhoff and Karlsson, then Weber and Keith is exactly the kind of pairing I would want on the ice.

[H2SO4(aq)]

Only two canadian Defensemen have scored more per game than Gio (Subban and Keith). I realize 23 games is a small sample size but he has to be in the fight now.