Entry posted by Jason Chen
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Another week and the list continues to get shorter. This final week of scouting and evaluation will be absolutely vital for Olympic hopefuls, especially for bubble players like Drew Doughty, struggling veterans like Brenden Morrow and Shane Doan, and players who have clawed their way into consideration, like Patrice Bergeron.
GOALTENDERS
1 (1) Martin Brodeur, NJ (.887 SV% isn't pretty, but chalk up two more wins for Canada's starter)
2 (3) Marc-Andre Fleury, Pit (3 straight wins over rivals with only 4 GA in that span)
3 (2) Roberto Luongo, Van (2.29 GAA and .920 SV%, but team can't find consistency)
There's no denying that Brodeur's the starter. But who's the backup? Do you go with big game experience with Fleury or the big talent with Luongo? That's a question that Mike Babcock will have to decide. Either way, he's seen enough of Luongo in the West and Fleury in the Cup finals to make an informed decision.
<img src="http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/81543922.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1934B869679A269F9CC97725D4CC68B1803B01E70F2B3269972" class="imageFloatLeftFramed">DEFENSEMEN
1 (2) Duncan Keith, Chi (there's really no stopping this guy - 2nd to Boyle in West scoring among d-men)
2 (3) Shea Weber, Nsh (the Preds are rolling and he's +7 in December)
3 (4) Brent Seabrook, Chi (will play shutdown role if selected, +13 is second to Toews on Hawks)
4 (1) Mike Green, Wsh (a really quiet week in which the Caps offense was shut down)
5 (5) Dan Boyle, SJ (how good is he against tough competition? Faces off against Keith tonight)
6 (7) Drew Doughty, LA (zero-point week is a minor blip, comparisons to Niedermayer aren't premature)
7 (8) Chris Pronger, Phi (he's a lock, but his recent play suggests otherwise)
8 (6) Jay Bouwmeester, Cgy (an ugly -4 week but still the front-runner from the Flames)
9 (12) Dion Phaneuf, Cgy (two PPG is nice, but Canada not short on offense)
10 (11) Scott Niedermayer, Ana (-7 in December. Selection or non-selection will both spark debate)
11 (13) Robyn Regehr, Cgy (his shut-down role already taken by Seabrook)
Drew Doughty is the player to watch here because he might be a better pick than Jay Bouwmeester. There are four locks as of now: Niedermayer, Pronger, Weber, and Keith. That's your top four core right there and the next three will depend on what sort of team Steve Yzerman wants to ice. Boyle would be a lock if it weren't for Mike Green because both players dominate in the offensive zone but not so much in their own. I left Regehr on the list because I think he could be a surprise pick but I'm not totally convinced yet.
FORWARDS
1 (1) Sidney Crosby, Pit (despite only 11 PP points he's still fourth in league scoring)
2 (2) Joe Thornton, SJ (just one game last week but had a hand in all 4 SJ goals)
3 (3) Jonathan Toews, Chi (slow starter was confident in abilities - 18 points in last 19 games)
4 (5) Martin St. Louis, TB (he's a bubble player but his 38 points are tied with Perry)
5 (7) Ryan Getzlaf, Ana (and the goals come rushing in - 3-game goal streak)
6 (11) Jarome Iginla, Cgy (his bounce back ability is amazing - 5 points this week)
7 (10) Rick Nash, Cbs (-11 isn't pretty but pair him with Crosby and it'll be magic)
8 (12) Patrick Marleau, SJ (if Canada takes Marleau, they should keep the SJ line together)
9 (4) Dany Heatley, SJ (a rare-0 goal week but still only 3 away from league lead)
10 (6) Corey Perry, Ana (just 1 assist and -3 but he's got the right mix)
11 (13) Mike Fisher, Ott (season's no fluke - scoring 5 goals in each month)
12 (16) Mike Richards, Phi (keeps fading - point totals last three months: 12, 11, 8)
13 (22) Steve Stamkos, TB (probably in line for a disappointing cut, but he's a lock for 2014)
14 (23) Jordan Staal, Pit (like brother Eric he's been surging but he's more versatile)
15 (24) Patrice Bergeron, Bos (TSN's favourite boy is picking it up but a depth player at best)
16 (15) Brad Richards, Dal (is he back? Offensively yes, but defense not quite)
17 (9) Mike Cammalleri, Mtl (30 points is great but only 5th among Canadian LWs)
18 (8) Dustin Penner, Edm (how, when, where do you play him? Tough questions for enigma)
19 (21) Brenden Morrow, Dal (not so hot outside of Dallas - 11 points in 19 away games)
20 (17) Jeff Carter, Phi (he'd be a good linemate for M. Richards... but that's about it)
21 (25) Shane Doan, Phx (he's a solid player but he's not producing)
The two most notable omissions are Vincent Lecavalier and Eric Staal. Despite Staal's recent surge I don't think either player has shown enough to warrant a spot on this team. They've been disappointing all year and Canada has the luxury of depth, much to the two big centres' dismay. I've left Penner and Cammalleri on the list because I think they should be considered. Both are dark horses but have performed extremely well with little or zero help. They are the only two bright spots for what will seem like disappointing season for the Oilers and Habs. I've also kept Jeff Carter because most pundits still have him on their lists even though I don't think his play warrants any more consideration. There are other players out there that can put the puck in the net. Definitive locks are Nash, Crosby, Iginla. I would put Joe Thornton in that group but Hockey Canada has always seemed adverse to selecting him, God knows why. Getzlaf, Perry, and Heatley are three others that I would consider locks, but not in the same group as Crosby and co.
As promised, my picks for Sweden, Czech Republic, and Russia:
CZECH REPUBLIC
G Ondrej Pavelec, Atl
G Marek Schwarz, Mlada Boleslav (Extraliga)
G Tomas Vokoun, Fla*
D Roman Hamrlik, Mtl
D Tomas Kaberle, Tor – A*
D Filip Kuba, Ott*
D Pavel Kubina, Atl*
D Zbynek Michalek, Phx
D Jaroslav Spacek, Mtl*
D Marek Zidlicky, Min*
C Jiri Hudler, Dynamo Moscow (KHL)
C David Krejci, Bos
C Tomas Plekanec, Mtl
C Josef Vasicek, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)
LW Patrik Elias, NJ*
LW Milan Michalek, Ott
LW Vaclav Prospal, NYR*
RW Radek Dvorak, Fla
RW Martin Erat, Nsh*
RW Tomas Fleischmann, Wsh
RW Martin Havlat, Min
RW Milan Hejduk, Col - A*
RW Jaromir Jagr, Avangard Omsk (KHL) – C*
RUSSIA
G Ilya Bryzgalov, Phx*
G Evgeni Nabokov, SJ*
G Semyon Varlamov, Was
D Sergei Gonchar, Pit – A*
D Denis Grebeshkov, Edm
D Dmitri Kalinin, Salavat Yulayev Ufa (KHL)
D Fedor Tyutin, Cbs*
D Vitaly Vishnevsky, Lokomotiv Yaroslav (KHL)
D Anton Volchenkov, Ott*
D Sergei Zubov, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)
C Pavel Datsyuk, Det*
C Viktor Kozlov, Salavat Yulayev Ufa (KHL)*
C Evgeni Malkin, Pit*
LW Alexander Frolov, LA*
LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Atl – C*
LW Sergei Mozyakin, Atlant Mytishchi (KHL)
LW Alexander Ovechkin, Was*
RW Maxim Afinogenov, Atl*
RW Evgeny Artyukhin, Ana
RW Alexei Kovalev, Ott – A*
RW Alexei Morozov, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)
RW Alexander Radulov, Salavat Yulayev Ufa (KHL)
RW Alexander Semin, Was
SWEDEN
G Jacob Markstrom, Brynas IF (SEL)
G Henrik Lundqvist, NYR
G Mikael Tellqvist, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)*
D Alexander Edler, Van
D Tobias Enstrom, Atl
D Jonathan Ericsson, Det
D Kim Johnsson, Min*
D Nicklas Lidstrom, Det – C*
D Johnny Oduya, NJ
D Mattias Ohlund, TB*
C Nicklas Backstrom, Was
C Johan Davidsson, HV 71 (SEL)
C Henrik Sedin, Van*
C Samuel Pahlsson, Cbs*
C Henrik Zetterberg, Det – A*
LW Loui Eriksson, Dal
LW Tomas Holmstrom, Det
LW Fredrik Modin, Cbs*
LW Marcus Nilson, Djurgardens IF (SEL)
LW Daniel Sedin, Van*
LW Fredrik Sjostrom, Cgy
RW Daniel Alfredsson, Ott –A*
RW Mikael Samuelsson, Van*
* = 2006 Olympian
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