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Virtanen the only Canuck invited to Team Canada's WJC Selection Camp


avelanch

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Center depth is very concerning. I'm assuming they'll move Reinhart to RW:

Domi - McDavid - Reinhart

Dal Colle - Petan - Virtanen

_______ - ??????? - _______

_______ - Gauthier - _______

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I am puzzled as to why they took so many LWs.

This team is LHS-heavy, and I mean HEAVY.

Only 5 of the players invited to camp shoot right... Madison Bowey (D), Sam Reinhart ©, Brayden Point ©, Jake Virtanen (listed as RW but plays LW in Calgary I think?), Nick Baptiste.

They have 2 RWs at camp and 2Cs that shoot right - meaning the RWs are locks to make the team and some of the LWs will fill up the rest of the RW spots...

Would have thought they'd give RHS centers a shot to fill that role instead - like our own Jared McCann.

McCann is left handed.

Bob Mckenzie said teams have until Dec 19 to let team Canada know if they will loan players. Horvat, Lazar, Duclair are all up for debate.

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Fabbri and Chartier would both be very good fits down the middle.

I guess. It's just that after McDavid (6'0") and Petan (5'9") in the top 6, I feel like we need some size down the middle in the bottom 6 like Gauthier (6'4"), but both Fabbri and Chartier are just 5'10".

Maybe it won't matter in junior, especially if we surround them with big wingers like Ritchie.

McCann is left handed.

Bob Mckenzie said teams have until Dec 19 to let team Canada know if they will loan players. Horvat, Lazar, Duclair are all up for debate.

Well there goes my theory :lol: thanks.

Isn't Drouin also still eligible? He's not playing big minutes right now and TBL could probably afford to loan him - they've done it before with Connolly.

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The opening post in this thread was:

that was more directed at subban and horvat (confusion around eligible players currently in the nhl) confirmable by checking my comments in the subban thread, and lack of a comment in the McCann thread.

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I guess. It's just that after McDavid (6'0") and Petan (5'9") in the top 6, I feel like we need some size down the middle in the bottom 6 like Gauthier (6'4"), but both Fabbri and Chartier are just 5'10".

Maybe it won't matter in junior, especially if we surround them with big wingers like Ritchie.

Well there goes my theory :lol: thanks.

Isn't Drouin also still eligible? He's not playing big minutes right now and TBL could probably afford to loan him - they've done it before with Connolly.

Yup in fact Mackinnon is also available which is highly unlikely he will be available. All depends on whether Tampa wants to loan Drouin, and whether it will help the team and him personally. Drouin has been a healthy scratch a few times for Tampa often playing on the fourth line. So I wouldn't be surprised if he was loaned. Guys like Lazar, Horvat and Duclair are playing more prominent roles and more critical to their respective teams at the moment than Drouin is atm

Canada still waiting for the likes of Duclair LW, Horvat C, and Lazar RW. Which is probably why they left some other notable players off the list like McCann, Ho Sang, Bleakley, Hawyrluk etc.

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Kind of what I expected. Mccann was off to a slow start so he had no chance, and Subban didn't have much of a chance anyways.

If Horvat is going to be on the 4th line for the rest of December then I hope they let him go.

So top 6 I'm guessing will be:

Dal Colle - McDavid(hopefully) - Reinhart

Domi - Petan - Virtanen

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Not sure why Crouse (or even Gauthier) are on the team.

Gauthier for one is a returnee, which acts like a veteran presence for the team.

He is an awesome PK player, plays physical and is guy you want out for the defensive draws. Do we honestly want McDavid or Reinhart taking those draws. Not really. Gauthier is probably the best defensive forward in that forward group, and very much could be the shutdown center if Horvat isn't loaned by Vancouver.

There are quite of few big centers in the WJC like Eichel, Tuch, Larkin, Ratanen, Kempe. McDavid, Reinhart, Petan more likely our top three centres aren't all that big or strong for that matter. Gauthier's size and strength becomes that much more appealing for us to take with us even if he is a 13th forward.

Offense can score goals but you also need good defensive forwards to protect leads which was a constant problem for team Canada last year.

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Subban did everything he could and the fact that they took an even smaller Hicketts who shoots Left is a slap in the face in my opinion.

It's not like Subban lacks HC pedigree, he's played for them all throughout his career and not to mention his brothers' pasts.

What else could Subban have done.

Not saying he was going to make the team, but an invite as a courtesy.

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Subban did everything he could and the fact that they took an even smaller Hicketts who shoots Left is a slap in the face in my opinion.

It's not like Subban lacks HC pedigree, he's played for them all throughout his career and not to mention his brothers' pasts.

What else could Subban have done.

Not saying he was going to make the team, but an invite as a courtesy.

Invite as a courtesy? Why?? They're trying to build a winning team and if the management does not think J.Subban adds to that, why give him a pat on the back and waste a spot they're using on someone they think can actually contribute?

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Assuming Bo and Lazar are loaned to Team Canada:

Domi-Mcdavid-Virtanen

Dal Colle-reinhart-Lazar

Gauthier-Horvat-Petan

Klimchuk-Dickinson-Ritchie

extra: Elie/Fabri

Nurse-Bowey

Fleury-Morrissey

Sanheim-Theodore

extra: Bigras

Fucale

Comrie

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Subban is not better than Hicketts. If it wasn't for his size and a injury, that caused Hicketts to miss most of his draft year who would be a top 3 round type of guy. He has great character and has represented Hockey Canada at multiply event and he plays a 200 foot game. (i've been following Hicketts since he played Bantam AAA for a Kamloops team that had Gropp and someone, else i forget who) Even Benning says Subban needs to work on this Defence.

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