Canada’s Olympic roster has plenty of options — The Fourth Period

Please understand that these are my projections from my perspective. It’s very easy to look at the Four Nations team that won, who’s running this team, and simply put all the same players out regardless of how these players are playing this year. However, this is the Olympics; this is the Stanley Cup in a bottle. You have to be analytical, not driven by heart.

There are two major omissions: Brayden Point and Sam Bennett.

Regardless of his rings or the fact that his Head Coach, Jon Cooper, is leading Team Canada. Point is not driving play, he’s not getting the ice time (from Cooper, two less 5v5 shifts per game taking him down to second-line ice time), and frankly, he wasn’t anything special at Four Nations. There are seven new forwards on this roster who all could produce that or more at these Olympics.

Contrast that to Brandon Hagel, who also is getting less ice time this year yet is crushing his minutes to the point where I am confused as to why Hagel’s not playing more, hence why Hagel is here. I can’t put him ahead of those above him who are producing, and he was solid if unspectacular at the Four Nations (one assist, -2 in four games). He deserves real consideration.

In the case of Bennett, as I’m combing through players to ensure I didn’t forget anyone (Zach Hyman, my fingers are crossed), he was 100% out of sight, out of mind. Three goals and two assists is a good night for Bedard and Celebrini this year. That’s Bennett’s entire season through 18 games. He’s playing just over 16 minutes per game, yes, his analytics are all positive, and yes because of Alex Barkov and Podcast Tkachuk’s injuries he’s playing against tougher opposing forwards which explains less points. What will the Olympics be though? Better teams, better lines.

By comparison, Nick Suzuki is an excellent 200-foot player who’s scoring at 5v5, scoring on the power play, is faster and plays faster (yes there is a difference, and it will expose slow players at the Olympics). Part of why Team Canada beat Team USA in the Four Nations was the four-line depth. At that time, Marner-to-Bennett tying the score 2-2 fourteen minutes into the second period was the (fourth line-provided) burst that Canada needed. The US playing the Nelson-Trocheck-Kreider line and its negligible impact was a huge reason Canada won in OT instead of the U.S. winning in regulation.

Mark Stone is also listed, even though he is currently out with a wrist injury suffered on October 18 against Calgary. Stone is on the LTIR and is considered week-to-week, which gives him plenty of time to get back on the ice and in game shape. Wrist injuries can be tricky though considering the nature of hockey, so that is one to keep an eye on as if he’s healthy, he’s a slow player you want on your team.

The defense is very similar, with only Schaefer being a new face, replacing Travis Sanheim. In an ideal situation, you’re able to bring Schaefer, let him get his feet wet against weaker teams and be depth. Canada’s division includes the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and France, and ideally, I’d love to see Schaefer play against France and Switzerland (though the Swiss are known for their ability to stifle and stimy on the world stage, so proceed with a bit of caution there).

In goal, there is obviously some projection here. Binnington is on the team, locked in. Starter, backup, whatever it is you want him there.

Mackenzie Blackwood is a projection, however based on his season with Colorado last year and the previous belief in him before the pandemic and a trade had an adverse effect on his career, it should surprise no one if he gets hot over the next six weeks and rides that to a spot in Milano and/or Cortina.

That brings us to one of the best goaltenders over the past few seasons. The recent Logan Thompson discourse has frankly melted my brain. Multiple reports have discussed a conversation that Steve Valiquette had on Real Kiper and Bourne back in February about Thompson and his exclusion from Canada’s Four Nations team, and the result is talking heads are speculating that Team Canada’s management team was concerned about having him on the team as a backup, that his personality wouldn’t mesh with that concept.

Look, I don’t know Logan Thompson. What I do know is that, like me, he went to Brock University. Brock, while known for its undefeated football team, is not exactly a hockey hotbed. CIAU hockey is in no way known for developing NHL players (Thompson and Edmonton’s Noah Philp are the only ones I can find who are currently in the NHL). Thompson was an undrafted, non-prospect who made something of himself. Those who know the work ethic, drive, and killer instinct that takes, you want those features in a dressing room, on a team, and on the ice. So, the idea that Thompson has a giant head and won’t play a role on a team, let alone a Team Canada, is frankly baffling. From what Valiquette said, this reads more like there are personal issues there and some lack of trust. As far as the trust goes, judge someone on today, not yesterday. The past does not always predict the future, especially as these are not in any way the same circumstances. Beyond that, if I’m picking a team, I literally do not care whether I like someone or not. If they can go, if they can bring it, then bring them. That’s it.

For fun, this roster has a salary cap of $196,257,137. Talk to me about that $137, agents, the daily stipend wasn’t enough?

(H/t for these to Puckpedia for allowing us to build like we were 12 again.)

A quick timely note

When the story came out about Craig Berube laying into the Toronto Maple Leafs between the second and third period of an Amazon-televised game against Pittsburgh on November 3, especially when people were already saying to fire Berube, his success in that moment told me one thing: He still has the ear of the dressing room. As long as a room will go to bat for a coach, the odds of said coach keeping their job are good.

That being said, after blowing a 2-1 third period lead against the upstart Chicago Blackhawks last night, and having lost five straight games, the talk will start to take on credence. If the losses keep piling up, and get to eight or nine in a row, and/or Berube loses something like 10 out of 12, Leafs’ GM Brad Treliving may have no choice. And with the erstwhile leader of seemingly every conference final losing team of the past decade, Peter DeBoer, quietly awaiting his next opportunity, the time may soon be nigh for Treliving to take one final shot at getting this roster to perform to the level they should be. Regardless, what comes next for Toronto? That sounds like a great topic for a future article…

And finally…

The NHL lost a giant amongst its writers this past week, as Larry Brooks of the New York Post died after a brief battle with cancer. Brooks was fearless, acerbic, willing to call you out in print and then show up the next day to talk about it to your face. His career lasted as long as it did because players respected him, which speaks to his knowledge of the game and the fact that he was tough but fair.

If you’ve never seen this clip, it’s Larry Brooks in a nutshell. Rest in Piece, Larry Brooks.