Nhl 2004 rebuilt 2016 world cup of hockey 2016
He'll give the team a reliable presence between the pipes. Once the guys get in the room though, they might be inspired by the assembled talent and the chance to make noise in a way that they probably couldn't with their own national teams.ĭenmark's Frederik Andersen might not be a star, but he's proven himself a solid NHL starter. That won't be easy, especially when players like Mark Streit and Marian Hossa have spoken out against the concept. Team Europe leadership ready to build World Cup squad from scratch “We have to make it so this new logo is something to play for.”
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The challenge now? “We have a new group of players who have just played against each other,” he said. He ended up drawing from seven different nations to form his original 16. The Skinny: Team Europe GM Miroslav Satan had his choice of players from every country outside of Russia, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic. Goalies: Frederik Andersen (Anaheim Ducks) Jaroslav Halak (New York Islanders) Most of those players will show up in the second group, but the competition for jobs speaks well for the depth and potential of this team. Several surprising snubs on the early roster, including Philadelphia's Shayne Gostisbehere, Edmonton's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Florida's Jonathan Huberdeau and Columbus' Boone Jenner. And that's where this team could find itself in trouble. But now they have to prove themselves in a big moment against Jonathan Toews, Anze Kopitar and Kane. These are all capable players who have shown they can handle big moments at various levels. And up front there are some of the most gifted offensive talents in the game, including Johnny Gaudreau, the NHL's sixth leading scorer with 63 points, and three additional 20-goal men: Brandon Saad, Sean Monahan and Nathan MacKinnon.Īnd then there's McDavid, the brilliant rookie who is averaging 3.68 points per 60 minutes, second only to NHL leading scorer Patrick Kane.Ĭlearly there's enough manpower on the North American bench to surprise any team in the tournament. The defense is loaded with size, speed and playmaking ability, led by the 20-going-on-30 Aaron Ekblad. It starts in net where Team NA boasts an All-Star in Anaheim's John Gibson alongside Connor Hellebuyck, who won seven games and posted a 1.37 GAA while helping Team USA to an unlikely bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships. But we have the talent to surprise people." "People aren't expecting too much from us.
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The Skinny: " There's not a whole lot for us to lose in this situation," Connon McDavid said of the makeshift U-23 squad. We'll see how this inspires their performance down the stretch.ĥ:52 PM: Even before the first puck has been dropped, the NHL and NHLPA are committing to making the World Cup a quadrennial event. Odds are most of them will be part of the second group, but there are no guarantees when Canadian teams are assembled. Subban weren't part of this initial group, or why streaking stars like Brad Marchand, Claude Giroux, Brent Burns or Taylor Hall were overlooked. There are bound to be questions about why Sochi veterans like Corey Perry and P.K. Any time a Canadian squad is selected, there are players left at home who probably deserved a spot at the table. No other squad can match this depth or their championship experience. It's a group that features two 30-goal scorers (Benn, Seguin) and five additional 20-goal men (Stamkos, Bergeron, Crosby, Toews and Tavares). Up front, there are seven returnees and two new faces-Steven Stamkos and Tyler Seguin. Impossible to quibble with their selection. It's an embarrassment of riches that no other country can match.ĭoughty, Keith, Weber and Vlasic formed Canada's top-four in Sochi. If not, Canada can "fall back" on Braden Holtby, who is on target to set a single-season wins mark, or Corey Crawford, who has backstopped a pair of Stanley Cup champions. GM Doug Armstrong played it safe-and smart-relying heavily on the core of the squad that dominated in Sochi.Ĭarey Price is a question mark because of his lingering lower-body injury, but is the obvious starter if he's good to go.
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Given the talent he had to work with, there was really no way to screw this early group up. My wife could've named Canada's first 16. The Skinny: Coach Mike Babcock said Canada's early roster selections were a breeze.