OK folks. It’s almost time. Team Canada’s selection camp for the upcoming World Junior Championships started yesterday morning and I was able to attend the morning practices, though not the game in the evening. Still, since those two practices are going to be used, in part, to determine who makes this team and who heads back to their CHL clubs (foreshadowing right here), I feel confident making some observations (and small predictions) based on those practices.
If I were building the team today, it would shake out as follows.
In goal, I can’t deny Mark Visentin a second chance. That said, while his redemption story would be wonderful, I need a backup I believe in to ensure Canada gets the job done if Visentin falters. Tyler Bunz is my pick. When it comes to goalies, sometimes the guy you’re familiar with is the better pick, over guys with great practices or great technical skills. I’ve seen Bunz play, I’ve seen him in the playoffs (nearly stealing a series for Medicine Hat against a juggernaut Calgary Hitmen team in 2010). He’s been my pick since he was named to the selection camp roster. One other note about Bunz, he knows Rexall Place and Scotiabank Saddledome. They’re older buildings that have funny boards and funny shadows. He’s got the most experience in these rinks of the four goalies in camp.
My group of defensemen is based largely on Sunday’s practices, and leaves out some guys that are probably going to make the team based on their pedigree. The pairings would be Nathan Beaulieu and Mark Pysyk, Ryans Murray and Murphy, and Joe Morrow with Dougie Hamilton. My seventh defenseman is a toss-up between Mathew Dumba and Cody Ceci. At this moment, the nod goes to Ceci, even though Dumba probably has a better all-around game.
Beaulieu and Pysyk are the rocks. If I had to pick one player as a lock to make this team, I’d pick Pysyk. He does so many things well and is a very good leader. He probably has the best all-around game of all the defensemen in camp. The Ryans are the Ryans. We’ve been hearing about them since last year’s selection camp when they were both very late cuts. Murphy is built-in protection in case Murray gets a little too out-there trying to create, and Murray has the kind of offensive instincts you need your defensemen to have if you want to create a lethal transition game. Morrow and Hamilton are the big guys. Hamilton’s the big body to lean on guys and Morrow is the big shot. I could feel the sound of the thud against the boards whenever Morrow shot a puck wide during practice yesterday. While I typed this paragraph, I reconsidered and flipped back to Dumba over Ceci.
Two notable exceptions are Brandon Gormley and Jamie Oleksiak. Gormley was considered a lock for last year’s team before injury kept him out of camp, and Oleksiak is the 6’7″ giant that gained a lot of attention when he declared he’d try out for Canada instead of the US team. I fully expect at least one of these two guys to make the team. They’re both too good to be left home, but they just didn’t seem to have very much jump Sunday morning.
Up front, I’ve been trying to scribble together some potential line combinations, and I’m just not really sure how it’ll all shake out. I think Mark Scheifele, Quinton Howden, Devante Smith-Pelly, Ryan Strome, Jaden Schwartz, Brett Connolly, and Jonathan Huberdeau (if he’s healthy) will all make this team, leaving six open spots.
I’d pencil in Huberdeau, Scheifele and Smith-Pelly as the 1A line. I like Strome centring the 1B line with Schwartz on his left. On the right side of the second line, I’ve grown to like Phillip Di Giuseppe. Di Guiseppe is a 2012-eligible player who brought a ton to Sunday’s second practice. He has good speed, good instincts, and seems like the kind of player who could have a break-out tournament. For good measure, he opened the scoring in Sunday’s Red and White game and later added an assist. Last year Schwartz was a relative unknown from the NCAA ranks and worked out just fine. It’s not a stretch to think Di Guiseppe could follow his lead.
Mark McNeill had a little chemistry with Connolly and I think he’d be a solid centre for a third line with Howden on the left side. Phillip Danault may be the best faceoff man at camp and I’d expect the team will find a spot for him. I would slot him in as the extra forward, and use him for critical faceoffs. Michael Ferland and Mark Stone are the kinds of players Canada traditionally uses in checking roles, as is Freddie Hamilton (who is also very strong on faceoffs), and I think I’d call that my fourth line and be ready for Boxing Day.
Of course, like the defense corps, the forwards will also have notable cuts. Brett Bulmer started the season in Minnesota, Michael Bournival is a highly-touted prospect. Brendan Gallagher nearly broke camp with Montreal. Max Reinhart is a player with a low national profile, but everyone in the Western League knows who he is (ditto for Rattie). If Connolly or Huberdeau prove too hurt to play, any of these players could step in.
Even if I’m close with the nine defensemen and 18 forwards I’ve listed as sort-of best bets, I don’t envy the coaching staff for having to come up with the final seven and 13. There’s a lot of talent at this camp, and while there’s been some hand-wringing about a perceived lack of depth among the Canadian forwards, Canada will still be very strong up the middle, and should have better depth on the wings and blue lines than most of the other teams in the tournament can offer.
TL;DR
Huberdeau – Scheifele – Smith-Pelly
Schwartz – Strome – Di Giuseppe
Howden – McNeill – Connolly
Ferland – F. Hamilton – Stone
Beaulieu – Pysyk
Murray – Murphy
Morrow – D. Hamilton
Dumba
Visentin
Bunz
sayssteve 