Next Friday starts one of the best periods on the hockey calendar – the World Junior Championships, which are being played this winter in Ottawa. If you have the NHL Network, you will be able to see all Team USA games and the entire medal round.
And while you are watching these teenagers compete, your thoughts will probably shift to the pros taking the ice in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. With that mind, we present our initial thoughts on the American roster…
(All stats through Monday, December 15th)
C – Paul Stastny, Colorado: While the Canadians are insanely deep down the middle, Team USA management may struggle to find four pivots playing well come February ’10. Stastny, though, is the lone lock for the squad at this point with 97 points in his first 96 NHL games. The question is, can he handle top-line minutes in an international competition of this magnitude?
C – Scott Gomez, NY Rangers: Gomez’s numbers as a Ranger are not overly impressive (especially that -10 this year), but he is still a world-class playmaker when paired with the right wingers.
C – Chris Drury, NY Rangers: Makes the squad now because he is still one of the most clutch players in the game. Could be the captain of this team.
C – Joe Pavelski, San Jose: The Wisconsin native is excelling in second-line duties for the unconscious Sharks.
LW – Zach Parise, New Jersey: If NHL players go to Sochi, Russia in 2014, Parise may have the ‘C’ on his chest. In Vancouver, he’ll have to settle for first-line LW.
LW – Brian Rolston, New Jersey: Rolston can play any forward spot, but we’ll place him here because there are few LW options right now. The 35-year-old brings leadership,can kill penalties, and might be the best option on the power-play blueline.
LW – Dustin Brown, Los Angeles: Last year’s leader in hits will provide some offense on top of his physicality.
LW – Ryan Malone, Tampa Bay: Malone is not building on last year’s breakout campaign yet with the Lightning, but he earns a spot nonetheless for his size and grit. This team will have enough small, speedy playmakers; it could use a big dude in front of the net.
RW – Patrick Kane, Chicago: Another young player that Team USA will have to count on for production. Kane is an all-world skater, and his supreme talent with the puck will shine against top competition.
RW – Phil Kessel, Boston: No one is hotter than Kessel with points in 14 consecutive games (11G, 9A total). Is an option at his natural position (center) as well.
RW – Jason Pominville, Buffalo: Pominville is a consistent goal-scorer and can handle the point on the power-play.
RW – Brian Gionta, New Jersey: The tiny Devil gets the last RW spot because he is starting to re-discover his scoring touch. And worst case scenario, he is always responsible on the ice, as evidenced by his +14 rating.
D – Brian Rafalski, Detroit: There is depth on the American blueline, but Rafalski is the lone stud. It is imperative that management convinces him to play in this tournament.
D – Mike Komisarek, Montreal: Rafalski can think more offense and leave the shutdown work to Komisarek.
D – Keith Ballard, Florida: If it does not happen before then, Ballard will fully announce himself to the hockey world in Vancouver. His play’s not flashy, it’s just solid.
D – Paul Martin, New Jersey: Yes, another Devil, but Martin is too strong in his own end to ignore.
D – Matt Carle, Philadelphia: Carle’s development is apparently back on track now that he is a Flyer. By early 2010, he should be as good as any initiating the rush.
D – Erik Johnson, St. Louis: This year’s ACL injury robbed Johnson of a huge year in his development, but he should be back to top form in time for Vancouver.
G – Ryan Miller, Buffalo: The Sabre can be shaky, but he is the best option between the pipes as of today, partly because Rick DiPietro cannot stay healthy on Long Island.
G – Tim Thomas, Boston: This might be the biggest stretch of these picks, but Thomas is a Vezina front-runner this season and is the only other option if DiPietro is hurt again.
EXTRAS: Ryan Kesler, Patrick O’Sullivan, Christopher Higgins, Peter Mueller, John-Michael Liles, Ryan Whitney, Rick DiPietro
The actual final roster will not have the established star power of the Canadian and Russian versions, but this will be a well-rounded group, with guys who fit into their respective roles very well. However, the bronze may be the most realistic expectation unless another top-notch center emerges and one of the goaltending possibilities proves he can carry the team.
* * *
The Shootout…No surprise that the Stars are parting ways with Sean Avery, but is a surprise that they will continue to honor his contract – which they should since they knew what they were getting into when they signed Avery over the summer. It says here that Avery won’t play in the NHL again this season. Maybe some time in Europe (being a good boy) can get Avery back in GMs’ good graces…
It appears we will get a Mats Sundin decision Thursday, with the Canucks and Rangers the finalists for his services. Vancouver is offering more money, but New York is the sexier option for Sundin. It’s Broadway and there is more talent from top to bottom on the Ranger roster. Plus, the Blueshirts have a slightly easier road to the Stanley Cup. From the Ranger perspective, though, is this truly the move the team needs to make? Yes, their offense is rather anemic (just 91 goals after Tuesday’s win in Anaheim), but they should be good enough with Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Brandon Dubinsky and Blair Betts. The issue is on the wing, and as talented as Sundin is, his presence cannot erase that lack of production (excluding Nikolai Zherdev). Drury could move to right wing if Sundin is signed, but he has been out there more than once this season with little effect. The Rangers should only add Sundin if they know they cannot land Marian Gaborik, Ilya Kovalchuk, or another sniper…
Once the Sundin Sweepstakes end, we will apparently begin waiting on Peter Forsberg to return to the ice. This Swedish center recently said he wants to play again and that he has “the best doctor in the world” working on his troublesome right foot. The Forsberg Waiting Game is now an annual event, and it always seems to end with a foot setback or a new injury. Every professional athlete deserves to end his career on his own terms. Sometimes, though, it would be nice if they left sooner rather than later so our memories are only of them at their peak…
Finally, best of luck to tough guy Brian McGrattan, who entered the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program over the weekend. There is nothing easy about admitting you have a problem. And kudos to the League and the Players’ Association for developing this program, which allows players to seek help while staying on their team’s payroll.
Don’t forget, send your questions, comments, gripes, etc. to boguschhockey@gmail.com
And while you are watching these teenagers compete, your thoughts will probably shift to the pros taking the ice in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. With that mind, we present our initial thoughts on the American roster…
(All stats through Monday, December 15th)
C – Paul Stastny, Colorado: While the Canadians are insanely deep down the middle, Team USA management may struggle to find four pivots playing well come February ’10. Stastny, though, is the lone lock for the squad at this point with 97 points in his first 96 NHL games. The question is, can he handle top-line minutes in an international competition of this magnitude?
C – Scott Gomez, NY Rangers: Gomez’s numbers as a Ranger are not overly impressive (especially that -10 this year), but he is still a world-class playmaker when paired with the right wingers.
C – Chris Drury, NY Rangers: Makes the squad now because he is still one of the most clutch players in the game. Could be the captain of this team.
C – Joe Pavelski, San Jose: The Wisconsin native is excelling in second-line duties for the unconscious Sharks.
LW – Zach Parise, New Jersey: If NHL players go to Sochi, Russia in 2014, Parise may have the ‘C’ on his chest. In Vancouver, he’ll have to settle for first-line LW.
LW – Brian Rolston, New Jersey: Rolston can play any forward spot, but we’ll place him here because there are few LW options right now. The 35-year-old brings leadership,can kill penalties, and might be the best option on the power-play blueline.
LW – Dustin Brown, Los Angeles: Last year’s leader in hits will provide some offense on top of his physicality.
LW – Ryan Malone, Tampa Bay: Malone is not building on last year’s breakout campaign yet with the Lightning, but he earns a spot nonetheless for his size and grit. This team will have enough small, speedy playmakers; it could use a big dude in front of the net.
RW – Patrick Kane, Chicago: Another young player that Team USA will have to count on for production. Kane is an all-world skater, and his supreme talent with the puck will shine against top competition.
RW – Phil Kessel, Boston: No one is hotter than Kessel with points in 14 consecutive games (11G, 9A total). Is an option at his natural position (center) as well.
RW – Jason Pominville, Buffalo: Pominville is a consistent goal-scorer and can handle the point on the power-play.
RW – Brian Gionta, New Jersey: The tiny Devil gets the last RW spot because he is starting to re-discover his scoring touch. And worst case scenario, he is always responsible on the ice, as evidenced by his +14 rating.
D – Brian Rafalski, Detroit: There is depth on the American blueline, but Rafalski is the lone stud. It is imperative that management convinces him to play in this tournament.
D – Mike Komisarek, Montreal: Rafalski can think more offense and leave the shutdown work to Komisarek.
D – Keith Ballard, Florida: If it does not happen before then, Ballard will fully announce himself to the hockey world in Vancouver. His play’s not flashy, it’s just solid.
D – Paul Martin, New Jersey: Yes, another Devil, but Martin is too strong in his own end to ignore.
D – Matt Carle, Philadelphia: Carle’s development is apparently back on track now that he is a Flyer. By early 2010, he should be as good as any initiating the rush.
D – Erik Johnson, St. Louis: This year’s ACL injury robbed Johnson of a huge year in his development, but he should be back to top form in time for Vancouver.
G – Ryan Miller, Buffalo: The Sabre can be shaky, but he is the best option between the pipes as of today, partly because Rick DiPietro cannot stay healthy on Long Island.
G – Tim Thomas, Boston: This might be the biggest stretch of these picks, but Thomas is a Vezina front-runner this season and is the only other option if DiPietro is hurt again.
EXTRAS: Ryan Kesler, Patrick O’Sullivan, Christopher Higgins, Peter Mueller, John-Michael Liles, Ryan Whitney, Rick DiPietro
The actual final roster will not have the established star power of the Canadian and Russian versions, but this will be a well-rounded group, with guys who fit into their respective roles very well. However, the bronze may be the most realistic expectation unless another top-notch center emerges and one of the goaltending possibilities proves he can carry the team.
* * *
The Shootout…No surprise that the Stars are parting ways with Sean Avery, but is a surprise that they will continue to honor his contract – which they should since they knew what they were getting into when they signed Avery over the summer. It says here that Avery won’t play in the NHL again this season. Maybe some time in Europe (being a good boy) can get Avery back in GMs’ good graces…
It appears we will get a Mats Sundin decision Thursday, with the Canucks and Rangers the finalists for his services. Vancouver is offering more money, but New York is the sexier option for Sundin. It’s Broadway and there is more talent from top to bottom on the Ranger roster. Plus, the Blueshirts have a slightly easier road to the Stanley Cup. From the Ranger perspective, though, is this truly the move the team needs to make? Yes, their offense is rather anemic (just 91 goals after Tuesday’s win in Anaheim), but they should be good enough with Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Brandon Dubinsky and Blair Betts. The issue is on the wing, and as talented as Sundin is, his presence cannot erase that lack of production (excluding Nikolai Zherdev). Drury could move to right wing if Sundin is signed, but he has been out there more than once this season with little effect. The Rangers should only add Sundin if they know they cannot land Marian Gaborik, Ilya Kovalchuk, or another sniper…
Once the Sundin Sweepstakes end, we will apparently begin waiting on Peter Forsberg to return to the ice. This Swedish center recently said he wants to play again and that he has “the best doctor in the world” working on his troublesome right foot. The Forsberg Waiting Game is now an annual event, and it always seems to end with a foot setback or a new injury. Every professional athlete deserves to end his career on his own terms. Sometimes, though, it would be nice if they left sooner rather than later so our memories are only of them at their peak…
Finally, best of luck to tough guy Brian McGrattan, who entered the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program over the weekend. There is nothing easy about admitting you have a problem. And kudos to the League and the Players’ Association for developing this program, which allows players to seek help while staying on their team’s payroll.
Don’t forget, send your questions, comments, gripes, etc. to boguschhockey@gmail.com
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