Team Canada 2014: Defenseman #5

[Vancouver Blazers]

Let's elect a Team Canada 2014 roster.

14 forwards, 7 defensemen, 3 goalies.

Pick #5 defenseman.

Forwards:
1. Sidney Crosby
2. Steven Stamkos
3. Jonathan Toews
4. Claude Giroux
5. John Tavares
6. Corey Perry
7. Mike Richards
8. Jason Spezza

Defensemen:
1. Shea Weber
2. Alex Pietrangelo
3. Drew Doughty
4. Duncan Keith

Goalies:
1. Carey Price
2. Cam Ward
3. Roberto Luongo

[MastuhNinks]

Letang

After this is where it gets interesting, you could make the argument for a few guys, whereas IMO this top 5 is pretty clear.

[Hurt]

Voting Girardi because why not .

[Mattb124]

I voted Boyle, partly homer but partly because of how consistently good her has been over the past decade or so. This isn't an exercise where we are evaluating a 36 yo for a 5 year contract.

[skip2mybordeleau]

this has to be letang

[WTFetus]

Letang then Seabrook

[TheyAreGoodScaryGood]

Letang, add myers

[Izzy Mandelbaum]

Letang. Tempted to vote Campbell though

[Vancouver Blazers]

Originally Posted by TheyAreGoodScaryGood

Letang, add myers

Good idea... don't think Myers and his bulky frame would fare too well on international ice but he's gotta be a better option than Girardi or Staal.

[Machinehead]

Originally Posted by Hurt

Voting Girardi because why not .

Good enough for me.

Originally Posted by Jagorim Jarg

Good idea... don't think Myers and his bulky frame would fare too well on international ice but he's gotta be a better option than Girardi or Staal.

At this point, he's really not.

[StringerBell]

I made a rare exception here and went for the homer vote. Considering the offensive talent Canada will already have, and the offensive talent they will be facing, I think elite defensive guys like Hamhuis will be more valuable than elite offensive defenseman like Letang. Especially considering the offensive talent the blueline already has.

[Gigantor The Goalie]

Bring in Letang and Seabrook and call it a day.

[Benny FTW]

Originally Posted by RoytoSakic

Bring in Letang and Seabrook and call it a day.

This.

[MovesLikeJagr68]

Originally Posted by StringerBell

I made a rare exception here and went for the homer vote. Considering the offensive talent Canada will already have, and the offensive talent they will be facing, I think elite defensive guys like Hamhuis will be more valuable than elite offensive defenseman like Letang. Especially considering the offensive talent the blueline already has.

I agree that a guy like Hamhuis is definitely needed on this roster, you need at least one guy who can shut down some of the best players in the world.

However, here on hfboards, Letang seems to be more overrated here as an offensive player than a defensive one. He's got great speed and vision which does help out his teams scoring abilities, but one thing that he is great at is using that speed and his freakish strength for a smaller guy in his own zone. Sure, he was pretty brutal defensively (along with the rest of the D) in the Pens vs Flyers playoff series, but that was a very rare occasion for him. Unfortunately it was on national television which doesn't help for those that don't regularly watch him.

[InjuredChoker]

Letang, then it gets tricky.

[Hynh]

Gonna need a lefty next.

Keith-Weber
Letang-Doughty
????-Pietrangelo
????

How is Staal and Hamhuis's skating? Is one better suited for the larger ice?

[tony d]

Letang.