Does Dan Hamuis have a chance to make the 2014 Canadian Olympic team?
Almost all of the depth for the Canadian Olympic roster is on the right side, where players like Doughty and Weber are all but locks to make the team. But on the left side, there isn't much depth after Duncan Keith. The 2nd and 3rd pairing defensemen last time around were Pronger and Neidermayer, respectively.
So, simple question: does Dan Hamhuis slot in as a 2nd or 3rd pairing shutdown defender on the Olympic team in Sochi if he continues his strong play? I'm curious to hear people make their case one way or another.
Almost all of the depth for the Canadian Olympic roster is on the right side, where players like Doughty and Weber are all but locks to make the team. But on the left side, there isn't much depth after Duncan Keith. The 2nd and 3rd pairing defensemen last time around were Pronger and Neidermayer, respectively.
So, simple question: does Dan Hamhuis slot in as a 2nd or third pairing shutdown defender on the Olympic team in Sochi if he continues his strong play? I'm curious to hear people make their case one way or another.
Letang is quite likely ahead of Doughty on the depth chart, but yeah the right side is stacked (Pietrangelo, Seabrook, Boyle, etc.). I would say that Hamhuis is a lock unless they decide to ignore player's natural sides (which would be retarded with how little prep time there is for these tournaments).
Quote:
Originally Posted by andbreatheme
In case of injuries to some guys, maybe?
Name 3 better Canadian LD, if everyone is healthy.
Canada's left side is actually not looking so great with Niedermayer and Pronger out. All of Canada's greatest defense men are right side guys... Weber, Doughty, Letang, Petroangelo.
On the left side, I think we're looking at Duncan Keith... and?
Unfortunately they usually pick defensemen who score lots of points. If he could up his point total to 40 something while keeping up his stellar defensive play, I'd say he would definitely have a shot.
Weird that this site doesn't recognize "defensemen" as a real word. I double checked just to make sure.
Defenseman www.ask.com/Defenseman
View Defenseman; Get Answers Now on Ask.com!
de·fense·man [dih-fens-muhn, -man]
noun, plural de·fense·men [-muhn, -men]
a player in certain games, as ice hockey or lacrosse, who lines up in a defensive zone or position.
Letang is quite likely ahead of Doughty on the depth chart, but yeah the right side is stacked (Pietrangelo, Seabrook, Boyle, etc.). I would say that Hamhuis is a lock unless they decide to ignore player's natural sides (which would be retarded with how little prep time there is for these tournaments).
Name 3 better Canadian LD, if everyone is healthy.
I definitely agree on Letang over Doughty -- I'm not actually a huge Doughty fan, but he did look better in the playoffs than he has since he was a rookie, so it might have just taken him awhile to find the right work ethic.
I was just mentioning Doughty and Weber because they were both on the 2010 team and Canada loves continuity.
I'm pretty sure the team will take at least one RD and put him on the left, which is really dumb, but Team Canada hasn't always been great about building a roster so much as collecting all the best players.
My feeling is that Hamhuis will make it as a third pairing LD and will end up on the 2nd pairing because he'll outperform someone playing on their wrong side.
I'm going to predict that some players will end up playing out of position. I think it's safe to say that assuming there are no injuries that Weber, Letang, Keith and Doughty will be on the team. Then you have guys like Pietrangelo, Seabrook, Burns, Girardi, possibly Boyle that will all get serious looks. A guy like Seabrook may make the team simply because of his chemistryt with Keith(although Seabrook is a deserving candidate as well). There are also left side guys like JayBo, Campbell, Giordano that will be in a similar position as Hamhuis. I don't think Dan is a "lock" at all.
A lot of left defenseman have a shot at making the team. Hamhuis I guess is one of them to the same degree that someone like josh gorges or mark giordano has a shot.
Good question, Hamhuis has a shot. The guys you mentioned are locks, Pietrangelo and Letang are too imo. If Seabrook cracks the team again too, that's 5 righties... something has to give. Tyler Myers is right handed too... man that's a lot of righties...why can't the Canucks ever find one? lol
I'm going to predict that some players will end up playing out of position. I think it's safe to say that assuming there are no injuries that Weber, Letang, Keith and Doughty will be on the team. Then you have guys like Pietrangelo, Seabrook, Burns, Girardi, possibly Boyle that will all get serious looks. A guy like Seabrook may make the team simply because of his chemistryt with Keith(although Seabrook is a deserving candidate as well). There are also left side guys like JayBo, Campbell, Giordano that will be in a similar position as Hamhuis. I don't think Dan is a "lock" at all.
You might be right. I certainly hope Seabrook doesn't make the team though -- I don't think there are many more overrated defensemen in the NHL. If memory serves, during the last Olympics he lost his spot with Keith because he was being merked by pretty much everybody. Once Neidermayer and Pronger found their games, didn't Seabrook end up as the 7th defenseman, playing less than 10 minutes a night?
I'm just not a big fan. I think Team Canada will be making a mistake if they play too many guys out of position anywhere but on the power play, but who knows. Maybe Justin Schultz will be on the team...
Almost all of the depth for the Canadian Olympic roster is on the right side, where players like Doughty and Weber are all but locks to make the team. But on the left side, there isn't much depth after Duncan Keith. The 2nd and 3rd pairing defensemen last time around were Pronger and Neidermayer, respectively.
So, simple question: does Dan Hamhuis slot in as a 2nd or 3rd pairing shutdown defender on the Olympic team in Sochi if he continues his strong play? I'm curious to hear people make their case one way or another.
he is not one of the best 12 born canadian defenders and he wont make the team unless the do what they did in Japan(And failed) and try to build a team based on specifications
hamhuis certainly has a shot, especially considering he played with weber for a few years and had good chemistry.
hate to say it but i think by sochi, doughty will be unquestionably the best defenseman in the league. if he and keith are the first pair, that leaves weber and someone else for the second pairing, maybe even the third pairing if they go letang on the second pair. would help hamhuis' chances (shutdown pair with weber).
hamhuis makes sense also for his skating ability (big ice), but then so does bouwmeester-- and j-bo, as much as he's taken a beating, has a lot more international experience and is a "team canada guy."
marc staal will also definitely get a long look on the LS. could even see team canada going the "scott hannan" route and adding a wild card/specialist like vlasic to the team.
and that's all assuming that pronger doesn't cheat death and come back at full strength.
also depends on the development of younger guys-- del zotto, fowler, not sure which other young canadian guys are LS d-men. names not mentioned (myers, giordano, subban, bogosian) are mostly RH shots.
You might be right. I certainly hope Seabrook doesn't make the team though -- I don't think there are many more overrated defensemen in the NHL. If memory serves, during the last Olympics he lost his spot with Keith because he was being merked by pretty much everybody. Once Neidermayer and Pronger found their games, didn't Seabrook end up as the 7th defenseman, playing less than 10 minutes a night?
I believe he was overtaken by Doughty, much as Bergeron was overtaken at forward by Toews. Doughty and Toews were supposed to be throw-ins soaking up the experience, and they both ended up playing pretty critical parts.
I think Hamhuis will at least merit an invite to the selection camp - he's served Hockey Canada loyally at the WHCs on several occasions.
hamhuis certainly has a shot, especially considering he played with weber for a few years and had good chemistry.
hate to say it but i think by sochi, doughty will be unquestionably the best defenseman in the league. if he and keith are the first pair, that leaves weber and someone else for the second pairing, maybe even the third pairing if they go letang on the second pair. would help hamhuis' chances (shutdown pair with weber).
hamhuis makes sense also for his skating ability (big ice), but then so does bouwmeester-- and j-bo, as much as he's taken a beating, has a lot more international experience and is a "team canada guy."
marc staal will also definitely get a long look on the LS. could even see team canada going the "scott hannan" route and adding a wild card/specialist like vlasic to the team.
and that's all assuming that pronger doesn't cheat death and come back at full strength.
also depends on the development of younger guys-- del zotto, fowler, not sure which other young canadian guys are LS d-men. names not mentioned (myers, giordano, subban, bogosian) are mostly RH shots.
Americans
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Originally Posted by vadim sharifijanov
i doubt it, but after his WC performance this year he should at least be invited to camp.
i'd love to see a checking line of bergeron - backes - burrows, with hamhuis - weber on the blueline. "kelly" and burrows' wives can hang out in the village, while patrice and alex feed each other chocolate-covered strawberries on the team bus.
all the more if it's a shutdown unit of bergeron - backes - burrows, with hamhuis - weber on the back end.
I think the more interesting question is if Burrows has a shot.
i doubt it, but after his WC performance this year he should at least be invited to camp.
i'd love to see a checking line of bergeron - backes - burrows, with hamhuis - weber on the blueline. "kelly" and burrows' wives can hang out in the village, while patrice and alex feed each other chocolate-covered strawberries on the team bus.
all the more if it's a shutdown unit of bergeron - backes - burrows, with hamhuis - weber on the back end.
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Originally Posted by Imagine17
Americans
my bad. no idea what i was thinking on bogo, but fowler i guess is the opposite of myers (canadian born, represents US/US born, represents canada). seems team usa has some pretty good d-men coming up.
giroux crosby(a) perry
seguin stamkos st. louis
e. staal getzlaf iginla(c)
nash toews j. staal
tavares eberle
keith doughty
m. staal letang
hamhuis weber(a)
pietrangelo
luongo
price
fleury/ward
hard to put burrows on the checking line when a scoring star like nash can ably play his role, not to mention jordan staal, bergeron, and backes can all easily move to the wing.
should be a lot of new blood in sochi. no more thornton, brodeur, etc. iginla probably hangs on and i don't see why you don't go with MSL alongside stamkos.
did not realize until i put the roster together how price is the only up-and-coming goalie we have. yikes. but good for lou, i guess.
It's going to be interesting how much sides will impact the team selection. If the ability to play left is seriously considered then Hammer has a good shot. Otherwise, the logjam at RD will make it very unlikely that he makes it. He'll get a camp invite for sure, nevertheless.
This is Canada's likely LD pool for 2014, other than Hamhuis:
...his odds are greatly reduced if whoever coaches Team Canada doesn't care much for handiness.
Too bad KB3 probably won't even get a look.
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I doubt Luo will be starting in 2014, he'll already be 35. By then Price should've improved enough to take the reins.
Brodeur lasted as long as he did as an elite goalie because his more stand-up style is a lot easier on his knees. Luongo is through and through a butterfly goalie so I don't know if he'll be able to keep pace until then.
...his odds are greatly reduced if whoever coaches Team Canada doesn't care much for handiness.
one other factor working in hamhuis' favour is that every one of those guys shoots right. the likelihood of a guy moving from RS to LS would be greater if there was one or a few of those guys who were LH shots playing the off side.
