Enough top talent – Winnipeg Free Press

The best news from the NHL All-Star break is the return of the best international hockey.

Finally.

Of course, speculations have been circulating at a feverish pace. Who's in? Who will come out? Who will be the surprise choice, the modern-day Rob Zamuner?

In our latest issue Garbage & ChaseKen and Mike looked into their crystal balls to predict who might be chosen to represent the Canadian and American teams on the big hockey stage.

The old guard vs. new blood debate doesn't really apply since NHLers haven't competed in the Olympics since 2014, but that doesn't mean there won't be plenty of tough decisions for the management team and coaching staff.

With Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin leading Team USA for the 2025 Four Nations Faceoff and the 2026 Olympic teams, when will Hockey Canada make its proper announcement and who will they pick?

Given his experience with the program, Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman seems like a logical candidate to be part of the brain trust, and the same can be said for Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon. Other GMs with Manitoba ties could also play a role, including Jim Neal of the Dallas Stars, Brad Treliving of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Barry Trotz of the Nashville Predators and possibly even Kevin Cheveldayoff of the Winnipeg Jets.

There is no shortage of candidates for the Canadian coaching staff, with Jared Bednar of Colorado State, John Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Bruce Cassidy of the Golden Knights at or near the top of the list, possibly including Rick Tocchet. Chris Knoblauch of the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Pete DeBoer of the Dallas Stars, Rod Brind'Amour of the Carolina Uranus or Paul Maurice of the Florida Panthers are among other capable bench bosses.

On the US side, Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers and John Tortorella of the Philadelphia Flyers are likely to be the frontrunners at this point.

Wait until you pick a 24-man roster when you see how hard it will be to cut back on management and coaching staff.

Predictions are part of the fun, so while we understand that a lot can change between the face of the Four Nations and the Olympics, we also understand that some level of continuity is expected with events 12 months apart.

Ken Wiebe Team Canada:

Goalkeepers (3): Adin Hill, Tristan Jarry, Stuart Skinner

This is probably the most debated position and is considered the #1 open job. When healthy, Hill brought home the Stanley Cup and showed last spring that he didn't just catch lightning in a bottle. Jarry leads the NHL in shutouts and rebounds. The third spot is also still up for grabs — and St. Louis Blues netminder Jordan Binnington or Arizona Coyotes' Connor Ingram could still factor into the equation, but Skinner's last game during the Oilers' 16-game winning streak does it. cannot be ignored.

Defense (8): Kyle Makar, Alex Pietrangelo, Noah Dobson, Chris Tanev, Josh Morrissey, Devon Toews, Morgan Rielly, Vince Dunn

There's skill and mobility mixed with some sandpaper and defensive ability with this group. Championship experience, a Norris Trophy winner in Makar, and others who are high on the ballot or figure for upcoming seasons. Until final decisions are made, don't rule out factoring Drew Doughty, Shea Theodore or Evan Bouchard into the equation.

Forwards (14): Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan McKinnon, Mark Stone, Brayden Point, Sam Reinhart, Zach Hyman, Brad Marchand, Matthew Barzal, Mitch Marner, Mark Scheifele, Connor Bedard, Brandon Hagel, Ryan O'Reilly

The goaltenders may be the most debated, but with Canada lacking explosiveness or finishing ability, the toughest decisions lie ahead. This is where finding the chemistry and putting the right pieces together becomes a challenge. This group also has strong defensive players. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos could easily replace one of the names on the list, and the same goes for 2023 Conn. Smith winner Jonathan Marchessault, though my sleeper pick is Panthers winger Carter Verhey.

Mike McIntyre Team USA

Goalies (3): Connor Hellebuyck, Thatcher Demko, Jeremy Swayman

Unlike Canada, the problem with the United States in this position is that they have too many quality candidates. Regardless of how it shakes out, they will have a huge advantage in the all-important goaltending department.

Hellebuyck is on track for his fourth Vezina Trophy nomination and possibly his second, and the Winnipeg Jets star is the undisputed No. 1. After that, with Demko, Swayman and Jake Oettinger, it gets really interesting. circumstances.

Based on their numbers this year, I find Oettinger to be the odd man out, but that could change.

Other potential candidates, albeit longtime, are veterans John Gibson and Jonathan Quick, Joey Dacord and youngsters Spencer Knight and Dustin Wolff, who could also work in the picture.

Defense (8): Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy, Brock Faber, Thomas Harley, Zach Werenski, Jakob Slavin, Brady Skjei

Again, a wealth of options to choose from, including top-tier offensive talent like Hughes, Fox, McAvoy and Werenski, great two-way blueliners like Slavin and Skjej, and two of the brightest rookie defensemen. Faber vs. Harley (Jets fans should get used to seeing that pair a ton in the coming years).

Beyond this loaded group, there are plenty of viable contenders, including proven performers (John Carlson, Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce, Jacob Trouba, Cam Fowler, Noah Hanifin, and Seth Jones) and rising stars like Luke Hughes, K'Andre Miller, and . Jake Sanderson.

Forwards: (14): Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Hughes, Kyle Connor, Jack Eichel, Dylan Larkin, Jake Guentzel, Alex DeBrincat, Clayton Keller, Johnny Gaudreau, JT Miller, Brock Boeser, Brady Tkachuk, Cole Caufield

See a theme emerging here? There are a lot of good players. There are not enough seats.

Some of the above are slam dunks, while others will have to struggle to make a talented team.

Notably, Jason Robertson, Tage Thompson, Vincent Trocheck, Chris Kreider, Troy Terry, Brock Nelson and Alex Tuch — all of whom are having great seasons — didn't make the cut. Aging stars like Patrick Kane and Joe Pavelski or young guns like Matty Beniers, Matt Baldy and Trevor Zegras haven't been built.

There are good issues, of course.

It will be interesting to see how this turns out.

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X: @mikemcintyrewpg

Ken Wiebe
Sports reporter

Man. Growing up in the burgeoning metropolis of Altona, Ken Wiebe grew up wanting to play in the NHL, but after realizing his hands were better at typing than scoring goals, he turned his attention to covering his favorite sport as a writer.

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Mike McIntyre
Sports reporter

Mike McIntyre grew up wanting to be a professional wrestler. But when this dream did not come true, he tried his best to become a professional writer.

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