Hockey

In February 2009, Olympic hockey analyst Pierre McGuire made his picks for Canada's 2010 Olympic men's hockey team. With the Stanley Cup playoffs done, McGuire was ready to revisit the larger pool of players and have an open discussion with CTVOlympics.ca about how performances over the second half of the NHL season may have changed the landscape.

We threw lots of names at McGuire - some from his February list and many additional names. We broke down our discussion by position, and McGuire gave us an honest take on what each player has to offer and measured each guy's chances of making Team Canada. Today, we feature what McGuire had to say about the defencemen. In his words...

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Brent Burns

AFP/Getty Images

Brent Burns (Minnesota Wild) - Injuries set him back huge last year, but he should bounce back from the concussion situation he faced last year. If he can get to the level he should be at, he should make the team, but this summer will be very important to him. He needs to have a great camp. 

Dan Boyle (San Jose Sharks) - He's an excellent puck-mover and obviously had a tremendous season in San Jose. His importance to the team will be powerplay specialist and puck-mover. He's in a battle to make the team. He's not a lock.

Jay Bouwmeester (Florida Panthers) - He's a lock to make the team. Jay's a tremendous skater who can log big minutes. Has played in the Olympics and in the World Cup of Hockey.

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Mike Green

Getty Images

Mike Green (Washington Capitals) - Green had a tremendous regular season, but not a great playoff. Injury was a part of that. He is going to have to impress people with his summer camp and his intensity level.

Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim Ducks) - Barring a retirement from him, he should be on the team. If Joe Sakic chooses not to be there, Niedermayer could be the captain of this team.

Dion Phaneuf (Calgary Flames) - Did not have a great year but if you look at his overall development as a player, he's still one of the top Canadian-born defencemen. He should be battling for a spot. I expect once the Olympics roll around, he'll earn a uniform. I don't expect the rib injury to be an issue but camp will be important for him

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Chris Pronger

The Canadian Press

Shea Weber (Nashville Predators) - He has had an unbelievable career and will continue to improve. He's a legitimate top-flight defender with a heavy shot on the powerplay. He's got the whole package. I'd be shocked if he's not on the team.

Chris Pronger (Anaheim Ducks) - He has to be seriously considered because of his veteran presence and the fact that he had a good playoff. He's a big game player. He also called me after I named my team [in February] and said "I'm going to make this team. I know I'm not on that list and I don't deserve to be on the list right now, but I'm going to be there."

Robyn Regehr (Calgary Flames) - Robyn is a shutdown guy. He didn't play in the playoffs so that's a big problem. He had injury situations going into the playoffs, so they have to look at that. I would say they consider him to be an elite shutdown guy, but until he plays I don't think they can take a gamble. Camp will be very important for him. 

Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks) - He's got a legitimate chance. He had a very good playoff and is an excellent skater. He and Brent Seabrook are a ready-made tandum and were fantastic playing together in Chicago. He's a shutdown guy but can generate offence from the back end.

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Brent Seabrook

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Brent Seabrook (Chicago Blackhawks) - He's a big minute guy -- played more minutes than anyone else in Chicago. He plays big-bodied hockey and eliminates people physically. He's a tremendous passer and has an offensive point presence on the powerplay.

Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings) - His young age is going to work against him. I've been trumpeting his merit for a long time, whether it was the World Juniors or the Super Series. I thought he should have been the first overall draft pick. I thought Tampa Bay should have built from defence to offense and taken Drew Doughty. He's a world-class player. Age more than anything else will just work against him right now.

Over the next week or so, Hockey Canada is expected to extend invitations to its August Olympic orientation camp in Calgary. It is expected that approximately 40 players will be invited overall. We will update our discussion after those invitations are extended.

Tune in Thursday and Friday for parts two and three of our discussion with Pierre McGuire. We'll feature forwards and goaltenders.