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McGuire talks Team Canada forwards
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, in part two of our discussion, we feature what McGuire had to say about the forwards. In his words...
Jeff Carter (Philadelphia Flyers) - He's got a real good chance. He's played internationally before. He has tremendous goal-scoring ability. This was his best offensive season. He can play wing or centre so he's a versatile guy with a very good shot.
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)- He's on the team.
Shane Doan (Phoenix Coyotes) - He's a great two-way player that's very suited to shut-down mode at a world championship. He's well-spoken and a tremendous teammate. He would probably play some of the best hockey he's ever played based on the fact that he hasn't played in a lot of Stanley Cup stuff. Players like that are extremely motivated and very important. He's played internationally so much and Canada has gone to lots of gold medal games with him, so his lack of recent NHL playoff experience doesn't hurt him.
Simon Gagne (Philadelphia Flyers) - Simon is really smart. He's battling back from concussions but had a great year this year. He is one of those guys who has a tremendous defensive presence and can also score. People will remember how important he was in 2002 playing with Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla. He has a legitimate chance.
Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks) - He'll be on the team. He's a dominating two-way centreman, better suited for a power game. He's a tremendous distributor of the puck. He's a special kid and he keeps getting better.
Dany Heatley (Ottawa Senators) - He's a pure scorer, and you need to have that. His skating can always get better, and he'd be the first person to acknowledge that. I'd be shocked if he's not on the team. The only way he's not on the team is if he completely falls apart in the early part of the season.
Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames) - I can't believe he wouldn't be on the team. He's one of the purest scorers in the league. He has 2002 on his resume. With he and Gagne on the same line in 2002, that only helps Team Canada as a reference point to go back to. He's one of the guys with captain potential.
Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning) - He should be fine to be on the team depending on injuries. He didn't have one of his best seasons this year because of injuries and the strange situation that was the Tampa Bay Lightning this season. He's a great player, and you need quick-strike offense, and he's one of those guys. He's versatile and can play centre or wing, so he can create that offense.
Brenden Morrow (Dallas Stars) - Hopefully for Brenden his injuries healed up with good surgery, and he should be ready to go to camp this summer. A strong camp and a strong start to next year will be important for him. I know he's important to Team Canada in terms of playing on small ice, and he's one of those players who can make a difference in a short tournament because of his energy, intensity and leadership.
Rick Nash (Columbus Blue Jackets) - Barring an injury, he'll be on the team. He's one of the purest scorers in the league. He's a dominating player. The chemistry he has with Getzlaf and Heatley is unbelievable. I have to believe that will be a line. I'd be shocked if he's not on the team.
Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks) - Another one that really merits a look. But camp is going to matter a lot for him.
Mike Richards (Philadelphia Flyers) - He's a prototypical captain. He's an elite penalty killer. He manufactures offense while he's short-handed. He's got an amazing gift for battling through adversity. He was the captain of a team that won a world junior gold in North Dakota, with arguably the best junior team ever put together by any country. He's an amazing guy. He's done tons of successful things in the American Hockey League and in the Memorial Cup.
Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) - If he wants to be part of the team, he should be part of it. He can be an unbelievable leader. He won't panic in a big situation. The chemistry he had with Iginla and Gagne in 2002 was amazing. Joe is an unbelievable person and a Vancouver guy. He can handle the team in big moments. This reminds me of Mario in 2002 - people didn't think he would be on the team, but he went there as a captain, and look what Canada did. This is not like having an Olympic Games in Europe or the U.S.-- you're having the Olympics in Vancouver, an amazing destination with huge impact on the Canadian hockey psyche. Canadian hockey fans want the very best players there and they want gold.
Marc Savard (Boston Bruins)- I had him on the list as a 13th forward because you need a specialist. Marc had an unbelievable guy. He's likely on the bubble to make the team. He's going to have to have a great camp this summer if he gets invited, which I think he will. He'll need an unbelievable start to the year because other guys are pushing. He would be your power-play specialist.
Eric Staal (Carolina Hurricanes) - He's one of the guys that improved the most coming out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He's one of the fastest risers on the list. Especially after he battled through a titanic struggle with Boston's Zdeno Chara in the playoffs.
Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) - He's very dynamic. He's got world-class skill and tremendous intelligence. He's won at every level in every sport he's ever played. This will be so interesting to watch. The age factor may be as it was for Crosby and Phaneuf when they weren't chosen to go to the 2006 Olympics. Age will be part of the equation but not all of it.
Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning) - He had a great year under very trying circumstances in Tampa Bay. He was extremely competitive and had great chemistry with Steven Stamkos. He wants to be part of the solution not part of the problem.
Joe Thornton (San Jose Sharks) - Joe didn't have a great playoff run and that was a major thing in terms of the evaluation of him. I hope he gets invited to the camp and does well there. The biggest thing for Joe is playing the game at pace. If he chooses to play at pace, he'll be fine. If he plays at a slower pace, I don't think he'll be fine.
Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks) - After a real slow start this season, he really picked it up. He should be a major consideration.
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 Friday for the third and final part of our discussion with Pierre McGuire. We'll feature the goaltenders.
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