Toronto Maple Leafs: Projecting a 2020 World Cup Team Canada Roster
Will there be any Toronto Maple Leafs on the next Team Canada?
In 2016, hockey fans were treated to one of the most amazing hockey events ever, featuring then Islander but current member of the Toronto Maple Leafs John Tavares.
The 2016 World Cup of Hockey was a fantastic spectacle the NHL put on. Fans were delighted to a best-on-best tournament, featuring the superstars of today’s game.
While that wonderful memory was almost four years ago, and with no Olympic games in the near future for the NHL to participate in, fans are begging Gary Bettman to reward us with another best-on-best extravaganza.
So, while hockey fans across the world sit and hope Bettman comes through, let’s have a little fun and examine who would make Team Canada’s World Cup of Hockey roster if it happened in 2020.
Honourable Mentions
With a wealth of elite players that could potentially suit up for the Red and White, Team Canada is going to be forced to make some hard cuts. The word ‘exceptional’ does not begin to describe some of the players that were forced to be cut and it pains Team Canada executives to let such talented players walk.
Unfortunately, for the players listed below, there are just too many gifted Canadian players and have regrettably been informed they have not made the final roster.
Matt Barzal
Travis Konecny
David Perron
Jonathan Toews
Mike Hoffman
Jaden Schwartz
Brayden Schenn
Tyler Seguin
Brayden Point
Claude Giroux
Brent Burns
Kris Letang
Shea Theodore
Aaron Ekblad
Thomas Chabot
Mark Giordano
Braden Holtby
Corey Crawford
Matt Murray
Marc-Andre Fleury
Without further ado, the Final Roster.
Forwards
Nathan Mackinnon – Sidney Crosby – Connor McDavid
Featuring arguably the best three players in the NHL, this line will be as dominant as it gets. The playmaking ability of Sidney Crosby being flanked by Connor McDavid and Nathan Mackinnon, two of the fastest skaters in today’s game, will create one of the best international line combinations ever.
Steven Stamkos – John Tavares – Brad Marchand
This line features a bit of everything. John Tavares and Steven Stamkos are both perennial 50-goal scorers and will be playing alongside the forechecking machine and the most annoying presence on the ice in NHL, Brad Marchand. The damage this line could potentially inflict is tantalizing.
Mark Stone – Ryan O’Reilly – Patrice Bergeron
The defensive prowess of this line combination must be the best ever assembled in international competition.
Ryan O’Reilly is the defending Selke Trophy winner, Patrice Bergeron, from 2012-2017, won a record-tying four Selke Trophies, and Mark Stone has finished second in Selke voting the last three seasons. This line will have the unique ability to be able to match up against the other teams best as well as dominant in the offensive end.
Jonathan Huberdeau – Mark Scheifele – Mitch Marner
The playmaking and scoring ability of this line is unparalleled. Mitch Marner and Jonathan Huberdeau rank 6th and 7th respectively in assists over the last two seasons (stats; NHL.com). Both of those crafty wingers will be able to set up Mark Scheifele nicely, an excellent goal scorer who is top-15 in goals over the same period (stats; NHL.com).
This forward group contains some of the most dynamic forwards in today’s game. It is hard to imagine any team will be able to compete.
Defense
Alex Pietrangelo – Drew Doughty
The number one defense pair for Team Canada will include two of the best two-way defensemen in the league. Drew Doughty is a former Norris winner and a four-time finalist. Alex Pietrangelo, while never placing in the top-3 of Norris voting, will surely be there this year. He was also 6th in defensemen scoring this season (stats; NHL.com).
Dougie Hamilton – Shea Weber
Had he not gotten injured, Dougie Hamilton may have been the unanimous Norris winner this year. Up until his injury, Hamilton was 4th in d-scoring and had a better plus-minus than Norris front-runners Roman Josi and John Carlson. Shea Weber had a nice bounce-back season this year and has represented Team Canada on many occasions before.
Morgan Rielly – Cale Makar
Morgan Rielly had one of the best scoring seasons by a defensemen last year. He finished with 20 goals and 72 points (stats; NHL.com) and finally broke out as the dynamic defensemen he has proven to be.
Arguably the favourite for the Calder Trophy, Cale Makar did not just have one of the best seasons as a rookie defensemen this year – it was a fantastic season by a defensemen period. He finished 7th in even-strength points and will most likely take home the Calder Trophy come seasons end.
Canada could employ some of the best defensemen in the league, making them a powerhouse at both ends of the ice.
Goalies
Jordan Binnington
As the defending Stanley Cup Champion, Binnington is one best goaltenders in the NHL today. Leading the St. Louis Blues in the net through their playoff push last year, Binnington showed he was cool, calm, and collected under pressure – the same characteristics needed to be a teams’ number one in a best-on-best tournament. Third in goals-against average over the last two seasons (stats; NHL.com), Binnington will backbone Canada to the top.
Carter Hart
One of the best up and coming goaltenders in the league, Hart was the saviour in net the Flyers desperately needed. The soon-to-be 22-year-old is the youngest starting goaltender in the league and still managed to come in 9th in wins and 2nd in goals-against average among all starters this year (stats: NHL.com).
Carey Price
Price had one of the best seasons ever by a goaltender in 2014-15. Winner of the Hart Trophy, Ted Lindsay Trophy, and the Vezina Trophy, Carey Price was flat out dominant that season. While he has been around an average goaltender the last few seasons, Team Canada executives still remember Price’s beast season and his dominance in net for Team Canada, granting him a spot on 2020 World Cup Roster.
Some of the most dominant runs in the NHL by goaltenders have come from Canadain puck-stoppers. With three of them on the roster, Canada will be virtually holeless.
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Team Canada has an incredible amount of options they can opt to create their international roster. One could argue you could make a potent team out of the ‘Honourable Mention’ players who could further compete against other countries.
Either way, Canada has a superstar roster and does not look to be dethroned from the king of the hockey world any time soon.