Claude Giroux Snubbed From Team Canada

[Vadered]

Man, Giroux is either going to score ten or kill somebody tonight. Or both. I cannot wait for this game.

 

[lasgop8]

Man, Giroux is either going to score ten or kill somebody tonight. Or both. I cannot wait for this game.

I hope its both!!!!!!

 

[4thstreet]

I would think his terrible start and then being one of the hottest players in the league coming into the selection process wouldve helped him make the team

But,like a true hockey fan,I'm just going to rally behind the team chosen.

 

[FlyerFinFan]

I get the kunitz pick he's overrated but because of chemistry with crosby they pretty much were forced to take him as last Olys crosby couldn't play with anyone. But guys like carter and nash yes they are big and can skate but they don't excel against elite talent. Marleau are you kidding me when compared to G? Overall I'm pretty disappointed as even st.louis should have made that team he can skate and make plays when goals can be hard to come by. Also can those players do things such as kill penalties...I know G can.

 

[awaz]

I get the kunitz pick he's overrated but because of chemistry with crosby they pretty much were forced to take him as last Olys crosby couldn't play with anyone. But guys like carter and nash yes they are big and can skate but they don't excel against elite talent. Marleau are you kidding me when compared to G? Overall I'm pretty disappointed as even st.louis should have made that team he can skate and make plays when goals can be hard to come by. Also can those players do things such as kill penalties...I know G can.

i disagree w/ that.. i dont remember the last olympics very well, but if kunitz can light it up on crosby's wing, all-world talent should be able to score a hat trick a game with him. kunitz is a mediocre hockey player. he wouldn't even make team USA on his own merits.

 

[lasgop8]

But,like a true hockey fan,I'm just going to rally behind the team chosen.

Hey 4th good to hear from you. i could see your loyalty being with your home country but if you dont mind i hope they dont medal.

 

[JBM73]

From ESPN Insider:

Debating Team Canada's choices

Giroux vs. Carter, Nash vs. Neal highlight the key decisions made for Sochi

Shamus/NHLI/Getty ImagesDid Team Canada make a mistake by leaving Claude Giroux off its roster?

With the Olympic rosters now officially announced, and with all the armchair analysis in full swing, here is some former management perspective on the selection process that produced what the architects of Team Canada hope will bring back Sochi gold.

In a normal setting, team management spends 95 percent of its roster selection discussion on the bottom five percent of the lineup decisions. With the depth of quality players that Team Canada had to choose from, my guess is that those discussions probably crept a little farther up the depth chart.

Here are a handful of head-to-head comparisons that were so close they could have been decided by the flip of a coin:


Claude Giroux (heads) vs. Jeff Carter (tails)


At the quarter point in the season, both of these players were likely not on the preliminary Olympic lineup in the Team Canada boardroom either due to injury (Carter) or poor play (Giroux).
Deciding factor: The right-handed shooting Giroux is one of the more complete 200-foot forwards in the league when he is at the top of his game, but that game was nowhere to be found during the first two months of the season. His improved performance over the past two months has coincided with the resurgence (and potential resuscitation) of the Flyers' season, but it was ultimately not enough to earn the right to wear the Maple Leaf. Carter, who missed time this season with a broken foot, probably had his ticket to the Sochi Olympic dance punched on the basis of his game-breaking, quick-release goal-scoring ability (a la James Neal) and, perhaps more importantly, his Stanley Cup ring.
My coin: Tails. For as good as Giroux has been recently, he is arguably the worst offensive forward in Canada's top nine (Chris Kunitz notwithstanding). Carter brings Neal's sniper's rifle, as well as extensive NHL playoff experience, to the battle effort, which are valuable resources to have in reserve.


Rick Nash (heads) vs. James Neal (tails)


Though both Nash (concussion) and Neal (upper body) had slow starts to the season due to injury, it is Neal who finds himself on the outside looking in, despite having the greater offensive numbers between the two.
Deciding factor: On a team like Canada, with abundant offensive firepower, it is not clear which winger the somewhat one-dimensional Neal bumps out of either the top three lines or the power play, which is where his skill set is best suited. Nash, despite his inability to consistently recapture his form from past years, has a body of work that includes not only a more physical presence, but also experience on the 2010 gold medal Vancouver squad, which in the end is probably what tipped the scale in his favor.
My coin: Heads. Truth be told, I would have gone with Milan Lucic. But, of these two, I would opt for Nash. If he can step up his game and replicate his 2010 Vancouver performance, he adds more to the Canadian lineup in areas that they lack than Neal's scoring would.


Patrick Marleau (heads) vs. Martin St. Louis (tails)


With Canada bringing a relatively young team that includes 14 newcomers to the Olympic tournament, there was a need for at least some veteran leadership on the roster.



Deciding factor: The 38-year-old St. Louis has not only stepped up his play for the surprising Lightning during the absence of star Steven Stamkos, but his GM in Tampa (Steve Yzerman) also happens to hold the same title with Team Canada. What St. Louis lacked, however, was the prior Olympic experience and positional versatility of Marleau, which probably weighed heavily in the discussion for a player who is not guaranteed game action going into the tournament.
My coin: Tails. I have always believed that a good veteran player can influence the identity of a team. If some of St. Louis' passion and dynamism rubs off on his Canadian teammates over the 12 days that they are in Russia, that would be a very good thing.


Brent Seabrook (heads) vs. Dan Hamhuis (tails)


There were realistically only two spots up for grabs among the eight on Canada's back end, and one of them, despite all the debate, was probably always going to be occupied by P.K. Subban. That left a lot of competition for the final defenseman slot, and it came down to Seabrook, who forms the second half of the backbone of Chicago's Cup champion defense, or Hamhuis, who has fashioned a solid (if unspectacular) career in Nashville and Vancouver.
Deciding factor: The coin bounced a little surprisingly here. Seabrook possesses an impressive pedigree of performance and success, and there are obvious continuity advantages should the Canadian coaching staff want to reunite him with his Norris Trophy-winning partner Duncan Keith. When push came to shove, it might have been Hamhuis' everyman qualities that made him the desired choice for the Canadian brain trust, as a well-rounded game is a precious commodity for a player who is basically a short-term insurance policy.
My coin: Heads. I like Dan Hamhuis, but having the lineup option of Keith/Seabrook in your back pocket is too good to pass up in my book.


Mike Smith (heads) vs. Marc-Andre Fleury (tails) vs. Jonathan Bernier (coin standing on edge)


The area with the least debate was likely the Canadian net, where the top two spots were all but locked up early by Carey Price and Roberto Luongo. That left one spot open for a goaltender that is likely to see only practice pucks from his Canadian teammates, barring injury.

Deciding factor: Though Fleury was one of the trio of Canadian goaltenders in Vancouver in 2010, his stock as a pressure performer has fallen, as he has posted four straight sub-.900 save percentage performances in the postseason since that time. Bernier has had a great first half of the season for the Maple Leafs, and would increase the Quebec content of the Canadian team (always a plus when putting together a Team Canada roster), but his sample size of NHL netminding is relatively small. Smith has displayed the ability to put a team on his back, and handles the puck so well he could almost be an option on the power play, which are probably the two main reasons why he is going to Sochi.

My coin: Heads. If the third goalie finds himself in the net for Canada during the Olympic tournament, then that likely means it is because things haven't gone as planned. In a high pressure situation like that, it would be tough to go with a goaltender who has struggled in the postseason (Fleury) or with a goaltender who has played a total of 30 minutes of NHL playoff hockey (Bernier). For my money, I would also go with Smith, since he was the main reason that Phoenix won the Pacific Division and fell one round short of the Stanley Cup Final in 2012. That, and I would love to watch him firing 100-foot passes to Sidney Crosby.

 

[awaz]

From ESPN Insider:

Debating Team Canada's choices

Giroux vs. Carter, Nash vs. Neal highlight the key decisions made for Sochi

Shamus/NHLI/Getty ImagesDid Team Canada make a mistake by leaving Claude Giroux off its roster?

With the Olympic rosters now officially announced, and with all the armchair analysis in full swing, here is some former management perspective on the selection process that produced what the architects of Team Canada hope will bring back Sochi gold.

In a normal setting, team management spends 95 percent of its roster selection discussion on the bottom five percent of the lineup decisions. With the depth of quality players that Team Canada had to choose from, my guess is that those discussions probably crept a little farther up the depth chart.

Here are a handful of head-to-head comparisons that were so close they could have been decided by the flip of a coin:


Claude Giroux (heads) vs. Jeff Carter (tails)


At the quarter point in the season, both of these players were likely not on the preliminary Olympic lineup in the Team Canada boardroom either due to injury (Carter) or poor play (Giroux).
Deciding factor: The right-handed shooting Giroux is one of the more complete 200-foot forwards in the league when he is at the top of his game, but that game was nowhere to be found during the first two months of the season. His improved performance over the past two months has coincided with the resurgence (and potential resuscitation) of the Flyers' season, but it was ultimately not enough to earn the right to wear the Maple Leaf. Carter, who missed time this season with a broken foot, probably had his ticket to the Sochi Olympic dance punched on the basis of his game-breaking, quick-release goal-scoring ability (a la James Neal) and, perhaps more importantly, his Stanley Cup ring.
My coin: Tails. For as good as Giroux has been recently, he is arguably the worst offensive forward in Canada's top nine (Chris Kunitz notwithstanding). Carter brings Neal's sniper's rifle, as well as extensive NHL playoff experience, to the battle effort, which are valuable resources to have in reserve.


Rick Nash (heads) vs. James Neal (tails)


Though both Nash (concussion) and Neal (upper body) had slow starts to the season due to injury, it is Neal who finds himself on the outside looking in, despite having the greater offensive numbers between the two.
Deciding factor: On a team like Canada, with abundant offensive firepower, it is not clear which winger the somewhat one-dimensional Neal bumps out of either the top three lines or the power play, which is where his skill set is best suited. Nash, despite his inability to consistently recapture his form from past years, has a body of work that includes not only a more physical presence, but also experience on the 2010 gold medal Vancouver squad, which in the end is probably what tipped the scale in his favor.
My coin: Heads. Truth be told, I would have gone with Milan Lucic. But, of these two, I would opt for Nash. If he can step up his game and replicate his 2010 Vancouver performance, he adds more to the Canadian lineup in areas that they lack than Neal's scoring would.


Patrick Marleau (heads) vs. Martin St. Louis (tails)


With Canada bringing a relatively young team that includes 14 newcomers to the Olympic tournament, there was a need for at least some veteran leadership on the roster.



Deciding factor: The 38-year-old St. Louis has not only stepped up his play for the surprising Lightning during the absence of star Steven Stamkos, but his GM in Tampa (Steve Yzerman) also happens to hold the same title with Team Canada. What St. Louis lacked, however, was the prior Olympic experience and positional versatility of Marleau, which probably weighed heavily in the discussion for a player who is not guaranteed game action going into the tournament.
My coin: Tails. I have always believed that a good veteran player can influence the identity of a team. If some of St. Louis' passion and dynamism rubs off on his Canadian teammates over the 12 days that they are in Russia, that would be a very good thing.


Brent Seabrook (heads) vs. Dan Hamhuis (tails)


There were realistically only two spots up for grabs among the eight on Canada's back end, and one of them, despite all the debate, was probably always going to be occupied by P.K. Subban. That left a lot of competition for the final defenseman slot, and it came down to Seabrook, who forms the second half of the backbone of Chicago's Cup champion defense, or Hamhuis, who has fashioned a solid (if unspectacular) career in Nashville and Vancouver.
Deciding factor: The coin bounced a little surprisingly here. Seabrook possesses an impressive pedigree of performance and success, and there are obvious continuity advantages should the Canadian coaching staff want to reunite him with his Norris Trophy-winning partner Duncan Keith. When push came to shove, it might have been Hamhuis' everyman qualities that made him the desired choice for the Canadian brain trust, as a well-rounded game is a precious commodity for a player who is basically a short-term insurance policy.
My coin: Heads. I like Dan Hamhuis, but having the lineup option of Keith/Seabrook in your back pocket is too good to pass up in my book.


Mike Smith (heads) vs. Marc-Andre Fleury (tails) vs. Jonathan Bernier (coin standing on edge)


The area with the least debate was likely the Canadian net, where the top two spots were all but locked up early by Carey Price and Roberto Luongo. That left one spot open for a goaltender that is likely to see only practice pucks from his Canadian teammates, barring injury.

Deciding factor: Though Fleury was one of the trio of Canadian goaltenders in Vancouver in 2010, his stock as a pressure performer has fallen, as he has posted four straight sub-.900 save percentage performances in the postseason since that time. Bernier has had a great first half of the season for the Maple Leafs, and would increase the Quebec content of the Canadian team (always a plus when putting together a Team Canada roster), but his sample size of NHL netminding is relatively small. Smith has displayed the ability to put a team on his back, and handles the puck so well he could almost be an option on the power play, which are probably the two main reasons why he is going to Sochi.

My coin: Heads. If the third goalie finds himself in the net for Canada during the Olympic tournament, then that likely means it is because things haven't gone as planned. In a high pressure situation like that, it would be tough to go with a goaltender who has struggled in the postseason (Fleury) or with a goaltender who has played a total of 30 minutes of NHL playoff hockey (Bernier). For my money, I would also go with Smith, since he was the main reason that Phoenix won the Pacific Division and fell one round short of the Stanley Cup Final in 2012. That, and I would love to watch him firing 100-foot passes to Sidney Crosby.

interesting choices for head to head comparisons.. and to leave kunitz out of his bubble is pretty baffling

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Kunitz deserved to make the team. Stats back it up, he brings size & good skating to the team, not sure why people try to make this a controversial pick. There is no Canadian left winger playing at a higher level than Kunitz right now. In fact, only left winger with better numbers is Ovechkin. Maybe OV should be controversial for playing with Backstrom?

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

Giroux is a CENTER. They aren't going to take him over guys who play a different position. So who would you put Giroux ahead of on Team Canada?

Crosby
Toews
Getzlaf
Tavares
Bergeron

I see some think Canada isn't going to win the Gold. I honestly believe they will. I do think Sweden has the best chance to beat them, but Canada is LOADED.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Doobster is pulling for USA then Finland. I really like the team the Fins put together.

 

[awaz]

Kunitz deserved to make the team. Stats back it up, he brings size & good skating to the team, not sure why people try to make this a controversial pick. There is no Canadian left winger playing at a higher level than Kunitz right now. In fact, only left winger with better numbers is Ovechkin. Maybe OV should be controversial for playing with Backstrom?

Kunitz is playing well, but tell me St Louis, Giroux, Eric staal, James Neal, or Milan lucic couldn't put up the same numbers with Crosby on their line. He's a good player, but in terms of Canadian hockey players, he's far from the top 20

 

[awaz]

Giroux is a CENTER. They aren't going to take him over guys who play a different position. So who would you put Giroux ahead of on Team Canada?

Crosby
Toews
Getzlaf
Tavares
Bergeron

I see some think Canada isn't going to win the Gold. I honestly believe they will. I do think Sweden has the best chance to beat them, but Canada is LOADED.

Stamkos is probably going to play on the wing. Teams move centers to the wing all the time. And Giroux played RW until he's second nhl season when the flyers moved him to C. He's played more wing than Jeff Carter has at the very least.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Kunitz is playing well, but tell me St Louis, Giroux, Eric staal, James Neal, or Milan lucic couldn't put up the same numbers with Crosby on their line. He's a good player, but in terms of Canadian hockey players, he's far from the top 20

They probably would put up great numbers with Sid, but St Louis, Staal, & Giroux are more playmakers than goal scorers (much like Sid). Neal is a great sniper but lacks size, Lucic has size, but not as good a skater. I think they wanted someone with size & skating ability who makes himself available to score goals and Kunitz fit that description perfectly.

 

[awaz]

They probably would put up great numbers with Sid, but St Louis, Staal, & Giroux are more playmakers than goal scorers (much like Sid). Neal is a great sniper but lacks size, Lucic has size, but not as good a skater. I think they wanted someone with size & skating ability who makes himself available to score goals and Kunitz fit that description perfectly.

Eric staal would score 50 goals per season if he played with Crosby (and stayed healthy)

I know you gotta stand up for your guy, and I'm probably biased against him, but imo Kunitz has no business being on team Canada. Regardless of who you replace him with. St Louis, Neal, Mike Richards, Lucic, Giroux, Eric or Jordan staal, Logan couture, possibly Jeff skinner, Joe Thornton, Tyler Seguin, and probably a few others belong to be on that team more than he does

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Eric staal would score 50 goals per season if he played with Crosby (and stayed healthy)

I know you gotta stand up for your guy, and I'm probably biased against him, but imo Kunitz has no business being on team Canada. Regardless of who you replace him with. St Louis, Neal, Mike Richards, Lucic, Giroux, Eric or Jordan staal, Logan couture, possibly Jeff skinner, Joe Thornton, Tyler Seguin, and probably a few others belong to be on that team more than he does

I don't think there's much of an argument against Kunitz besides him playing with Sid. Objectively, he deserves to be there.

 

[Cobiemonster]

In a tournament like this, especially for Team Canada, I know that sometimes picking the best players can burn you but I feel like every great player should be able to play with another great player without needing chemistry because the skill is too good to not be able to mesh

That's why I don't like the whole chemistry thing because it can be an indictment on a player and mean that without that player, he's not as good - they should all be able to mesh with each other because they're that good

 

[FlyerFinFan]

i disagree w/ that.. i dont remember the last olympics very well, but if kunitz can light it up on crosby's wing, all-world talent should be able to score a hat trick a game with him. kunitz is a mediocre hockey player. he wouldn't even make team USA on his own merits.

Sorry Awaz I wasn't clear. In the last Olys for some reason they couldn't find linemates for crosby which is strange but true. Maybe half the guys didn't like him? I know I hate the silver spooned prick! I remember Richards and Nash sucked with him but they became the best line when paired with Toews.

So I'm guessing instead of hoping to find chemistry in a short tournament they went the safe choice with kunitz. I don't agree with it as the ceiling could be higher with guys like G or St.Louis but I understand their thought process.

What baffles me more is that they went to the effort of giving crosby his soother but didn't match up other guys who are familiar like Seabrook and Keith? Were they afraid that crosby would sulk the tournament away?

Doob if you honestly believe that kunitz would produce like he has playing with anyone else I have some real nice real estate to sell you....Awaz is dead on with his last post.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Sorry Awaz I wasn't clear. In the last Olys for some reason they couldn't find linemates for crosby which is strange but true. Maybe half the guys didn't like him? I know I hate the silver spooned prick! I remember Richards and Nash sucked with him but they became the best line when paired with Toews.

So I'm guessing instead of hoping to find chemistry in a short tournament they went the safe choice with kunitz. I don't agree with it as the ceiling could be higher with guys like G or St.Louis but I understand their thought process.

What baffles me more is that they went to the effort of giving crosby his soother but didn't match up other guys who are familiar like Seabrook and Keith? Were they afraid that crosby would sulk the tournament away?

Doob if you honestly believe that kunitz would produce like he has playing with anyone else I have some real nice real estate to sell you....Awaz is dead on with his last post.

Then why did Kunitz produce like this 2 years ago when Sid missed 60 games? Why did he produce like this with the Ducks in 2007?

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

In a tournament like this, especially for Team Canada, I know that sometimes picking the best players can burn you but I feel like every great player should be able to play with another great player without needing chemistry because the skill is too good to not be able to mesh

That's why I don't like the whole chemistry thing because it can be an indictment on a player and mean that without that player, he's not as good - they should all be able to mesh with each other because they're that good

Gotta disagree about chemistry. If chemistry could be taken for granted, Canada would win the gold every year. Chemistry clearly played a part for Sweden when they won the gold in 2006. I don't think you could take chemistry for granted when you have so little time to prepare.