MAPLE LEAF IS ABOUT TO TURN COLOUR
New crop of stars set to lead Canada at next World Cup
With the NHL and NHLPA both agreeing not to reopen the current CBA — essentially giving fans labour peace for the next three seasons — what does this mean for Olympic participation in 2022?
Well, chances are we’re going to see another World Cup of Hockey before we see Nhlers in Beijing.
Deputy commissioner Bill
Daly told reporters in the Czech Republic this week that “from the NHL owners’ perspective, Olympic participation is not seen as something that’s either essential or even useful to our business.” For now, both sides are focused on an international calendar that includes a World Cup — and maybe only a World Cup.
In an email to Postmedia Tuesday, the NHLPA said 2021 would be the earliest another best-onbest tournament could occur.
If so, don’t expect to see another Team North America or Team Europe again.
In fact, don’t expect to see a lot of the players who were part of Canada’s winning roster in 2016.
When Jonathan Toews was asked before the season if he wanted Nhlers to return to the Olympics, he answered: “It depends on if Team Canada still wants me on the team.” He won’t be the only veteran left wondering.
A lot has changed in the last four years. Even more could potentially change a year from now.
We can assume that Joe Thornton, Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Jay Bouwmeester are already too old to play for Canada. The question is whether Toews, who will be turning 33 in 2021, along with Jake Muzzin, Marc-edouard Vlasic, Shea Weber, and Corey Crawford will also be past their prime.
After all, just look at the names that were part of North America’s roster and will now be looking to compete for jobs:
Connor Mcdavid, Nathan Mackinnon, Ryan Nugent-hopkins, Morgan Rielly, Mark Scheifele and Colton Parayko, not to mention Mitch Marner, Brayden Point, Jonathan Huberdeau,
Sean Monahan, Thomas Chabot, Mark Stone and Mathew Barzal, among others.
Maybe instead of an under-23 team, the league and the union should consider having a 33-and-older team.
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT
Edmonton’s James Neal, who has six goals in three games, is one away from equalling his total from last year with the Flames. But Oilers GM Ken Holland has to be even happier that Zack Kassian, who scored 15 goals last season, already has three in three games on Connor Mcdavid’s wing … While top-two picks Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko continued to search for their first NHL point entering Wednesday’s action, Buffalo’s Victor Olofsson was the (very) early Calder Trophy favourite with three goals and four points in three games. Technically, he was also a top pick — albeit in the seventh round … With Dustin Byfuglien’s future in doubt and Josh Morrisey out with a concussion, it wasn’t surprising that Jets assistant GM Craig Heisinger was at the Maple Leafs game Monday. With Travis Dermott getting closer to returning from injury, Toronto could be looking to unload Cody Ceci and his Us$4.5-million cap hit … Losing Evgeni Malkin and Nick Bjugstad to long-term injuries could end up being the best thing for the Penguins, who are also without Alex Galchenyuk and Patric Hornqvist and in desperate need of a retooling. After all, the team traded its first-round pick in six of the last seven years.
HERE’S ONE FOR YOU
The worst thing about the Blues winning the Stanley Cup last year — and also the Lightning getting swept in the first round — was it created a false narrative suggesting skilled teams can’t have success in the playoffs. If that were the case, Pittsburgh wouldn’t have won in back-to-back years. And don’t tell me a Capitals team built around Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson wasn’t skilled. But here we are, one week in, and Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos is blasting his teammates for being that “freewheeling team.” Maybe it’s just me, but the league would be better if we had more of those types of teams.