Mathieu Garon and Sam Gagner Should Move Up on Team Canada's Depth Chart

It was announced today that two more Oilers would be making the trip to Quebec to play for Team Canada at the world championships next month. In addition to Steve Staios, Sam Gagner and Mathieu Garon will slip on the red maple leaf this spring.

There is only one catch, neither of them have been promised much ice time. Gagner has been told he won't play unless someone gets injured, and Garon expects to be the third goalie because he was picked last. Although not much has been said about their situations, many experts will probably tell us that this is where each player belongs.

However, I believe that Garon and Gagner's roles will change by the start of the elimination rounds of the tournament.

Let's start with the goaltending. The starter will undoubtably be Cam Ward, that's almost a given. He shone for Canada last year in Moscow, and is a top-flight goalie wherever he plays. Where I think Garon will have the chance is in the backup department.

There are three reasons behind this conclusion.

One, Leclaire is good, but has never had any real pressure and will probably fade behind an older, more experienced Garon.

Two, Leclaire is injury-prone and the added pressure may also take its toll on his body and force him out.

Three, Garon is better than Leclaire, hands down. These reasons should help Garon move into the backup position which, even though isn't that glorious, is a sound position on the best hockey team in the world.

As for Gagner, well, this is more of a hit-or-miss situation. Hitchcock is known for demanding more than most coaches, and he will rely on his veterans up front in this tournament. It is possible that injuries will propel Gags into the lineup, but that's not what I'm banking on to put him on the ice.

I believe some of the secondary players on this team will create an opening for Gagner in practice. Jamal Mayers, Jason Chimera, and possibly Chris Kunitz, will not contribute to the team as much as Gagner could, and that will become apparent in the practices. Mayers and Chimera are only on the team because they were there last year, when less talent was available. One of those three players will probably be relied on to jump into the third line, and hopefully Gagner can show that he would be a better fit on the energy line.

The only thing that may hinder Gagner is the defensive factor. Third lines are usually expected to be more defensively responsible than the first two, and Gagner's plus/minus this year may have been the deciding factor that put him on the reserve list. Hopefully he gets a chance to show he can be a good all-around player.

In the end, if neither Garon nor Gagner move up on the depth chart, it won't be that big of a deal. Garon will be a starter in Edmonton next year, and Gagner should be on the radar for the Olympics in Vancouver in a couple of years.