Team Canada: Keith's Edition

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

This is just my take on the 2010 Canadian Olympic roster. Feel free to use the comment board to show me your 2010 lineups.

Goaltenders

Roberto Luongo: He is the best goalie in the game today. He will play the majority of the round-robin games and all the elimination rounds.

Martin Brodeur: He is the best goalie to ever play the game. He will play a game or two and be a steadying influence on Luongo, and he brings experience to the table.

Cam Ward: In a short tournament like the Olympics, a goalie that can elevate their game quickly is important. As his Conn Smythe Trophy can attest, he can raise his game when it matters most.

Goaltending should be a strength for Canada. No other team can match their depth, and their talent is All-World

Defence

Scott Neidermayer: He is an believable skater and a very smart player with and without the puck. Neidermayer will the leader of the defence for Canada.

Chris Pronger: He's big, mean, talented, and smart. Love him or hate him, Pronger is a brilliant defenceman. He and Neidermayer should be the top pair.

Jay Bouwmeester: An all-around two-way defenceman with great vision, patience, and technique, Bouwmeester will be valuable to Team Canada. He isn't going to smash his way around, but by using his body and his reach, he is a great addition to this team.

Robyn Regehr: It is hard to quantify, but he could be the best shutdown defender in the game. Regehr will quietly and efficiently do a brilliant job and occasionally throw a bone-crunching hit to keep oppositions honest.

Dion Phaneuf: Three teammates making the team is tough, let alone three defencemen, but Phaneuf's grit and offence are both top notch. Plus, with the players ahead of him, he won't be called upon to play against the top lines, freeing him up to make more rushes without sacrificing defence.

Duncan Keith: Brent Seabrook, Brent Burns, and Shea Weber are all capable and deserving, but Keith's game of good decision-making and responsible play would seem to pair up with Phaneuf's game very well. Both are big-bodied young men that will serve Team Canada well for years.

Mike Green: As the seventh defenceman, Green would be used sparingly, most specifically on the power play. The first 30-goal defenceman in years, Green's offensive talent will be welcome.

The defence will be a threat to join the rush on every pairing, and this group is responsible in its own end. While Lidstrom and Chara are both arguably the best in the world, this group should be deeper than any other, one through seven.

Center

Canada has a great problem: Far too many great centers. Those that can play the wing will probably end up there. As well, on the NHL-sized ice, size matters. Bigger players may get the call over smaller counterparts.

Joe Thornton: A big-bodied, smooth-skating center that puts up huge amounts of points without every having capable and consistent wingers, Thornton is a controversial selection to some, but he is too good of a player to leave off the team.

Vincent Lecavalier: Lecavalier is the best goal-scoring center in the NHL, and he is another big body to crash around. Plus, he is a threat every time he is on the ice.

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