Canada's 2010 Olympic Hockey Team: Early Report, Players on the Bubble

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter

It’s still early in the NHL season, but with the competition to make Team Canada’s roster for the 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver being so tight, Steve Yzerman and company will be watching every player with a microscope.

Obviously, there are a number of players that, from the outside looking in, seem to be a lock to make Team Canada’s roster. That said, the Olympic tournament is a short tournament and, as such, every player will be asked to raise their level of play on a moment's notice.

Yzerman will be looking closely at every players consistency. Sure, every player’s history will play a major roll in the selection process, but a stumble here and there this season may very well cause Yzerman to re-evaluate a player, which may ultimately cost said player a roster spot on Team Canada.

Canada invited a total of 47 players to their orientation camp; here’s how it shakes out: six goaltenders, 16 defensemen, and 25 forwards. For the most part, the feeling has been that there are only a few roster spots available, with the majority of the roster having been already set coming into the orientation camp.

That said, Yzerman is on record as saying that he intends to bring the best players possible and if that means he has to leave a popular player off the roster, so be it.

There are a number of “perimeter” players that were included in the orientation camp that, if they were to have a strong first half in the NHL season, may find themselves on the team. Included in that list are Forwards Marc Savard, Jonathan Toews, Simon Gagne, Derek Roy, Dan Cleary, Brenden Morrow, Shane Doan, Milan Lucic, Andy MacDonald, Derek Roy, Ryan Smyth, and Patrick Marleau.

Thus far, with four goals and three assists through seven games, Boston Bruins Marc Savard has made a good case for himself to be included on the roster. Savard is as slick as they come when it comes to distributing the puck, but, much like Yzerman before him, seems to be one of the final cuts when the opportunity to play for Canada arises.

“Captain Canada”, Ryan Smyth, has been equally impressive and with six goals and eight assists (14 points) through ten games with the Los Angeles Kings, has given Yzerman plenty to think about.

Patrick Marleau has played well for the San Jose Sharks and through ten games has netted seven goals and four assists (11 points). More importantly, Marleau has a 52.6 percent success rate in the face-off circle, a skill Team Canada will need plenty of at the Olympics.


Injuries have limited the production of Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews and, with just one goal and four assists (five points) through nine games, albeit with a plus-seven rating, Toews may find himself watching the Olympics on TV, not participating.

Another player that has been bitten by the injury bug is Boston Bruins rugged forward, Milan Lucic. Simply put, three assists in six games is not going to get it done, clearly, the likes of Ryan Smyth and Shane Doan, two players that bring similar qualities that Lucic does, are miles ahead of Lucic at this point.

As for the aforementioned Shane Doan, he has the Phoenix Coyote’s off to a unexpected tremendous start, a tribute to his leadership skills and his skills on the ice. Through eight games Doan has managed just one goal and seven assists (eight points), but again, it’s the intangibles that he brings that will be the make or break factor when it comes time for Yzerman to make the final selections.

Coming off an injury riddled 2008-09 season, Brenden Morrow has as much to prove to himself as he does to his critics. Through 10 games, Morrow has performed admirably, collecting six goals and four assists (10 points), with a plus four rating and a 60 percent face-off percentage to boot. If Morrow wasn’t on the radar before the season began, he sure as heck is now!

The Detroit Red Wings' Dan Cleary (one goal, three assists through eight games), the Buffalo Sabres' Derek Roy (no goals, six assists, through seven games), and the St. Louis Blues' Andy MacDonald (three goals, three assists, through seven games), have all played well, but, in my opinion, are not likely to be selected for Team Canada, at least not at this point.

Canada’s Defense is very deep and extremely talented. As such, there is going to be stiff competition for a roster spot, thus creating a situation in which Yzerman and company will have to make some very difficult decisions.

Some of the “perimeter” players from the defense corps include, Marc Staal, Stephane Robidas, Drew Doughty, Francois Beauchemin, Dan Hamhuis, Dan Boyle, and Shea Weber.

The New York Rangers' Marc Staal leads the team in playing time,

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