Team Canada 2008, Part 1: Canada Goes for Two

Many of the players from last year's roster look to be unavailable to Yzerman this year, however there are still many great stars who can play.

The NHL playoffs are around the corner so it is quite obvious who will be making it and who will not. Great Canadian players, both veterans and young guns, are looking to slip from the playoffs and this is only an advantage to Yzerman.

Goaltending for Team Canada has not been a problem for a while and it doesn't look to be any different this year. Last year Cam Ward and Dwayne Roloson represented Canada and it is possible for both of their teams to miss the playoffs again this year.

However, Roloson has been having quite a disappointing season. His front star, Mathieu Garon has come from right out of the blue having a tremendous season with a 2.40 GAA and a 0.920 save percentage. He could be the star goaltender for Yzerman this year.

A couple defenders should be able to return to the lineup, including Eric Brewer, Barret Jackman, and Cory Murphy. Other helpful defensemen would be players like Brian McCabe, Brian Campbell, Dan Boyle, and Steve Staios.

Im sure that Yzerman was looking forward to the Oilers not making the playoffs until he learned that Sheldon Souray would be out for the rest of the season. His shot could bring a huge boost to Canada's powerplay. None the less Canada should be able to manage a strong back end.

This year there is lots of offensive skill to be had for Team Canada. Teams not looking to make the playoffs like the Lightning, Oilers, Blackhawks, Blues, Leafs, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, have a lot to add to Canada's offense. Nothing is official with teams like Carolina and Columbus, but if they do make the playoffs it is not expected for them to make it far so players like Rick Nash could still join the quest.

The Lighting's frustrating year brings great hope to Team Canada. They are filled with snipers like Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, and Brad Richards. Hopefully the trio from Tampa will make the trip up to Canada.

The Oilers have a few players to add in the form of Ethan Moreau, Geoff Sanderson, and Dustin Penner. Perhaps even some young guns would be added to the team like Jonathan Toews who won gold last year with Team Canada, or Oilers rookies Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner.

There is no doubt that Canada will have the strongest offense of the tournament.

There are names flying everywhere about who should be the Captain of the team—names like Rick Nash, Vincent Lecavalier, Ethan Moreau, and perhaps Shane Doan although we saw what happened last year with that. In my opinion Vincent Lecavalier would make a great captain because he already has leadership experience in Tampa Bay and has experience playing with Team Canada.