Why Jordan Binnington Should Start Over Malcolm Subban

After finishing the selection camp and heading over to Finland, almost all the positions for team Canada were spoken for. For the most part we knew who the top defence pairing would be and who the top forward line would be. But the one position still with question marks is the most important one, the goalie. Heading into the pre-competition games it was rumoured Malcolm Subban had been pencilled in as the starter and Jordan Binnington would be the back-up, but coming out of those games I hope head coach Steve Spott has an eraser handy.

While Subban may be the higher touted goaltender of the two, being drafted in the first round by the Boston Bruins and playing in the summer series against Russia, he has looked shaky at best during his time battling during selection camp and in his first pre-competition game. Coming out of the selection camp Subban was arguably the worst goaltender but because of his strong play this summer and phenomenal stats with the Belleville Bulls he was given the benefit of the doubt. Binnington on the other hand was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2011 draft by the St. Louis Blues and wasn't even invited this summer to compete against Russia. He used his snub this summer as added motivation and earned an invite to selection camp based on his exceptional start of the season with the Owen Sound Attack.

Both netminders have similar records this season in the OHL; Subban going 15-7-3 with a save percentage of .932 while Binnington has gone 17-6-3 with a .930 Save percentage. After not having a clear cut number 1 goalie since 2005 (Carey Price) team Canada needs to pick the goalie who will give them the best shot at winning the gold medal not the "politically correct" goalie and based on pre-competition play that is Jordan Binnington.

Now I know there is still lots of time for Subban to find his game during the round robin games and will likely be given every opportunity to win back his starters job, but in a tournament this short you have to play the hot goalie. Subban has looked shaky and nervous during his turns between the pipes, something is just off he isn't the same goaltender who suits up for the Bulls and is lacking confidence. Giving the starting job to Subban while he's not playing well will prove both detrimental for Subban and team Canada. If Canada comes home with anything less than gold they will likely be met with criticism, something Subban may not react well to considering he's never played in a tournament of this magnitude before. Binnington has proven he's confident and ready to suit up for team Canada and his 30 save shootout win in which he looked composed and confident only further proved the point he is the real deal.

Right now Binnington is the hot goaltender, he has the confidence, the swagger and has flat out out-played Subban. He deserves, based on play, to be the starting netminder for team Canada. Heck he's even won over the support of the players;

"There was one flurry in the 2nd where he was unbelievable. He lost his stick and we were on the bench saying wow!" ~Team Canada forward Ryan Strome

Having the confidence from the team goes a long way, especially in a short tournament like this. Last year the players lost trust in Mark Visentin and became more focused on the back check then scoring goals. They quickly found themselves trailing Russia and ended up losing 6-5 forcing them out of the gold medal game, mainly because of weak goaltending. When a team is able to score 5 goals they should be winning the hockey game, but to see your netminder let in 6 is a real tough pill to swallow. It is crucial this year that the Canadian players have faith in their goaltender, based on pre-competition games they don't seem to be a high scoring team so they will rely even more on the goalie to keep the games close until they can capitalize.

With teenage athletes, especially goalies, poor play is often magnified with pressure. Both goalies are still young and have some maturing to do but the pressure of being the number one goaltender for team Canada is no easy burden. Right now all the pressure is on Subban, he was expected to be the starter, played against Russia in the summer and was a first round pick. Where as Binnington came out of no where, out-played Subban and has been flying under the radar this season. There's less pressure on Binnington, he wasn't the rumoured starter and had to work hard just to make the team after the snub in the summer. If he's named the starter people will be impressed by his performance no matter how things turn out as they weren't expecting him to lead the team.

While fans may get to see a little bit of both goaltenders throughout the round robin games, the brunt of the load should be given to Binnington. He's proven he's ready with his strong play and right now is more stable than Subban. Right now the best bet for Canada to win gold is if Binnington is the starter, but I've seen Spott make worse decisions. Whoever he decides to name starter, he should announce it soon. Subban is already doubting his play and if given the starting job will have a hard time getting the naysayers out of his head. We saw last year how well not declaring a starter went for team Canada, they don't want to head down that path again.

Team Canada Showing Trust In Jonathan Drouin

When team Canada named their final roster to head over to Russia for the World Junior Championship, many were surprised they took both Halifax Mooseheads and linemates Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon. The later of the two was said to have a better shot of making the team, all be it not at his natural position. But Drouin with the help of his linemate made quite the impression at camp and earned himself a spot.

It was a risky move to put 2 17 year-old forwards on the final roster, but the talent the two have is hard to pass up on. Due to the great chemistry the linemates show both in the QMJHL and at training camp, it



was expected that they would be paired together on the 3rd or 4th forward line where they would be able to do the least damage. But head coach Steve Spott has decided to give one of them a much larger role and not the one you'd expect

Team Canada currently has Drouin playing on the 2nd line with Niagara IceDog teammates Ryan Strome and Brett Ritchie while Nathan Mackinnon is on the 4th line wing slated as the 13th forward. Yes you read that correctly, Canada currently has Drouin in the top 6 forwards while the projected 1st overall pick is stuck in the bottom 6.

MacKinnon and Drouin sit 3rd and 10th respectively in the QMJHL scoring, but many attributed Drouin's success to the benefit of playing with a world class player such as MacKinnon. With the all star centre, Drouin has managed to rack up 19 goals and 28 assists for 48 points and is only 4 points behind his linemate. Even more remarkable he is managing an average 2 points per game. It may be time to give Drouin the credit he deserves.

When the Mooseheads drafted Drouin 2nd overall in the QMJHL draft, they felt they had landed their next franchise player. Now calling someone a "franchise" player is nothing to shake your head at and 9 times out of 10 they will be the most talked about and best player on the team. It wasn't until they were able to land the only player taken higher then the perspective franchise player in the QMJHL MacKinnon, that Drouin started to fade into the background. But the fact Drouin was drafted to become the next big star for the Mooseheads means he's a pretty spectacular hockey player and has just as much right to be on the world junior team as MacKinnon.

Due to the fact Drouin plays on the same line as MacKinnon and is often overshadowed by the big name player, going into team Canada training camp many



thought he was un-proven and only earned an invite on MacKinnon's bill. In order to see his true potential he needed to be separated from his linemate, butSpott kept the two together and their chemistry turned heads and ended up earning both a spot on the final roster. Finally Drouin doubters are getting what they want, him on a line away from MacKinnon and he seems to be doing just fine.

While Drouin's spot in the top 6 forwards isn't carved in stone yet, his strong play earned him a spot to prove he is capable of playing in the top 6 and his new linemates believe he's doing just fine;

"Obviously he's got an unbelievable skill level,  I'm looking forward to playing with him. I feel pretty lucky. He's really calm out there, he's been composed the whole camp and in practice. He skates like a pro, he works like a pro, he's got skill like a pro." ~Ryan Strome

Drouin is certainly making an impression with many older already drafted players, maybe there really is something special about the youngster. Few have even gone as far to compare his style of play to Jordan Eberle or Patrick Kane, no matter which you slice it he's turning heads around not only the minors but also the NHL. With his strong play in the QMJHL this season, his spectacular showing at the Subway Super Series against Russia and his latest inclusion to team Canada his draft stock is rising and rising fast. He skyrocketed from 13th to 4th in the latest rankings and many fans and scouts say he has the potential to be a first overall pick. Can we see 2 Mooseheads go in the top 5?

While splitting up MacKinnon and Drouin isn't the recommended move, Spott seems comfortable with Drouin taking on a much bigger role. But things could change quick if the 2nd line goes south Drouin can easily drop down to the 4th line. But with a strong showing at the World Juniors, it may be Jonathan Drouin we hear more and more about in the coming months and maybe even separate from the name MacKinnon.

Can Nathan MacKinnon Crack Team Canada's Roster?

On Monday afternoon Hockey Canada released the names of the 37 players who would be invited to the World Junior selection camp to battle it out for their chance to don the Red and White for the World Junior Championships in Russia. Amongst the 37 players was QMJHL star and projected 1st overall pick Nathan MacKinnon. But the question now becomes can MacKinnon crack the lineup for Canada when they kick off the tournament on boxing day?

Now you're probably thinking "of course the projected 1st overall pick is going to make the World Junior team, what a silly question", but there is some serious debate on whether he will be on the final 20 man roster and if he is at what position? There has never been a question about the depth Canada has to draw from, especially at the forward position and with the NHL lockout sending top prospects down to the minors the competition is that much tougher.

There is a very strong chance that in oder for MacKinnon to crack the team, he will be moved to the wing. With Edmonton Oilers youngster Ryan Nugent-Hopkins being invited it's almost a guarantee he'll centre the first line and having returning bronze medal winner and 3rd overall pick from 2011 Jonathan Huberdeau from last years squad tie up the 2nd line centre spot. Also in the mix for jobs at centre are, member of the 2012 squad Mark Scheifele and fellow 2012 Bronze medalists Boone Jenner and Ryan Strome. One of the new players battling for a spot against MacKinnon will be Ottawa 67's Sean Monahan. Of course Scheifele can move to the wing but that still leaves 4 centres, 3 of whom were on the bronze medal winning team in 2012, the chances of MacKinnon snagging a centre spot are slim to none at this point.

After being left off the roster last year as a 16 year-old, MacKinnon will be even more motivated to show team Canada that age is but a number and he can help bring home that elusive gold medal. He will be in tough again this year as 1 of 2 17 year-olds invited to camp who are facing off against mainly 19 year olds. At 5 foot 11 and 180 MacKinnon certainly won't be lacking size but he may be lacking maturity and experience which are vital aspects at the World Junior Championships. Another thing MacKinnon has that the 6 other centres don't is time, there are still 2 more World Junior Championships that he will eligible to play in.

On paper at the moment the best chance for the 17 year-old to crack the team is on the 2nd or 3rd line wing. Although putting him on the wing with Nugent-Hopkins would do wonders for his development and make for a flashy line up, putting the young kid on the first line is a bit of a risk and there's no guarantee the two would find chemistry. The best thing that could have happened for MacKinnon at development camp is his fellow linemate with the MooseHeads Jonathan Drouin was also invited. If the two of them get paired up for any stint during camp look for instant chemistry and stints of brilliance from the youngsters which may be enough to push MacKinnon into the top 6.

In a way the lockout is unfortunate for players like Drouin, Monahan, MacKinnon and even Hunter Shinkaruk who didn't earn an invite to camp as they may miss out on a chance to play for their country at the World Junior championships. Any other year and MacKinnon would easily be slated as the number 1 or 2 centre and one of the leaders on the team but this year he'll be in tough just to crack the top 9. But it's great for Team Canada as a whole as they have the ability to ice a team near the same calibre as 2005. This years squad may be Canada's best chance to win gold since 2005, but one thing to remember is both the Americans and Russians will also benefit from the lockout.

As of right now I imagine the majority of top 6 spots are already pencilled in, the only variable being MacKinnon. If he can spark some chemistry on the wing with one of the older centres then he'll likely earn a spot, if not he'll have to wait yet another year to play for the World Juniors. Do I see MacKinnon making the team as a centre, not a chance. Him on the wing, possibility.

Canada vs. Russia

How big was the 1972 Summit Series? Big enough that Hockey Canada and Russia have teamed up to do it again, just with junior players. This years Canada-Russia Challenge will be extra significant as it's the 40th anniversary of the original series. But it will also be a time to honour the memory of the Russian team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl that passed away in a horrific plane crash.

The Canadian and Russian junior teams will take part in a 4 game mini series. The first two games will take place in Russia and the series will conclude in Halifax Nova Scotia. The series will kick off Thursday August 9th from Russia.

For Canada this series is crucial as this will be the final step in narrowing down a 22 man roster for the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championships, which will also take place in Russia. Canada is going into the series with 28 players, seven of which won bronze at the 2012 World Juniors. For many players it will be there last and best chance of making an impression on the coaching staff. Let's take a look at the key players for team Canada.

Canada
Mark Scheifele
The Winnipeg Jets first round pick from 2011 will be looking for a big performance in this years challenge. He almost made the Jets roster full time last season, but he was sent down at the end of his 7 games. Scheifele participated int he 2012 World Junior championship but didn't really stand out. Not only will he be looking to make an impression on team Canada he'll also be hoping to make the leap to the NHL next season.

Ryan Strome
Strome was the 5th overall pick in the 2011 draft and was a member of the bronze winning junior team from last year. He'll be expected to be one of the leaders in the challenge against Russia.

Jonathan Huberdeau
Huberdeau was the third overall pick in the 2011 draft and was apart of the junior team that won bronze and will be among the core players expected to lead the way against Russia.

Tom Wilson
Wilson is the lone forward from the 2012 NHL Entry draft that will be representing Canada in the challenge. The Washington Capitals selected him 16th overall. Wilson will be expected to bring grit to the roster.

Defence
Ryan Murray 
Murray has to be one of the most anxious players to get back on the ice and prove to the coaching staff that he belongs at the 2013 World Junior Championship. During last years junior championship the coaching staff asked Murray to change his game slightly, he panicked and went overboard and became to defensive minded. As a result he had a miserable tournament including deflecting two goals into his own net and wiping out his own goaltender. Murray is ready to get back to his game during the Russia challenge and prove he belongs.

Dougie Hamilton

Possibly the best defenceman Canada has going into this challenge. The Boston Bruins drafted him 9th overall in 2011 and he could become the first defenceman from that draft to break into the NHL next season. He's had three phenomenal years in the OHL with the Niagara Ice Dogs where he racked up 146 points. He also won the OHL's most outstanding defenceman award last season for his play with the Ice Dogs. Hamilton is one of seven returning from the 2012 bronze medal winning junior team. He'll be relied on heavily to lead the blue line.

Cody Ceci Griffin Reinhart
Ceci and Reinhart were both first round draft picks from the 2012 Draft. Both will be looking to have impressive debuts against Russia.

Goalies

Malcolm Subban and Laurent Brossoit
Canada has yet to announce who their starting goaltender for the tournament will be, but the battle is between Subban and Brossoit. Canada may split the games evenly at two each but if one goalie were to get the edge it will likely be Subban.