Quoting: Skyraider112
That is the saddest collection of players I've ever seen on CF. Can't guys like Bedard, Wright etc go?
my guess is they won't take Bedard he's A. only 16 and B. he's small. Too small for the Olympic stage at this point. You can hide lack of experience with size some times but you aren't going to do both.
Wright on the other hand maybe.
I don't know, I watched both WJC20 games canada played, looking at both of those guys and a few more. Bedard looked good, but I don't think he projects to the same level at the NHL level.
It's kind of the Jack Hughes thing. He's smallish and a lot of what he gets away with now, he won't get away with at the NHL level. It's taken Jack his whole rookie contract to even look competent on the ice. And while his play has improved there is a very real sense he's not a franchise guy like they hyped him to be. No one is gonna mistake him for a McDavid or Crosby in his career.
That's ok, he's not a bust, but he's never gonna be "the guy". Looking at Bedard I had the same feel watching him play. Lot of open ice, stick work, things in passing lanes that won't work at the NHL level.
For Wright, I honestly expected to see more out of him in those two games. It's not like he didn't have opportunity. I think the lack of games is effecting him. He looked sluggish. I caught him just standing and watching a few times. He wasn't keeping his feet moving and that's not a good sign on a center.
The biggest thing I noticed on him was, due to his standing still, he lacked speed. Don't get me wrong, and I've said this on here before I think. He has speed. He won foot races. But when you are flat food standing and you are trying to beat another guy to the puck, you're going to lose. And I saw that a lot in his two WJC20 games. His standing and watching in the D Zone isn't going to cut it next level.
He needs to play more games and get with a coach and fix out those bad habits. No ice time during the break I think stunted him. Because he sure as hell did not stand out. I know he's only 17, but he had a lot more to offer than that, and the play on his end looked sloppy. I'm not going to sugar coat it.
For both those reasons, I'm not sure we'll see either of these two guys on an Olympic team.