Sunday Overreactions: Scheifele must be subsequent man up for Canada 

That’s the message Doug Armstrong gave those that simply missed the minimize for the Canadian Olympic roster on Wednesday. It was a troublesome message to obtain. Everyone wished that telephone name saying they made the crew, however there are extra worthy picks than there are roster spots out there. Disappointment was inevitable.  

Sam Bennett, Connor Bedard and Matthew Schaefer had been little doubt crushed for simply lacking out, however no person wore the anguish greater than Mark Scheifele on Thursday. Sure, a few of that was associated to the Winnipeg Jets simply having misplaced their eighth straight recreation (9 now) after coughing up a 4-1 lead towards the Toronto Maple Leafs, although Scheifele particularly referred to not making the Canadian roster as a “dark day.” He’s clearly taking it exhausting. 

As a lot because it stings for Scheifele, historical past has proven us that Wednesday’s roster received’t make it to the Olympics absolutely intact. Thomas Harley wasn’t on anybody’s radar heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off, however he ended up taking part in a important function when accidents and diseases decimated the Canadian blue line. We additionally simply noticed Bo Horvat and Tom Wilson go down nearly instantly after getting named to the crew. It appears like both harm is too critical, although there may be nonetheless a really busy month of hockey to come back earlier than the crew heads to Milan. You hope no person will get harm, however accidents are out of everybody’s management, and that might give somebody like Scheifele a second likelihood at making the squad.  

Scheifele must be Canada’s first harm alternative at ahead 

Clearly taking part in with a chip on his shoulder, Scheifele shortly confirmed everybody what they had been lacking by leaving him off the roster. The Jets ahead practically beat the Maple Leafs by himself Wednesday evening, notching two targets and an help with eight pictures on aim. Scheifele can play centre, on the facility play and kill penalties, whereas being slotted up and down the lineup on this stacked Canadian roster. The veteran can also be extremely constant, scoring at the very least 20 targets for 11 straight seasons, and Scheifele is solely getting higher with age. He’s on tempo for a career-high 98 factors this season. If Canada does want so as to add a ahead to the roster, its first name must be to Scheifele. 

The solely Canadian gamers who’ve extra factors than Scheifele this season are Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Macklin Celebrini. That’s some very elite firm. Plus, heading into Saturday, Scheifele had factored in on practically 43 per cent of Winnipeg’s targets this season, which as soon as once more, is increased than all people not named McDavid, MacKinnon or Celebrini.  

Scheifele’s largest competitors for a possible opening might be Sam Bennett, as many had been upset he was left off the crew, and rightfully so. Bennett is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and simply received a Conn Smythe, however Tom Wilson has merely outplayed him this yr and may fill the same function. So, until Wilson particularly must be changed due to harm, I’m undecided Canada ought to flip to Bennett forward of Scheifele.  

There are only a few unsuitable solutions with regards to establishing Canada’s roster, given all of the expertise they boast, however no person who was left off the crew is taking part in higher than Scheifele proper now. He ought to get the primary look as a roster alternative if vital.  

Kings ought to make a training change 

The Los Angeles Kings are attempting to interrupt out of a significant funk. Saturday’s win was solely their third in 11 video games, and Los Angeles has now allowed 14 targets in its previous three outings. Granted, these got here towards Colorado, Tampa Bay and Minnesota, three of the NHL’s finest groups, but it surely wasn’t too way back the Kings may grasp with nearly anyone. Now, they’re barely hanging onto a playoff spot. Los Angeles head coach Jim Hiller was already coming into the season surrounded by query marks, after the Kings had been on the cusp of going up 3-0 on the Edmonton Oilers throughout final yr’s post-season earlier than they collapsed and misplaced the collection. Now that they’re in jeopardy of lacking the playoffs, it’s truthful to query whether or not Hiller must be on the new seat.

Overreaction? – Yes 

Let’s not neglect that Hiller was with out his primary goaltender, Darcy Kuemper, for almost all of this slide. Kuemper was taking part in at an elite stage earlier this season, and going from him to Anton Forsberg is kind of the drop-off. I’d additionally be aware that Hiller doesn’t have a real gamebreaker at his disposal like another Western Conference powers. The Kings have a really proficient group , however lack somebody like Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Jack Eichel or Macklin Celebrini who can actually take over a recreation. Hiller has confirmed he can get good outcomes from this group with a structured system the place everybody buys into the defensive facet of the sport. Los Angeles isn’t in a horrible place within the standings, so I’d give Hiller some extra runway now that Kuemper is wholesome once more to see if he can information the Kings again up the standings.  

A contender ought to commerce for Jake DeBrusk 

Jake DeBrusk’s second season with the Canucks hasn’t gone practically in addition to his first. The veteran ahead not too long ago had a stretch with simply one aim in 17 video games and located himself a wholesome scratch for a matchup towards the Seattle Kraken earlier this week. Vancouver is hovering across the league’s basement after the Quinn Hughes commerce and has made it recognized they’re prepared to take heed to affords relating to a few of their veteran gamers. DeBrusk, regardless of his struggles recently, might be a pretty piece for a crew hoping to compete for a Stanley Cup this spring.  

Any contending crew must be inquiring about DeBrusk. He had a career-high 28 targets final season and has scored 27 instances in 86 profession playoff video games with the Boston Bruins. DeBrusk continues to be solely 29 and can be an ideal middle-six choice to supply secondary scoring to a squad that’s having hassle discovering the again of the online. He additionally bounced again after being reinserted into the lineup this week, recording a three-point evening on Friday and totalling 12 pictures in two video games.  

Not solely that, however DeBrusk is on a reasonably cheap contract. He’s solely making $5.5 million per season, which shouldn’t be too tough for many groups to soak up with the wage cap making one other massive leap subsequent season. The undeniable fact that DeBrusk nonetheless has a number of years remaining on his deal additionally ensures you a handful of playoff runs with him. It might be a excessive asking value, but when I had been a contending crew, I might nonetheless give Jim Rutherford a name.

Connor Bedard and Gavin McKenna will probably be teammates subsequent season 

After a superb begin, the Chicago Blackhawks abruptly discover themselves sitting thirtieth within the National Hockey League. That’s not essentially a nasty place to be in a yr the place the Blackhawks had been unlikely to contend anyway.  Finishing that low would improve their odds at getting the coveted first-overall choose and the proper to draft Gavin McKenna, which may give the Blackhawks a pair of franchise cornerstones to construct round. We’ve seen a handful of dynamic duos like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, in addition to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, flip organizations round shortly, so a McKenna/Bedard tandem ought to have Chicago followers salivating.  

An enormous a part of Chicago’s plummet down the standings has been the harm to Bedard, as the Blackhawks have simply three wins in 10 tries since their famous person went down. When Bedard is able to return, I don’t assume Chicago will proceed being one of many worst groups within the league. With him within the lineup, the Blackhawks had been a distinct group and proper within the playoff combine, and there’s nonetheless loads of time to get again there with a wholesome Bedard. Plus, after being left off Team Canada, anticipate Bedard to play with a chip on his shoulder the remaining of the way in which, which is unhealthy information for the remainder of the league. Maybe Chicago is simply too far again to finally attain the post-season, however I don’t assume they’ll be unhealthy sufficient to be within the vary to select McKenna.  

Philipp Grubauer has regained his kind 

The Seattle Kraken should have had purchaser’s regret after inking Grubauer to an enormous contract 4 years in the past. Since becoming a member of the Kraken, Grubauer’s numbers cratered, and he posted a save share under .900 in every of his first 4 campaigns in Seattle, finally getting lapped in a battle for the online with Joey Daccord. This yr has been a distinct story, although. Grubauer is 7-3-1 with a mark of .920 and has saved 12.7 targets above anticipated. He’s one of many largest causes the Kraken have considerably improbably climbed right into a playoff spot, and Grubauer seems to have regained the shape that made him one of the vital sought-after goalies in the marketplace when Seattle signed him.  

Overreaction? – Yes 

It’s nonetheless a small pattern measurement, and Grubauer has performed nicely in spurts earlier than coming again right down to earth once more. The veteran goalie was glorious a couple of years in the past when the Kraken upset the Colorado A-Z Eventz within the playoffs, solely to comply with it up with an underwhelming marketing campaign the following season. Now that Daccord has emerged as a high quality choice in aim, Seattle received’t must lean on Grubauer to closely as he tries to keep up this stage of play. Maybe he’ll have a greater likelihood to maintain this going by taking part in each different recreation versus a real starter’s workload, and that might work out very well for the Kraken’s pursuit of the post-season, as it can maintain Daccord contemporary, too. But I’ll must see Grubauer maintain this going for a month or two to declare that his kind has actually returned.