Dec 30, 2016
Hot Button Issues: WJC Day 5
TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button addresses Canada's lack of scoring, the Finns top line vs. Auston Matthews and William Nylander's brother Alex who is making a name for himself.
By Craig Button
Each day throughout the World Junior Hockey Championship, TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button brings important issues and topics surrounding the tournament to the forefront.
HB1: Canada is all but guaranteed to finish third in Group A at the 2016 World Junior Championship, which would mark the country’s lowest Group finish since 2001. Canada likely won’t be able to improve upon that standing in its final preliminary round game versus Sweden Thursday, but it can take a much-needed step forward with an improved performance. Our favourite to win gold this year hasn’t lived up to expectations – most notably in scoring goals. Returning forwards Brayden Point, Jake Virtanen and Lawson Crouse have one goal between them in regulation time. Celebrated offensive wizard Mitch Marner appears to be trying to do too much and, as a result, isn’t doing enough – scoring just one goal.
As a point of comparison, USA had nearly as many goals (10) in one game versus Switzerland as Canada’s total of 11 in three games. That’s the same team Canada struggled to beat in a shootout (on Point’s clutch game-winning goal). If there’s one thing the Canadians have to do better to compete for a medal - and they haven’t looked as good as Russia, USA, Sweden or Finland - it’s accelerate their pace of play. That begins with kick-starting the attack by getting to pucks quicker in the defensive zone and swiftly moving the puck up ice. What can’t be overlooked is that Canada has clearly out-chanced each opponent - including USA – in the home plate/prime scoring area. But that is small consolation so far.
HB2: One question worth asking after Day 5 of the World Junior Championship: Can one or both of the twin Finns at the top of the scoring race - superstar 17-year-old wingers Jesse Puljujarvi (3-7-10) and Patrik Laine (3-4-7) - challenge presumptive top pick Auston Matthews (3-3-6) for No. 1 in the 2016 NHL draft? The quick and easy answer is “no” because it is one of hockey’s inarguable truths that centres are, by and large, more valuable than wingers.
There is, of course, a history of wingers – Guy Lafleur and Patrick Kane among them – being selected No. 1, but not when a Peter Forsberg-like centre of Matthews’ franchise potential is available. This is not to dismiss the candidacies of Puljujarvi and Laine, but to acknowledge the Matthews’ greatness. He has been a young man among men in the Swiss Elite League and had astonishing success – scoring 14 goals in 22 games. Matthews remains No. 1 on the TSN Hockey list.
HB3: Alex Nylander entered the World Junior Championship as William’s brother and No. 6 in the OHL pecking order, trailing Christian Dvorak, Matthew Tkachuk, Mitch Marner, Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome in the scoring race and star power. All of that has changed in Helsinki. Nylander has six points (two goals, four assists) and, among the OHL group, has been matched only by Canada’s Strome in impact.
His brother, William, was ranked TSN Hockey’s No. 1 NHL-affiliated prospect (Toronto) entering the tournament but lasted only long enough to score a goal against Switzerland and absorb a seismic blindside hit. Alex, meanwhile, exacted family revenge against the Swiss, earning four assists, scored the only goal in Sweden’s win over USA and scored against Denmark as Sweden won its 35th straight preliminary round game stretched over nine tournaments. In a family of sublimely skilled hockey players – father Michael was once labeled the Swedish Gretzky – Alex is making a name for himself.