Nov 14, 2015
Thumbs down to Lombardi, up to Weber
TSN's Dave Hodge gives a thumbs down to Team USA general manager Dean Lombardi's attempt at Jack Eichel and thumbs up to the goal scoring of Shea Weber.
By Dave Hodge
Thumbs down to Team USA general manager Dean Lombardi (Los Angeles Kings) for his unsuccessful attempt to pry Jack Eichel from the World Cup roster of Team North America, aka the junior varsity. Never mind that the idea of American and Canadian youngsters joining forces to take on their own countries, so to speak, might be a bad one, it is part of the format and Lombardi was wrong on that note to try to change the rules.
But there's a larger reason he should have thought twice before complaining that Eichel and others such as Alex Galchenyuk, Johnny Gaudreau and Brandon Saad aren't available to Team USA proper - it sends a message to one or more of the 14 forwards who will be selected that the roster could have been stronger if the rules were different.
Maybe Jack Eichel is one of the 14 best US-born forwards in the NHL already, but I'll guarantee you there are at least 14 others who would disagree, especially if one of them had to give up his spot to the 18-year-old.
With Patrick Kane, Max Pacioretty, Blake Wheeler, Joe Pavelski, Zach Parise, Phil Kessel etc., Team USA will be plenty strong up front. If there's need for new blood that wasn't in Sochi, there's Kyle Okposo, Nick Bjugstad, Tyler Johnson, Bobby Ryan, Justin Abdelkader etc.
Lombardi needs to be able to pat all of them on the back and say he's happy to have them and wouldn't have wanted any other group of 14. He has made that harder on himself.
There's a reason no one with Team Canada has tried to get special dispensation for Connor McDavid. For Canada to win, he's not necessary. On the American side, there must be those who wish Dean Lombardi felt the same way about his team.
If it's so hard to score goals, somebody should ask Shea Weber how he does it... from the blueline. Thumbs up to the Nashville Predators' defenceman whose other job is to prevent goals. He's the main reason the Predators are the league leaders in goals by defencemen. Weber is ably assisted by Roman Josi. Together, they have nine of Nashville's 14 such goals. Last season, they were the league's best 1-2 blueline punch with 15 apiece. Weber has twice topped the 20 mark, and counting last season, has been in double figures five other times. It's all about the booming shot, of course, but others take them from the point and nobody beats goalies that way more than Weber.
Still, here's a word about two other defencemen who can be watched for their goal-scoring prowess. Carolina's Justin Faulk has scored six goals, one more than Weber, and all on the power play. No forward has scored six power play goals. And St. Louis rookie Colton Parayko has tallied five times and is playing his way into the Calder Trophy conversation. Better than that might be matching Weber's goal total the rest of the way, if he can.