Hockey Canada has announced their roster for the 2019 IIHF World Championship, held in Bratislava and Košice, Slovakia. It includes 22 players, with all having played in the NHL during the past season.
https://twitter.com/HC_Men/status/1122917079982727169
Team Canada 2019 World Championship Roster
Goaltending
Canada is opting for an interesting, youthful goalie group of promise and experience. Heralded Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray will presumably be taking the starting slot after a strong season, albeit injury-riddled. At 24 years old, he is the oldest goalie on the squad. The other two goaltenders will be the Philadelphia Flyers Carter Hart and the New Jersey Devils MacKenzie Blackwood, who are both coming off very impressive rookie seasons. They stand at just 20 and 22 years old, respectively.
Hart and Blackwood both put up strong numbers on non-playoff teams, and should offer above-average depth for Team Canada should injuries in the goal crease occur.
Forwards
A preliminary scroll through the list yields notable superstar power — the Toronto Maple Leafs John Tavares, Vegas Golden Knights teammates Mark Stone and Jonathan Marchessault, and Flyers center Sean Couturier, among others. Stone and Marchessault compete with a chip on their shoulder, after being eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the San Jose Sharks in dramatic fashion.
The roster includes some youthful depth pieces as well. Detroit Red Wings forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha will join the crew. Young Chicago Blackhawks centerpiece Dylan Strome was also named to the team, creating admirable depth down the middle.
Defense
Ottawa Senators young star Thomas Chabot spearheads the a strong, young defense, along with the Edmonton Oilers Darnell Nurse and yet another Golden Knights player in Shea Theodore.
The puck-moving ability of their D-core should make life easier for their already threatening offense, and add some goals to boot. There is a sort of flair-like, youthful identity formed with this roster. Supplementing it very nicely is their choice of defensemen.
There’s certainly a lot of depth to go around on this team. Canada flaunts solid goaltending, dynamic defense, and deep offense. They look to once again dominate the tournament after crafting such a strong lineup.
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