"At the end of the month the Olympic rosters will need to be set, even if the league is still in a panic over the status of the arena. This means it is now or never for having the conversation about whether or not John Tavares should factor into Team Canada's plans. There is more than enough talent in the Canadian forward group that pretty much anyone not named in the initial roster selection is far from a lock. (Brayden Point and his 11 points in 21 games is certainly looking like a misstep at the moment.)"
"Besides the easy comparison to Brayden Point to show that John Tavares is deserving, it's worth looking at how he's doing compared to the field. Tavares is presently the fifth highest scoring Canadian player 5v5 and the 13th highest scoring player overall (12th highest forward). In addition to being ahead of already selected players like Point and Sam Reinhart (it's safe to say that Reinhart's defensive game makes up the two point difference), Tavares has also outscored Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, Seth Jarvis, Travis Konecny, Mat Barzal, Sam Bennett, and Anthony Cirelli, although a number of those players could be seen as bringing different elements to their game that Tavares may not have."
"It's also worth considering that while Hockey Canada is making up their mind on Tavares, there are other players that didn't factor into the Four Nations tournament and hot hands that might have played their way into contention too. Mark Scheifele, Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard, Morgan Geekie, and Wyatt Johnson also making strong cases. Celebrini and Bedard being the future stars of the league make their exclusion a tough case to make."
Olympic rosters must be finalized by month-end despite arena uncertainty, creating urgency around John Tavares's inclusion for Team Canada. Tavares ranks among the top Canadian scorers 5v5 and sits 13th overall in scoring, ahead of several already-selected players. The Canadian forward pool contains abundant talent, leaving many roster spots uncertain. Other candidates such as Mark Scheifele, Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard, Morgan Geekie, and Wyatt Johnson have also made strong cases, with Celebrini and Bedard particularly difficult to exclude. Tavares brings extensive international experience and a proven track record representing Canada at multiple tournaments.
Read at TheLeafsNation
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