‘Ottawa’ Complete Team-by-Team Breakdown for World Cup of Hockey
An early preview of each of the eight teams competing in the World Cup of Hockey later this month in Toronto.
CANADA
Why they could win
Depth, depth, so much talented depth. This is a roster that features the past two Vezina winners (Carey Price, Braden Holtby) and a talented cache of forwards that will leave coach Mike Babcock with a fourth line that could equal any other team’s top unit.
Why they might not medal
Let’s be candid here. If this team doesn’t win this event — let alone finish in the top three — it will be a failure. For the players. For the management team. For the entire country. Of course, any tournament that features a one-game knockout setup in the playoffs has the blueprint to foster upsets. Still, there are no legit excuses to justify this group finishing in the top trio. The bottom line: Talent plus home ice plus international experience should equal success.