Chris Tanev Snubbed From Team Canada's Official Roster After Surprising Announcement
With the 4 Nations Tournament on the horizon, it seems the team has decided to go with Drew Doughty over Chris Tanev. Did Canada make a mistake?
The 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament takes place from Feb. 12-20, and due to Alex Pietrangelo pulling out due to injury, there were questions about who would replace him.
It came down to four names: Chris Tanev, Brandon Montour, Mackenzie Weegar, & Drew Doughty. All four players bring a different skillset, but would no doubt help Canada's defense.
Canada has to make a decision about their blueline -- among other issues, and the team has settled on who is going to replace Pietrangelo:
Sounds like Drew Doughty for Team Canada as Alex Pietrangelo's replacement
It's unsurprising to see Canada select the extremely accomplished Doughty but did the team make the right call?
Chris Tanev Undeservedly Snubbed From Team Canada Roster
What is surprising is the fact that Tanev wasn't selected. Doughty has only recently come back from a broken ankle which required surgery.
Tanev has played in 53 games this season, adding 1 goal and 13 assists while giving Toronto 148 blocked shots -- one of the prime reasons Brad Treliving went after him.
He's made Toronto's defense better, created an elite shutdown duo with Jake McCabe, and would have given Canada a much more reliable option on the backend.
Not to take anything away from Doughty though -- his accomplishments speak for themselves:
- 1156 career games
- 156 goals
- 514 assists
- 2015/16 Norris Trophy Winner
- 2 Stanley Cups (2012 & 2014)
- 2 Olympic Gold Medals (2010 & 2014)
Quite the resume, don't you think? For sure Canada can benefit from a player of Doughty's stature.
But his issue comes with injury concerns. The aforementioned ankle injury is just one of many that have plagued Doughty throughout his career.
Plus, this season since returning -- he hasn't looked like the player of old.
He has played in five games with one assist, and is a minus-2 thus far. He's been a minutes machine but his production has slowed, which can't be good for Canada's chances.
If Doughty can come in and play the way we expect he can, especially with national pride on the line then this conversation is a non-issue.
But if he ends up being a detriment then Canada has no choice but to kick themselves for snubbing Chris Tanev.
What do YOU think? Should Team Canada have picked Chris Tanev over Drew Doughty?
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 9 | 772 ANSWERS Chris Tanev Snubbed From Team Canada's Official Roster After Surprising Announcement If not Drew Doughty, who should have been on Team Canada's roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off? | ||
| Chris Tanev | 440 | 57 % |
| Mackenzie Weegar | 191 | 24.7 % |
| Brandon Montour | 103 | 13.3 % |
| Other | 38 | 4.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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