Let The Debate Continue

I won't deny that I was very against the idea that both Drew Doughty and Travis Sanheim were named to the Canadian Olympic team on Wednesday, and I voiced those opinions on January 1 on The Hockey Show. I haven't changed my opinion on either player's inclusion on the roster when younger players like Owen Power, Jacob Chychrun, Noah Dobson, and Matthew Schafer are available to go and will be the future of the Canadian Olympic team long after both Doughty's and Sanheim's times have passed. Tonight, however, was a perfect example of why one of those four players should have been on the roster, and he was the guy I pushed hardest for on The Hockey Show.

Both Travis Sanheim and Matthew Schaefer scored tonight in helping their respective teams win their games, but it was more about how one player took over a sequence while the other was a footnote on his sequence. When it comes to playing the game the right way, defenders need to steady on the defensive end and contributors at the offensive end while maintaining that defensive awareness. As we'll see, one of these two players possesses those abilities.

We'll start with Travis Sanheim's play. He had already scored to help the Flyers build a 3-0 lead in the first period over the Edmonton Oilers, and we'll jump to this "highlight" from the first period.
Sanheim went from pushing the offence up the ice to fishing the puck out his net very quickly when he threw that cross-ice pass to Mattias Ekholm who plays for the Oilers, and, seconds later, the puck was in the Flyers' net thanks to Connor McDavid. I have no idea why he tried a cross-ice pass to Sean Couturier when he could have fired it around the boards, but that kind of poor decision gets players benched.

"But Teebz," someone of you are saying, "that was just one isolated play," and you're right. It doesn't encompass Sanheim's full body of work, but it's also one where I question Sanheim's decision-making because a turnover at the offensive blue line is usually certain death. All five Flyers players were in the picture when Ekholm picked off the pass, and that's where Sanheim needs to know that he has to skate that puck deeper into the zone before throwing a cross-ice prayer.

On the other hand, the player for whom I advocated that should be on Team Canada showed that he has a knack for big moments in games, but thinks at a high level with his decision-making skills.
Schaefer realizes that there are two Islanders players deep in their own zone, so he turns his attention up ice. Jonathan Drouin gives him the puck as he attacks with a head of steam, and he uses that speed to burst into the Leafs' zone, get a step on his check, get a step on the defender in front of him, and turns the corner. With two Leafs chasing him, he cuts across the crease and slides the puck under Joseph Woll for a great goal that showed all sorts of offensive ability.

Schaefer could have looked up and simply dumped the puck in with three Leafs in defensive positions, but he used his speed to gain a good zone entry. He could have stopped and thrown it around the boards where another Islanders player could have retrieved it, but he did what good offensive players do: he pulled the puck to the outside, dropped his shoulder, and cut to the net when the Leafs defender was forced to turn to defend him. That split-second decision gave him the step on the defender that he needed to put him on his hip, and then it was a one-on-one with Woll.

Again, this is an isolated play, but the fact that Schaefer looks more like a veteran than a rookie compared to Sanheim's decision-making skills is why I was advocating for his inclusion. I've watched more New York Islanders hockey this season than I'd like to admit, but it's hard not to tune in to watch Matthew Schaefer on a nightly basis. Yes, he'll be a Calder Trophy candidate at the end of the season, but he has changed how the Islanders play on a nightly basis with his talents.

I'm not Doug Armstrong nor would I want to be, but I cannot believe that Canada is better off leaving the future of the Canadian Olympic team at home while being loyal to a player who occasionally shows flashes of greatness. Travis Sanheim is a good defenceman who may still reach another level, but Matthew Schaefer is already better.

Opinions may vary, though, so have your say in the comments!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!