"On a Canadian Olympic lineup that found it necessary to overlook Connor Bedard, Wyatt Johnson, and Mark Schiefele, it's pretty hard to make a case for John Tavares making the team. Jon Cooper wanting his own guys (Hagel and Cirelli) comes with the advantage of familiarity so maybe that's understandable, but on a team that already has Cirelli finding it necessary to include Suzuki, Horvat, and Wilson seems like a commitment to two-way or physical play."
"The exclusion of Matthew Knies is the more noteworthy snub when it comes to the Maple Leafs. Knies was one of the few Americans that played at the 2022 Olympics (Brock Faber and Jake Sanderson being the two making repeat appearances), and Knies certainly has numerous tools that make him valuable in a variety of situations, including playing alongside Auston Matthews. There seem to be fewer head scratchers when it comes to the US Hockey roster, and Knies is likely very"
The Toronto Maple Leafs have regained momentum and signaled they are not finished. Olympic roster choices created controversy as Canada omitted Connor Bedard, Wyatt Johnson and Mark Schiefele, making John Tavares's inclusion difficult to justify. Jon Cooper prioritized familiar forwards like Hagel and Cirelli, and Canada’s inclusion of Suzuki, Horvat and Wilson emphasizes two-way, physical play over pure offense. Matthew Knies was a notable omission for the Maple Leafs and Team USA despite his 2022 Olympic experience and versatility alongside Auston Matthews, with Knies likely high on the injury-replacement list. Oliver Ekman-Larsson made Sweden’s roster. Auston Matthews appears to have regained form.
Read at TheLeafsNation
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