We’re hoping and we’re expecting that he’s going to be healthy at camp and he’ll be able to give us an opportunity to see his stuff there.”

“Because he missed our summer camp, because he’s where he’s at with his injury, we’re not talking about a Connor McDavid situation here. “If we were talking about a healthy Nolan Patrick that had played the whole year, I would say yes, he would be on the team,” Jankowski said of Patrick, who has missed 17 games with an upper-body injury and hasn’t played since mid-October.

Bruce Bennett/Getty ImagesĪ bigger question might be whether Canada, which had only one draft-eligible player on last year’s team, will have 17-year-old centre Nolan Patrick in the lineup. The Vancouver Canucks loaned Jake Virtanen to Canada’s world junior team last year, but in five games he managed just one assist and picked up 10 costly penalty minutes. Of course, getting a player with NHL experience is not always a recipe for success. It is easier with it being in North America.” “I think it’s easier for teams to lend their support knowing they’re going to get their players back right away,” said Jankowski. Barzal, selected 16th overall pick, had no points in two games with the Islanders before getting re-assigned to the Seattle Thunderbirds. But even on a young, rebuilding team, Strome struggled to stay in the Coyotes’ lineup and was sent back to the Erie Otters after no goals and one assist in seven games. Most expected they would be unavailable for this year’s tournament. Strome, the third-overall pick in 2015, led Canada in scoring at last year’s world juniors with four goals and six points in five games, while Barzal had two goals and three points. But if you get zero, well, you just go to a different pool.”įor now, Canada is lucky to have players of the caliber of Strome and Barzal.

“If you get one that’s good, if you get two that’s great and if you get three you’re ecstatic. “We’re holding out hope for those three guys,” said Jankowski. 19, Jankowski is crossing his fingers that as many as three more players could be added from a group that includes New York Islanders forward Anthony Beauvillier and Arizona Coyotes winger Lawson Crouse and defenceman Jakob Chychrun. Article contentīut with less than a month to go before the NHL roster freeze takes effect on Dec. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

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Im Bann des Sees by Kate Dylan