Since 1989-90... give me your best, peak condition, Team Canada, Team USA, or Team Europe

[Dingo]

The NHL has featured, with small exceptions due to the KHL, all of the best hockey players in the world. Also, right around this time, Wayne Gretzky went to an American team, American promotion of the game ensued, contracts skyrocketed, and Mats Sundin went first overall in the draft. The message from all of this was -" no matter where you are from, you can become a millionaire playing hockey here"

This also coincides with when many of us were alive and watching as older than just little kids, we have seen with our own eyes and can cut through the rhetoric a bit, as opposed to older stuff. This takes out the romanticism of the Soviets and Orr and Howe, etc.

So, in this time, at the beginning of this time, Canada supplied about half of the NHL population, and roughly a quarter from the USA and a quarter from Europe. This is slowly bleeding towards being more like 3 thirds, although the USA may likely take over a bit. Anyhow, close enough.

For anyone willing to play, can you please give me your best, peak condition, Team Canada, Team USA, or Team Europe, or all three if you would like??

I would say, as they were at their best in this time period. Borje Salming should not make Team Europe, for instance.... unless one thinks he was exceptional in Detroit.

I want to see what people come up with before I return to this post and post my own.

Europe (take 1):

Ovechkin - Forsberg - Kucherov
Draisaitl - Malkin - Jagr
Selanne - Fedorov - Bure
Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Kopitar

Lidstrom - Hedman
Chara - Josi
Karlsson - Konstantinov

Hasek
Lundqvist

Canada:

Lemieux - Gretzky - Lindros
Kariya - McDavid - Mackinnon
Crosby - Sakic - Yzerman
Messier - Bergeron - St. Louis

Bourque - Pronger
Coffey - Stevens
Makar - Weber

Roy
Brodeur

USA:

K. Stevens - Modano - Hull
Pavelski - Roenick - Kane
Leclair - Matthews - Guentzel
Gaudreau - Lafontaine - Kessel

Leetch - Chelios
Fox - R. Suter
Hughes - Carlson

Thomas
Quick

Click to read more...

 

[Ace36758]

Ok don’t skewer me… a quick attempt at Canada.

Shanahan Gretzky Yzerman
toews Lemieux lindros
Kariya Crosby sakic
Messier mcdavid iginla

Pronger bourque
Stevens doughty
MacInnis Keith

Roy
Brodeur

Fun exercise. Obviously just ridiculous centre depth. Tried to include a few natural wingers also, but may have forgotten a key name or two. Could play around with the lines.

 

[MadLuke]

Hossa (can do a lot of things for you)-Sundin are 2 I would probably look for an angle to fit in, but with the Zetterberg, Kopitar, Forsberg, Datsyuk and obviously Fedorov there is not many elements not covered already.

Would probably cheat and use extra spot intel teams roster size tend to have....

 

[frisco]

Europe
Ovechkin-Malkin-Jagr
Draisaitl-Sundin-Selanne
Panarin-Kopitar-Kucherov
Zetterberg-Fedorov-Mogilny
(Had to cheat a bit, Draisaitl and Zetterberg at LW)

Lidstrom-Karlsson
Chara-Hedman
Gonchar-Zubov

Hasek
Lundqvist

My Best-Carey

 

[Dingo]

Hossa (can do a lot of things for you)-Sundin are 2 I would probably look for an angle to fit in, but with the Zetterberg, Kopitar, Forsberg, Datsyuk and obviously Fedorov there is not many elements not covered already.

Would probably cheat and use extra spot intel teams roster size tend to have....

i did originally have Hossa on my fourth line. natural winger, moving Kopitar to centre. But leaving Datsyuk off felt very wrong.

 

[Dingo]

Ok don’t skewer me… a quick attempt at Canada.

Shanahan Gretzky Yzerman
toews Lemieux lindros
Kariya Crosby sakic
Messier mcdavid iginla

Pronger bourque
Stevens doughty
MacInnis Keith

Roy
Brodeur

Fun exercise. Obviously just ridiculous centre depth. Tried to include a few natural wingers also, but may have forgotten a key name or two. Could play around with the lines.

Canada is very difficult, i think you have done a good job. Id say that Toews cant hold anything to Mackinnon at this point, though. Shanahan .... its nice having a real LW there, and his grit was undeniable... but i think id be looking for better... maybe St. Louis?

And ya to the D, i think. Makar replacing someone before too long.

Goalies, yep.

 

[Dingo]

Europe
Ovechkin-Malkin-Jagr
Draisaitl-Sundin-Selanne
Panarin-Kopitar-Kucherov
Zetterberg-Fedorov-Mogilny
(Had to cheat a bit, Draisaitl and Zetterberg at LW)

Lidstrom-Karlsson
Chara-Hedman
Gonchar-Zubov

Hasek
Lundqvist

My Best-Carey

i think there is a case for all of those players, cant disagree with much, even leaving off Bure. I know you arent a Forsberg fan, lol, but id say he is still the best European centre i have seen, and he also played some LW. Zetterberg was a damned beauty, but he was very much Forsberg-light. Even when they played together they got in each other's way. Achilles and Patrocles.... no hidden accusations, lol.

 

[jigglysquishy]

Stylistically, Kucherov and Ovechkin together is very appealing. Malkin and Ovechkin never meshed well. And I don't think Jagr and Ovechkin would be a good fit.

Something like Ovechkin-Forsberg-Kucherov or Ovechkin-Fedorov-Kucherov.

 

[Albatros]

The NHL has featured, with small exceptions due to the KHL, all of the best hockey players in the world.

 

[Dingo]

Stylistically, Kucherov and Ovechkin together is very appealing. Malkin and Ovechkin never meshed well. And I don't think Jagr and Ovechkin would be a good fit.

Something like Ovechkin-Forsberg-Kucherov or Ovechkin-Fedorov-Kucherov.

i am along these lines, too

i think the 2 way play of Forsberg, the passing of Forsberg and Kooch, the scoring of Kooch and Ovi, the medium+ speed of all three, and the nastiness of all three make for a very promising line.

i like the idea of Feds with Bure, which makes sense, and i added Selanne, but of course Mogilny would be great, too. Speed, speed, speed.

 

[Crosby2010]

At around 1990 Canada had about 75-80% of the NHL's population, not half though. But if we start from 1990 onwards this is what Canada might look like:

Lemieux-Gretzky-Yzerman
Messier-McDavid-Iginla
Kariya-Crosby-MacKinnon
Sakic-Lindros-Fleury
Shanahan

Bourque-Doughty
Coffey-Stevens
Pronger-MacInnis
Keith

Roy
Brodeur
Belfour

 

[MadLuke]

Lemieux-Gretzky-Iginla
Kariya-McDavid-Yzerman
Shanahan-Lindros-Neely
Marchand-Crosby-Bergeron
Messier-GIlmour

Coffey-Bourque
MacInnis-Makar
Doughty-Keith
Stevens-Pronger

Roy
Price
Brodeur

edit: should have probably brought MacK speed... 5 minutes major to have not thought of Sakic....

 

[The Macho King]

Europe
Ovechkin-Malkin-Jagr
Draisaitl-Sundin-Selanne
Panarin-Kopitar-Kucherov
Zetterberg-Fedorov-Mogilny
(Had to cheat a bit, Draisaitl and Zetterberg at LW)

Lidstrom-Karlsson
Chara-Hedman
Gonchar-Zubov

Hasek
Lundqvist

My Best-Carey

God - Chara and Hedman as a pairing. Is there any room left on the ice for anyone else? That's two big boys.

 

[Ace36758]

Lemieux-Gretzky-Iginla
Kariya-McDavid-Yzerman
Shanahan-Lindros-Neely
Marchand-Crosby-Bergeron
Messier-GIlmour

Coffey-Bourque
MacInnis-Makar
Doughty-Keith
Stevens-Pronger

Roy
Price
Brodeur

edit: should have probably brought MacK speed...

Messier has got to be on the team,no? 2 harts post 1990. Unless you’re trying to keep players in their natural positions.

 

[MadLuke]

Messier has got to be on the team,no? 2 harts post 1990. Unless you’re trying to keep players in their natural positions.

That why he is there, he will be tried with Lindros instead of Shanahan and Iginla with Gretzky.

His speed is hard to pass on the big ice (and everything he bring of the big game), just not sure where he will end up, maybe with McDavid...). I did try to keep position but Messier is proven enough on the wing for natural position to not be an issue for him, like Lemieux-Bergeron.

 

[randywoodsghost]

Prime Pronger belongs In Canada’s top 4, if not top pairing.

Lemieux-Gretzky-Iginla
Kariya-McDavid-Yzerman
Shanahan-Lindros-Neely
Marchand-Crosby-Bergeron
Messier-GIlmour

Coffey-Bourque
MacInnis-Makar
Doughty-Keith
Stevens-Pronger

Roy
Price
Brodeur

edit: should have probably brought MacK speed...

 

[MadLuke]

Prime Pronger belongs In Canada’s top 4, if not top pairing.

On International sized ice and referring ? (assumed that the context the teams would play against each other)

Never been that impressed by him versus Keith-Doughty in those setting (98, 02 or 06 when we needed him to be the best player of the tourney and was right in his second peak...), was often in the penalty box and did not seem at ease.

90-96 Coffey was quite the gamer for team Canada.

On a small ice with nhl referring, yes, you want him out there.

 

[frisco]

Europe

Ovechkin-Malkin-Jagr
Draisaitl-Sundin-Selanne
Panarin-Kopitar-Kucherov
Zetterberg-Fedorov-Mogilny
(Had to cheat a bit, Draisaitl and Zetterberg at LW)

Lidstrom-Karlsson
Chara-Hedman
Josi-Zubov

Hasek
Lundqvist

My Best-Carey

I'm going to make a switch and bump Gonchar for Josi.

My Best-Carey

 

[frisco]

United States
Kevin Stevens-Matthews-B.Hull
Pavelski-Modano-Kane
K.Tkachuk-Roenick-M.Tkachuk
Gaudreau-LaFontaine-Parise

Leetch-Chelios
Fox-J.Carlson
D.Hatcher-Housley

Barrasso
Quick

My Best-Carey

 

[Dingo]

United States
Kevin Stevens-Matthews-B.Hull
Pavelski-Modano-Kane
K.Tkachuk-Roenick-M.Tkachuk
Gaudreau-LaFontaine-Parise

Leetch-Chelios
Fox-J.Carlson
D.Hatcher-Housley

Barrasso
Quick

My Best-Carey

first one to take a crack at the US. looks pretty solid.

 

[Dingo]

i would consider putting Randy Wood in between the Tkachuks, just for the woodchuck jokes...

 

[JianYang]

United States
Kevin Stevens-Matthews-B.Hull
Pavelski-Modano-Kane
K.Tkachuk-Roenick-M.Tkachuk
Gaudreau-LaFontaine-Parise

Leetch-Chelios
Fox-J.Carlson
D.Hatcher-Housley

Barrasso
Quick

My Best-Carey

I might swap guerin in for gaudreau

I would take quick higher on the depth chart than barrasso. I'm tempted to take barasso out completely tbh, as I wasnt all that high on him during this particular timeline.

 

[Namba 17]

Europe

Ovechkin – Kopitar – Alfredsson
Panarin – Fedorov – Jagr
Draisaitl – Forsberg - Kucherov
Zetterberg – Malkin – Hossa
Datsyuk, Elias

Lidstrom – Zubov
Chara - Karlsson
Hedman – Hjalmarsson
Markov

Hasek
Vasilevskiy
Rask

 

[DickSmehlik]

United States
Kevin Stevens-Matthews-B.Hull
Pavelski-Modano-Kane
K.Tkachuk-Roenick-M.Tkachuk
Gaudreau-LaFontaine-Parise

Leetch-Chelios
Fox-J.Carlson
D.Hatcher-Housley

Barrasso
Quick

My Best-Carey

Not a bad list.

I would swap Lafontaine for Modano though. Not sure if Modano comes close to Patty's 264 points in 155 games over 2 seasons peak.

 

[WarriorofTime]

USA is basically the same as the one from the "all-time" thread.