Team Canada Predictions (UPDATED)

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With the final cuts about to be announced, The Pipeline Show is submitting our picks for Canada's World Junior roster. We also cornered Rogers Sportsnet CHL Analyst Sam Cosentino and forced him to participate. Here are our teams, feel free to tell us we're crazy and what your team would look like.

Just do it before Hockey Canada makes their team official.


Dean' Team

G: Olivier Roy, Mark Visentin
D: Ryan Ellis, Calvin de Haan, Jared Cowen, Erik Gudbranson, Ryan Murray, Dylan Olsen, Tyson Barrie
F: Brayden Schenn, Jaden Schwartz, Brett Connolly (above), Sean Couturier, Cody Eakin, Louis Leblanc, Curtis Hamilton, Zack Kassian, Ryan Johansen, Casey Cizikas, Riley Sheahan, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Brandon Pirri

Guy's Team

G: Calvin Pickard, Olivier Roy
D: Ryan Ellis, Calvin de Haan, Jared Cowen, Erick Gudbranson, Ryan Murray, Dylan Olsen, Mark Pysyk
F: Brayden Schenn, Jaden Schwartz (above), Quinton Howden, Sean Couturier, Cody Eakin, Louis Leblanc, Curtis Hamilton, Riley Sheahan, Zack Kassian, Casey Cizikas, Ryan Johansen, Marcus Foligno, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Sam's Team

G: Mark Visentin, Olivier Roy
D: Jared Cowen, Calvin de Haan, Ryan Ellis, Dylan Olsen, Erik Gudbrandson, Ryan Murray, Mark Pysyk
F: Michael Bournival, Casey Cizikas, Couturier, Cody Eakin, Curtis Hamilton, Ryan Johansen, Zack Kassian, Louis Leblanc, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (above), Brayden Schenn, Jaden Schwartz, Riley Sheahan, Marcus Foligno

Hockey Canada's Team

G: Roy, Visentin
D: Cowen, Désprés, Olsen, Ellis, Gudbranson, de Haan, Barrie
F: Couturier, Schwartz, Kassian, Schenn, Cizikas, Howden, Foligno, Johansen, Hamilton, Leblanc, Eakin, Ashton, Connolly

Simon Désprés and Carter Ashton make the team in the end and none of us had either of them on our predicted squad. Meanwhile, Ryan Murray and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were unanimous for us but didn't get the thumbs up from Hockey Canada.Perhaps most surprising is that Riley Sheahan, who centered the most effective line in the CIS game and picked up 3 points, didn't make the cut.

You could argue that a few players made the team despite being outplayed during the camp. Clearly Hockey Canada is hoping that those guys round into form through the exhibitions and get on track in time for the tournament. Tough break for those guys that did well through camp but were cut.

Canada opens the World Junior tournament on Dec 26th against Russia but will play three exhibition games leading up to the event. The Red and White will take on Switzerland, Finland and Sweden before getting to Buffalo.