Should Team Canada have a grind line?

[charlio lemieux]

Should Canada sacrifice some skill to send players who are defensive or checking specialty players, to form a grind line?

[Newfie John]

Guys like Joe Thornton can play both types of games so there is no sacrifice there.

[MadDevil]

With the skill Canada has up front, they shouldn't need a grind line. Besides, like NJ said they have plenty of players that can play that type of roll. Didn't Smyth/Thornton/Doan play a grinding type role in the World Cup?

[PDO]

With the skill Canada has up front, they shouldn't need a grind line. Besides, like NJ said they have plenty of players that can play that type of roll. Didn't Smyth/Thornton/Doan play a grinding type role in the World Cup?

Smyth played with Lecavalier and Heatley at the WC.

Team Canada has several players that are stars in this league and can produce while playing against quality opposition.. sending a guy like Draper is just plain stupid.

Thornton, Sakic, Lecavalier, Richards, Smyth, Doan, Heatley, etc are all capable of playing against top line talent and outscoring them. I see no reason why we need to send someone out their to "neutralize" them, when we can send guys who'll just plain and simply outscore them.

[Man.Utd]

I'll leave that descision to Hockey Canada. But I'm a fan of taking your best players and that's that. There's enough players available who play with both skill and grit.

If we do want a grind line it'll be comprised of players like Smyth and Doan. They'll be playing a checking role but I'd hardly consider them "grinders".