Green: In the Buffer Zone

There is absolutely no denying it. This is an Olympic year. The world knows it and the loyal NHL hockey fans see it weekly in the pace of this year’s affected season schedule. A compressed schedule that has fans catching hockey in greater frequency due to the much talked about NHL Olympic break.

For Canada it’s a special year because the Olympics come home to Vancouver. The hockey world is a buzz with the projections and forecasts for the home team. In fact it’s a little hard to miss the talk. Darn near impossible actually.

Canada is ripe with talent to fill the roster. In fact, as most of you know, they have too much talent to choose from and this is causing a stir. Who makes the team? Who gets cut? Picking Team Canada will probably be the hardest hockey related decision Steve Yzerman will ever have to make.

With the likes of Martin Brodeur, Jay Bouwmeester, Sidney Crosby, and Chris Pronger , the field to choose from is amazing. In fact some analysts consider them locks for Team Canada but what about the players left in the “buffer zone”? Players like Washington’s Mike Green.

It’s undeniable: Mike Green wants to make the Olympic Roster for 2010. You can’t live in the Washington DC metro region and not know this. Green, who is known among his teammates for his must win passion, has been bombarded with questions from the media regarding his Olympic hopes. His personal website is aflutter with mentions of it. His teammates and his coach have also taken up his cause addressing the media regarding his buffer position. All this lobbying isn’t going to seal the deal though. Yzerman made it clear that play throughout the season would dictate who makes the final cut. So how has Green been performing?

Mike Green is an offensive defenseman. His growth as an NHL player erupted once Bruce Boudreau took the head coach position in Washington. Boudreau coached Green in Hershey and knew that Green could be an offensive threat. The trust that Boudreau had in Green’s offensive capabilities allowed Green to rapidly develop with his young team. And advance he has in a system that focuses on offensive production.

The 2008-2009 season was a remarkable one for Green. In 68 games he had amassed 31 goals and 42 assists. In February 2009 Mike Green scored a goal in his eighth consecutive game breaking the reigning NHL record. He appeared to be a rising star among NHL defenseman and he was drawing attention in the hockey world. His stellar season would not carry into the playoffs.

With injuries and high expectations, Mike Green struggled in the playoffs. Game 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins would find Green benched by Boudreau. Something that up until that point I thought I would never see. Boudreau never once doubted Green’s drive or abilities, and chose to defend the young defenseman to the media. This is something that he always does. Boudreau chose to blame high expectations; Green on the other hand would later admit that lingering ailments and a lack of conditioning caused him to be so unprepared for the playoffs.

As noted by everyone in the Washington Capitals organization, Green takes losses the hardest of anyone. Being his own toughest critic, he took the time during the off-season to right his course. He returned to training camp properly conditioned and ready to start the year. The beginning of this season was slightly bumpy for him as he found his way back to form. Currently Mike Green has a league high 32 points and 93 shots on goal for all NHL defensemen. He has 6 goals and 23 assists in 34 games played. His drive and dedication have his coach and teammates pleading his case to the media but will it do any good?

From the beginning of all the Olympic talk, I never thought Mike Green would make the team. This isn’t to say that I think he’s a poor defenseman; it’s more of a ‘reality of the situation’ type of decision for me. While Mike Green may very well continue to break records and be nominated a second time for the Norris Trophy, Steve Yzerman needs Team Canada to win.

Yzerman, I am sure, feels the pressure of choosing Team Canada. Some players are definite locks for the team, while the remaining slots are difficult decisions. Everyone in Canada expects them to win Gold in Vancouver, bringing added pressure. It would be my belief that Yzerman needs to build a team guaranteed to win and I would think that Mike Green does not fit into that plan.

Guaranteeing a win is not an easy feat, but it would be made a lot more difficult if you throw in some questionable variables. Canada needs an offensive burst from their forwards and shut-down, in your face defensemen on the blue line. To play it safe everyone needs to be defensively minded and members of the team cannot be defensive liabilities. Mike Green is still a young defenseman and he goes through periods of ups and downs in his play. The end of last season and the beginning of this season were not his greatest moments. So it all boils down to one question.

Can Mike Green play a “safer” more consistent type of defense? One that shows little risk and severely decreases the room for error? Boudreau says yes, but has the hockey world seen it? No. And that I’m afraid is what will seal Mike Green’s fate for the 2010 Olympics. If the Olympics were in any other country this year, I fully believe that Green would have a better shot at cracking the roster. Not a guaranteed chance, just a better one.

Team Canada for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver will most likely be about defensive forwards and safe shut-down defensemen. It’s going to be about the correct players to ensure a gold medal. Mike Green, while on the rise, has not proven himself as much as say Scott Niedermayer or Chris Pronger. Vancouver will see a Canadian team that sports safe choices because Yzerman knows what is at stake. Mike Green is young and will see other Olympics. While I understand that this one is extremely important to him, I don’t believe that he will make the team. Of course, Washington Capitals fans, I could be entirely wrong.

(This post appears on www.crashthecrease.com)