Team Canada couldn't outrun their lack of discipline

I think Team Canada is put on a pedestal and expected to win, but at the same time these are teenagers; they deserve to be viewed as such.

I completely agree with Don Cherry that the kids did their best, and followed Ottawa 67's head coach and Team Canada bench boss Dave Cameron's lead. There were undoubtedly mistakes made all over the place. It can't be solely left on one party. Penalties were the dagger to Canada's heart, and the fact they were unable to clean that up was their demise.

But the biggest issue was the lack of goal scoring because, in my opinion, they lacked goals which led to frustration. Leaving Beckett Sennecke, Andrew Cristall and Michael Misa off the roster is certainly a decision that I believe to be unwise. So, in reality, it's the roster construction and penalty troubles were a 1a-1b type of problem, equally harming the team.

The saddest part of it all is Matthew Schaefer destroyed his collarbone, and the team wasn't able to make it to the medal round. Equally frustrating was the fact that Gavin McKenna didn't get to show much of what he could do. The recently turned 17-year-old was probably the most talented player on the team, not named (Matthew) Schaefer.

McKenna is easily the best prospect in hockey, and he isn't draft-eligible until 2026 - you could argue James Hagens. I think if McKenna was eligible this year he would go first overall, though Schaefer would get a good look. McKenna is going to be a problem, and I expect that he will play in the NHL as soon as he turns 18.

I also think if he was given a spot on the top line, he would have been a difference-maker for the team, he is too talented not to. The issue was lack of ice time - if he plays on the top line then he will create, that's the player he is. I also think that Canada would have made some noise with an improved power play, which McKenna could have helped with.

It was mismanagement and poor decisions on and off the ice that cut Canada'a gold medal hopes terribly short.

You have to pick the best player(s) available

In the draft, especially the first round; the rule of thumb is to pick the best player available because picking for a need could haunt a franchise. Montreal has a few examples where they reached for a player because of positional need, rather than just picking the best player available. The Habs could have drafted Brady Tkachuk or Quinn Hughes but instead selected Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

I think it's too early to write him off, but Filip Mesar, the Canadiens' 26th overall pick in the 2022 draft has yet to prove a whole lot. But if you have a look at the final four picks of the first round, only Jiri Kulich has impressed. Kulich has played 123 American Hockey League games with the Rochester Americans and scored 97 points (53 goals & 47 assists).

Meanwhile, Mesar had two okay seasons with the Kitchener Rangers, just managing 50-plus points in roughly as many games (52 & 45). Injuries have limited Mesar's debut professional season with the Laval Rocket, the Slovak winger has five points through nine games. The jury is still out on Mesar, but Kotkaniemi was a bad decision and a great example of not reaching for positional need.