Mike Green is one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL, but apparently he is not one of the seven best defensemen in all of Canada.
Green, the Capitals' high-powered sniper from the blue line, was left off the initial roster for Canada's Olympic squad, and probably won't be added unless someone gets injured. Instead, the land of Tim Hortons and Molson will go with Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Duncan Keith, Shea Weber, Dan Boyle, Brent Seabrook and Drew Doughty.
The decision to skip Green has to be a blow to the young All-Star's budding career. But he is in good company with Jay Bouwmeester and Dion Phaneuf, other All-Star blueliners who were also snubbed by Team Canada. Heck, some big names at forward also were left off the list, like Vincent Lecavalier and Jeff Carter.
But why not Green? It's hard to get a gauge on why Steve Yzerman and Co. left him off the roster. His stock started to drop during last season's playoff run, when his aggressive play and scoring prowess fell off. There were rumors of an injury or lack of fitness, but whatever it was added a red flag to his international chances.
This year Green has worked hard to return to his rightful place among the league's top defensemen. His 38 points in 38 games and his nine goals lead all NHL d-men. His plus-15 is also near the top for blueliners. And yet, even with all of those stats, he still was passed over.
In the end, it was probably because of his work in his own zone. It seems that Team Canada was frightened away by Green's defensive lapses. While they may not be visible day in and day out in the NHL, those small gaffs can become major flaws at the Olympic level.
Granted, Green's not going to get the nod over Niedermayer, Pronger, Weber, Boyle or Keith. But the last two on that list -- Brent Seabrook and Drew Doughty -- raised some eyebrows.
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Seabrook doesn't have the flashy name like some of his counterparts, but the Blackhawks defenseman is a solid, steady and reliable player. His offensive ability is minimal, but his shut-down capability makes him a key member of the team.
Doughty was perhaps the biggest surprise to make the team. At just 20 years of age, he will be the youngest member of Team Canada. Traditional thinking is that defensemen can't be relied upon at such a young age, but the Kings' young defenseman has shown a tremendous amount of poise for having virtually no significant NHL experience.
He's solid in both ends of the rink and can dish the puck with the best of them. But is he better than Green? Hard to make that assumption. Will he be a better fit on Team Canada? Hard to say that for a fact, as well. Team Canada struggled mightily on the power play in the 2004 Olympics, and there's no doubt Green would make a difference in that respect.
But alas, it seems that his play in his own end was the deal breaker.
