The preliminary round at the 2022 IIHF World Hockey Championship has come to an end so it’s a good time to assess how each of the representatives from the Habs has fared so far.
Josh Anderson (CAN) – C
On a Canadian roster that isn’t all that impressive on paper, Anderson hasn’t really stood out in a positive way. Most of his points came against teams that didn’t make it to the quarterfinals and against the better competition, he was simply okay. When he’s on his game with the Habs, you notice him driving the net and playing with physicality. Those elements haven’t been on display while he has picked up some unnecessary penalties along the way as well. Canada will play Sweden in the quarters after a particularly underwhelming showing in the preliminary round.
Stats: 7 GP, 1 goal, 5 assists, 6 points, +2 rating, 10 PIMS, 15 shots, 14:39 ATOI
Joel Armia (FIN) – B-
Armia’s role has diminished as the opening round went on as the Finns were able to land some notable NHL reinforcements after the first round of the playoffs. (With them hosting the tournament, that was to be expected.) Still, after starting in the top six, Armia dropping to more a complementary role is a little disappointing, especially if you were hoping that a strong showing here could perhaps help his trade value this summer. He isn’t playing poorly but he isn’t standing out either. Come to think of it, that’s Armia in a nutshell most of the time. They get Slovakia to start the medal round.
Stats: 7 GP, 3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points, +4 rating, 8 PIMS, 14 shots, 14:48 ATOI
Frederik Dichow (DEN) – D
There’s a good case to be made to give him an ‘incomplete’ grade since he played all of two periods. But that’s the problem. Dichow came into this tournament as the clear second-string option to Sebastian Dahm but he had an opportunity to make a positive impression in his game against Switzerland. Instead, he struggled and got yanked, resulting in them deciding they were better wearing out Dahm the rest of the way rather than giving Dichow another game or two. Dahm was out of gas in a must-win game as a result which resulted in them failing to qualify for the medal round.
Stats: 1 GP, 0-1-0 record, 7.50 GAA, .800 SV%
Sean Farrell (USA) – B+
I had no real expectations for Farrell for this tournament. Him simply getting put on the team and being able to play at a higher level of competition was a good step for his development. He has had some quiet games with minimal ice time but he has also done well enough to be moved up the lineup against the weaker countries. From here on out, playing time will likely be minimal but Farrell hasn’t looked out of place on this stage. That’s a solid outcome for sure. The Americans get Switzerland to start the medal round.
Stats: 7 GP, 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points, +1 rating, 2 PIMS, 14 shots, 13:43 ATOI
Jordan Harris (USA) – N/A
Harris was named to the roster for the US but was never officially registered. Instead, they opted to bring in some forwards that were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs, using up their remaining roster spots in the process. Harris is therefore ineligible to play the rest of the way, even though injuries have dropped the Americans down to five healthy defencemen.