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Babcock: ‘the most important thing is trust’

Mike Babcock

OK, we’re going to pass along a quote from Team Canada coach Mike Babcock as he prepares to make his Sochi roster decisions. Let us know in the comments section if the same player that came to our mind was the one that came to yours.

“We want skaters, the most we can possibly have,” said Babcock, per ESPN. “We want high hockey IQ. But the most important thing is trust. No sense taking somebody you don’t trust, because they’re all going to be one-goal games, and in the end you have to defend.

“People think the big ice is about offense. No, it’s about defending. So you got to able to play without the puck. Can you do that or can you not do that? To me, it’s really simple.”

Was it PK Subban that came to mind? It was PK Subban, right?

Subban may be the reigning Norris Trophy winner, but he’s far from a lock to play for Team Canada at the Olympics. When it comes to right-handed d-men, Drew Doughty and Shea Weber are pretty much locks. It’s hard to imagine Alex Pietrangelo being left out. Dan Boyle is a veteran that Babcock trusted plenty in 2010. Brent Seabrook played limited minutes in Vancouver, but he’s got considerably more big-game experience than Subban. Kris Letang is another option for Babcock, though his play may beg the same question as Subban’s: can he be trusted?

Related: Team Canada announces orientation camp roster