Uh, wrong Wes… the Red Wings are a completely different team from Team Canada, despite the similarities with the guys that wear suits.

First, Team Canada has to be designed to play—and win—a small handful of games against what are essentially all-star teams in the Russian and Swedish teams, and what are pretty close to all-star teams in the US and Finland. On the other hand, the Red Wings have to be designed to play between 82 and 100 games per season, against competition that’s widely varied.

Second, or an extension of the first point, is that Team Canada can’t afford a meltdown or a bad game in tourney play. The Red Wings, even in the NHL playoffs, could afford to have Osgood have a shitty game or two. It’s happened before and Osgood and the Wings have bounced back. In the regular season, there’s a lot more wiggle room.

Third, Team Canada doesn’t have a salary cap. With no cap, I’m sure Holland would’ve made a run at more than a couple of goalies the last few years.

Fourth, just how many Wings could Yzerman/Babcock invite to the camp without things looking like cronyism? The choice of Babcock has had plenty of critics, not because he isn’t a great coach worthy of coaching Team Canada, but because he’s a Red Wing. The invite to Dan Cleary has drawn criticism for the same reason.

Fifth, Despite Osgood’s clutch play in the last two NHL playoff seasons, inviting him to the camp would’ve done nothing but ignite controversy and hurt the chemistry of the eventual Team Canada. Osgood is already a lightning rod for debate amongst hockey writers and fans (the old, “Is he good, or are the Wings good?” debate), so he’d be a really easy target for all the critics that want to question the choices and already hate them some Chris Osgood. And to tie in with the point above, having invited two seemingly fringe players from the Wings roster would just pile fire on the cronyism angle.

Sixth, and I really do mean this, the Wings braintrust has faith in Osgood, they just want him to play for the Red Wings. He’s played deep in two playoffs. He had some issues focusing during the regular season last year. They want Chris Osgood to worry about Red Wings hockey for ‘09-’10, not to worry about Team Canada. The Wings can’t afford to have a distracted or injured Osgood.

Posted by Nathan from Jonny Ericsson's ice cream truck on 09/08/09 at 12:18 PM ET

It would be flat out pointless to invite Osgood to this camp. Fleury and Mason are there as they’ll (presumably) be Canada’s goaltending future in international competition once Bobba Lou and Brodeur are gone, Brodeur and Luongo are there to battle for the starting position and Ward is smack in the middle of those two reasons (ie. he has started and won with Team Canada, isn’t going to start here but is continuing to rack up experience)

Inviting Osgood would be a waste of time for Team Canada. Which is a different team than Detroit.

Posted by Shane from Saskatoon on 09/08/09 at 12:53 PM ET

Just another Canadian hopping aboard the Red Wings Downfall Bandwagon…

“BOHICA”.

**yawn**, wake me up when the Canadian media changes its tune.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 09/08/09 at 01:13 PM ET

CBSSports is part of the Canadian media?

Posted by Shane from Saskatoon on 09/08/09 at 06:14 PM ET

And I’ll admit, he probably isn’t in the top five goalies from Canada, close but I can understand why he’d be left out. 

But I would say he’s in the top five goalies possible to be playing for the Wings.

Posted by moore00 from the Ohio State University on 09/08/09 at 07:21 PM ET