World Cup of Hockey 2016: Get to know Canada’s defenders

Team Canada gets away with a massive amount of stupid decisions that would (and do) paralyze other teams (USA! USA!). Chief among them in this tournament? Leaving P.K. Subban, one of the best defenders in the NHL, at home while taking … well, literally anyone else on this list.

It seems perfect that Shea Weber, a player the Montreal Canadiens sent Subban packing for, made the squad. So when Weber gets undressed by forwards who can actually skate, we can all think of Subban sitting on his luxurious Nashville couch, laughing his ass off.

More importantly, we get to watch Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic do their thing for Team Canada. This team is jam-packed with Sharks from forwards to defenders, making Canada a good team to follow if you want to see San Jose players before the season begins.

Canada Defenders

Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks

Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings

Jay Bouwmeester, St. Louis Blues

Jake Muzzin, Los Angeles Kings

Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues

Marc-Edouard Vlasic, San Jose Sharks

Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brent Burns

Burns has scored 29 points in 33 games for Team Canada at the senior level, though he’s never played for the Canadians in the Olympics. He most recently represented his country in the 2014-15 World Championships, his fourth appearance in that tournament.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic

Vlasic played in his first Olympics in Sochi in 2014 and did quite well, as one would expect from one of the quietly most effective defenders in the NHL. Now Vlasic gets another shot at representing Team Canada with a stacked team, if a less loaded blue line.

Alex Pietrangelo

One of two St. Louis Blues on this team, Pietrangelo played in his first Olympics in Sochi in 2014. He scored 37 points in 73 games with the Blues last year and finished 23rd in Lady Byng voting.

Group: A

First Game: Team Czech Republic vs. Team Canada, 5 p.m. PT, ESPNEWS