CP's projected Team Canada lineup, Take 2 Hockey/Olympics CHRIS JOHNSTON AND BILL BEACON THE CANADIAN PRESS

Steven Stamkos wasn't at Team Canada's summer orientation camp, but his fast start to the NHL season has to have him at least under consideration for the Olympic team. Nevertheless, he still isn't among the Canadian Press's projected choices for the Canadian lineup. - Canadian Press file photo

At one point or another, Mike Babcock has heard pretty much every name tossed out there.

The Team Canada coach gets asked constantly about the possibility of an unlikely player working his way into Olympic consideration and has come up with a standard response.

"What I always say is when you bring up that name, tell me who you're taking off," Babcock said recently. "Because it's great to like somebody, but they've got to (take a spot). It's just like me liking a kid - whose job on the roster are they taking?"

In Babcock's eyes, the Olympic team's final 23-man roster is likely to be comprised entirely of players who attended the summer orientation camp in Calgary.

"When you go about (looking at) it that way, it makes it difficult for people that weren't there to make the club," he said.

There are a number of players off to a solid start that weren't among the 46 who came to Calgary. Heading into Wednesday's games, that group included seven guys currently scoring at better than a point per game pace in the NHL: Dustin Penner (23 points in 21 games), Rich Peverley (23 in 17), Steven Stamkos (21 in 18), Rene Bourque (21 in 19), James Neal (20 in 17), Brad Richards (20 in 17) and J.P. Dumont (13 in 12).

The Canadian Press has taken Babcock's advice and left all of those guys out of our latest version of Team Canada. While a guy like Stamkos is awfully tempting, it's hard to argue he's displaced more than half of the forwards who attended the orientation camp.

A little more than six weeks remain until executive director Steve Yzerman unveils his 23-man Olympic squad on Dec. 31.

Yzerman will work in close consultation with his management team of Ken Holland, Doug Armstrong and Kevin Lowe, but Babcock also expects his opinion to be heard on player selection.

"I think I'll have lots of input," he said. "In the end, just like on all teams, your management gives you the team, but anybody who's managed in the game or been around the game knows that if the coach is uncomfortable with a player, he's not going to play him. That doesn't make any sense either."

The Games are fast approaching. This our second-last crack at choosing Team Canada before Yzerman shows everyone the real thing.

Goaltenders

Martin Brodeur (New Jersey): Looking pretty good with 12 wins on the season.
Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh): Has cooled off a little after a hot start.
Roberto Luongo (Vancouver): It's been a tough couple weeks.
Defencemen
Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim): Will be appearing in a home Olympics in the twilight of his career.
Chris Pronger (Philadelphia): Potential for a long season with Games and chance at a deep playoff run.
Shea Weber (Nashville): Honed a great shot using cans as targets in his backyard.
Jay Bouwmeester (Calgary): Seems to have handled the pressure of a true hockey market nicely.
Duncan Keith (Chicago): His mobility will be very useful.
Dan Boyle (San Jose): From the taxi squad in Turin to the real thing in Vancouver.
Brent Seabrook (Chicago): Truly on the bubble, there are several others pushing.
Forwards
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh): Carrying the torch on and off the ice.
Rick Nash (Columbus): Ken Hitchcock believes Nash has hit a new level.
Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay): He's the
member of the Lightning on this Team Canada.
Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim): Starting to look more and more like his dominant self.
Dany Heatley (San Jose): On pace for a 50-goal season in The Golden State.
Jarome Iginla (Calgary): Eight goals in his last seven games. That's more like it.
Joe Thornton (San Jose): Jumbo Joe still piling up the points.
Jeff Carter (Philadelphia): Another sniper who can be moved to the wing.
Patrick Marleau (San Jose): Back on our team after a tremendous start.
Shane Doan (Phoenix): Leadership, experience and a great shutdown guy.
Mike Richards (Philadelphia): A true competitor.
Brenden Morrow (Dallas): No lingering issues after missing most of last season.
Jonathan Toews (Chicago): Another testament to his versatility - he's currently the NHL's third-best faceoff man.
Bubble players
D Dion Phaneuf, D Mike Green, D Drew Doughty, F Vincent Lecavalier, F Ryan Smyth, F Patrick Sharp.