Turris a healthy scratch?

Todd at TCT has a post today about the WJC, discussing who might be gone from the lineup during the Badger Hockey Showdown and against N. Michigan. Todd thinks Ryan McDonagh is a lock (I would agree) and that Brendan Smith and Cody Goloubef will likely get a look from Team Canada. Todd also includes a few links about Kyle Turris. It appears the Coyotes might make KT available for the WJC. This didn't occur to any eligible full time NHL players last season, as Pat Kane, Sam Gagner and David Perron didn't play in the event.

KT has also gotten a taste of the cold harsh realities of playing in the NHL being a healthy scratch in the Coyotes' last two games against Calgary and Vancouver. Apparently Kyle wasn't very happy about this since he had 100 family and friends in attendance in a homecoming of sorts on the road at Vancouver. "He refused interview requests after the game."

The Great One had the following to say, "It really wasn't a big decision," Gretzky said after the game. "Nobody likes to not play, but the team had such a good effort on Tuesday night (a 4-2 win in Calgary) as a coaching staff we just really believed it was probably the wise thing to do. Kyle is going to be around for a long time and I know he is disappointed, but he'll get back in and when he gets in I know he'll play well."

I'm not exactly sure what is keeping KT out of the lineup, he started off well, but has cooled off quickly in the young season. Strength is still probably the biggest issue w/ Kyle, something he could have really concentrated on w/ another year at Wisconsin instead of traveling all over the continent. Alas, that is not the case, but the season is still young, I hope he turns things around and still make a run at the Calder.