Whilst it's true that those players selected will be filling particular roles on Russell's team, it is hard to deny that there are one or two players (like David Philips and Robert Lachowicz) who had very, very average seasons with their Elite League teams, teams that either scraped into the Playoff rounds or didn't qualify at all.....and all of a sudden they are world beaters? Individually, Phillips is not better than Josh. He just happens to be paired with O'Connor at Steelers and he makes anyone look better. When those awesome NHL forwards playing for USA, Canada and Finland are steaming towards Bownsey, perhaps Russell might just regret not selecting that 6'4" defensive beast from the Cardiff Devils who could disrupt the opposition game.
The inclusion of even more dual nationals on the team does divide opinion. It's essential we have these British Canadian and British American guys who bring a certain style and skill set to keep the National Team at its current level. On the other hand, unfortunately, it now limits the places availble for British players who will have to work even harder to compete for them.