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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporter
There’s something to be said for having options. Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off GM Don Sweeney — alongside associate GM Jim Nill — is going to have an abundance of them when it comes to setting his country’s roster for the upcoming tournament.
We’re just under a month away from the Dec. 2 deadline for management of each country — that’s Canada, the USA, Finland and Sweden — to submit their roster of 20 skaters and three goaltenders for the event taking place on Feb. 12-20.
The NHL has eschewed its usual All-Star Game in favor of this tournament, but have no fear: Canada alone will practically carry enough talent to mirror that of any league-wide showcase.
Choosing from the country’s best is a tantalizing thought. Given the fortune of faces to choose from, who will actually make Sweeney’s squad? And which players will be the toughest to leave off the list?
Oh, and — who exactly is going to tend goal for this team?
Each nation announced six players that would be on the team back on June 28. For Canada, that’s defenseman Cale Makar, along with forwards Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Brad Marchand, Connor McDavid and Brayden Point.
The countdown is officially on for decision day. The roster itself is bound to contain a surprise (or two) so instead of a full-blown projection, we’re breaking down each position with the skaters most likely to be a lock, and the ones on whom a decision will be hardest.
Centers
The shoo-ins: Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon
Stating the obvious: Canada will be deep down the middle. That’s true whether MacKinnon is lining up there or sliding to the wing (something he has already told reporters he’s open to doing) and Brayden Point ends up in this category. Either way, when you can roll out these three in any capacity on the same lineup card, you’re doing alright.
The tough calls: The fourth center spot for Canada is likely Nick Suzuki‘s to lose. He has a finely tuned 200-foot game and takes on Montreal’s hardest matchups every night, all while elevating his teammates in the process. That’s a well-rounded addition to the roster. However, it won’t be easy for Sweeney to dole out roles here, while also considering who could potentially fill winger slots instead.
Ryan O’Reilly would be an excellent checking-line center option, and has Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe pedigree on his resume. Steven Stamkos also comes with ample winning experience, and his power-play acumen (an accurate bomb of a one-timer) make him a versatile extra piece. His leadership is a valuable commodity, too.
In terms of pure production, Mark Scheifele just scored 42 goals two years ago and he already is averaging over a point per game this season for the red-hot Winnipeg Jets. Anthony Cirelli is another candidate for the fourth-line center role, given his strong start to the season (12 points in 11 games) and, of course, his connection to Canada’s head coach (and Tampa Bay Lightning bench boss) Jon Cooper.
The real conundrum for Canada here is whether they’ll prioritize flash and scoring without a balance of some grit-and-grind energy. Although that could always be found in the country’s stable of superior winger options that we’ll be looking into next. But does Canada need to incorporate a certain physicality to be at its best? Or just allow the fast-paced, free-flowing offense it can easily create be their guide? It’s only a two-week affair we’re talking about. No need for Canada to overthink things … right?
Wingers
The shoo-ins: Brayden Point, Mitch Marner, Sam Reinhart
It was mentioned earlier but should go without saying: Point is a terrific center and could play there too. Reinhart was second in NHL goal scoring last season (with 57 markers) while Marner consistently ranks among the league’s most dynamic playmakers.
This trio is a great point of entry into a long list of difficult decisions.
The tough calls: Zach Hyman could be among the sure things here … if not for a bout of early-season struggles. The Oilers’ winger tallied 54 goals last season — third-most in the league — but has just two points in 11 games in 2024-25. If that trend continues, someone else might leapfrog over Hyman on the depth chart.
The same goes for Quinton Byfield. He’s right on the cusp of this roster. Frankly, he might be the hardest call of all. How Byfield plays the next month could ultimately decide his fate. After putting up 20 goals last season, the 22-year-old is off to a slow start with just five assists in his first 11 games. If Byfield can pad those stats over the next couple weeks with improved play, Sweeney will have to take notice of the young King who can also play center.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is weathering a mediocre opening to this campaign (four points in 11 games) that may see him bumped in favor of someone like Brandon Hagel. The latter would surely get Cooper’s vote given how Hagel has been so important for Tampa Bay, and is having a great season (13 points in 11 games). Alexis Lafreniere‘s scorching start in New York (10 points in 10 games) also puts him firmly on the radar for a spot.
Brad Marchand comes with that get-under-your-skin element Canada may not have elsewhere, and remains productive (with nine points in 12 games so far) even at 36 years old. Not bad. Sam Bennett provides the same sort of sandpaper and Cup-winning history. Would having both Marchand and Bennett be too much of a good thing in that respect?
Mark Stone is another veteran player with a Cup on his resume — and is one of the best defensive forwards in the game — but his on-ice contributions are frequently overshadowed by trips to the injured list.
Mathew Barzal is a point-per-game player who seems to single-handedly keep the offensively challenged Islanders afloat, and he can play at center or on the wing (the 27-year-old transitioned from one position to the other when New York acquired Bo Horvat in 2023). That determination alone might be enough to sway Sweeney in his direction. Barzal hit the long-term injured reserve, and will miss four to six weeks, which obviously impacts the decision-making process here too.
Travis Konecny will get a long look. He’s strung together consecutive 30-goal seasons for Philadelphia, and has seemed to get better year over year.
On the topic of promise, no we haven’t left out/forgotten the youngest of Canada’s burgeoning forward group. Connor Bedard and Wyatt Johnston both deserve serious consideration to make this team. But where do they fit into how Sweeney wants to construct this group? Bedard and Johnston are sensational in their own rights, and can certainly handle themselves against the other club’s best players. This tournament is also an audition of sorts for Canada’s 2026 Olympic team (for which Sweeney and Nill will also be assistant general managers) and putting Bedard and/or Johnston on this stage to see how they do could plant seeds of confidence for what’s to come in 2026.
Defensemen
The shoo-ins: Cale Makar, Devon Toews
Hoo boy. This could be Sweeney’s Mt. Everest in creating Team Canada. It’s simple enough to tap Makar — a four-time Norris Trophy finalist and one-time winner — and his teammate Toews as the nation’s top pairing.
From there, things get tricky.
The tough calls: Noah Dobson seems like an easy pick despite how overlooked his defensive play is following a stellar 2023-24 season. Shea Theodore is in the prime of his career with the Golden Knights, skilled with the puck and a special teams asset. All that should land him a slot. But he’ll have competition.
Theodore’s teammate Alex Pietrangelo makes sense from a pure defense perspective, and he’s an added veteran presence to what could be a relatively young defense corps. Josh Morrissey seems constantly overlooked for how good a player he’s become, and the way he can weave in some offense without sacrificing on the defensive side. Morgan Rielly will be on the long list as well, having made many a past appearance for Team Canada and continuing to perform at a high (and reliable) level.
Evan Bouchard is the real wild card for Canada’s back end. He anchors Edmonton’s power play using the same high-end passing and playmaking that make him a threat at even strength. However, Canada will have Makar for their power-play needs, and other options that can potentially bring more to the mix than Bouchard.
MacKenzie Weegar may lack name recognition, but he’s physical and fiery and that would balance out some of the finesse on which Canada’s blue line will be heavy.
Similar to Bedard and Johnston, Canada has an up-and-coming defensive star in Owen Power who they’ll definitely be testing for the Olympics. Is now the time to see what he’s got on a smaller stage?
It’s also important to note that Drew Doughty — currently sidelined by a broken ankle — is expected to be healthy by the time this tournament gets going. Will he move the needle for Sweeney and steal an extra spot perhaps? We can’t rule out the possibility.
There are almost too many right choices here to make a wrong one for Canada’s defense. The same might not be said for its goaltending.
Goaltenders
The shoo-ins: Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill
If Canada is going to have an Achilles Heel, it’s likely to be goaltending. In contrast to the embarrassment of riches Canada boasts everywhere else, there just aren’t the same number of elite-caliber choices in net.
Binnington is best suited as his country’s No. 1 goalie. The 31-year-old had a superb, and sorely underappreciated, 2023-24 season (.913 save percentage, 2.84 goals-against average) and that was while backstopping a Blues team that was lacking defensively. Binnington also rises to the occasion; it’s the biggest games and most charged-up moments where he seems to thrive (see: St. Louis’ run to a 2019 Stanley Cup victory). That’s good news for Canada.
Hill is an ideal backup. He replaced Logan Thompson as Vegas’ starter during their successful playoff trek to a Cup win in 2023, and had a strong follow-up campaign in 2023-24, with a .909 SV% and 2.71 GAA. He and Binnington would be a fine tandem.
Speaking of Thompson, he might have the inside track as the country’s third-stringer. Despite so-so stats (.876 SV%, 3.21 GAA), Thompson is 4-0-0 in his first season with the Capitals. Will that stave off the remaining competition?
The tough calls: Stuart Skinner would have been an obvious selection for Canada after the way he helped drag Edmonton to Game 7 of the Cup Final last season. But Stuart has been woefully unreliable at times — including out of the gate this season — and with limited spots, every positive or negative counts.
Montreal’s Sam Montembeault seemed like a good pick in theory, but Montembeault has been struggling for the Canadiens as of late and it’s hard to say if he’d perform better surrounded by Canada’s superior defense.
Cam Talbot is an intriguing name in the mix as well; he’s posted decent numbers early on for the Red Wings (.913 SV%, 3.16 GAA) and would bring veteran experience to the room.
Then there’s the poetic element to including Marc-Andre Fleury in this final season of his NHL career. However, Fleury’s numbers haven’t been great (.899 SV% and 2.93 GAA). Ditto for Darcy Kuemper, a solid veteran who’s consistent but unspectacular. That about sums up the majority of Canada’s goaltending options.
In the end, it could come down to two factors: who’s healthy, and who has the hottest hand. Considering all that can change in a month — and again from there — expect Sweeney to have contingency plans in place. He won’t be short on names (in most cases) to sift through, at least.
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