There are always unforeseen developments that make our year-out predictions look somewhat silly, but that shouldn’t stop of us from making them. It’ll be fun to look back a year from now at how things changed from our current expectations to evaluate how those perceptions missed reality, and in the very rare case, to pat ourselves on the back for getting it right.
So, let’s not waste too much time on a prelude. Team Canada is one of four nations participating in a best-on-best – among these four countries, anyway – in next February’s Four Nations Faceoff, so let’s take a look at what our potential roster could look like. (Sportsnet will build out rosters for the United States, Finland and Sweden in the coming days.)
FORWARDS
Every GM has preferences, and I’ll lay mine bare so you can understand my roster: I love skill, but you’ve gotta go get the hockey puck. You’ll hear GMs saying “we don’t like to defend, we want to ‘check for our chances.’” I’m in that camp.
Next, there’s no such thing as the “first line” when you’re this loaded. There are three “first” lines and a line of different utility.
Canada is the rare country blessed enough to pick guys who are not just crazy skilled, but also puck hounds, so this part is a luxury selection process. Here’s what I’ve got, followed by explainers and considerations.
Zach Hyman – Connor McDavid – Connor Bedard
Brayden Point – Nathan MacKinnon – Mathew Barzal
Brad Marchand – Sidney Crosby – Jonathan Marchessault
Sam Reinhart – Anthony Cirelli – Mark Stone
Mitch Marner
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Mark Scheifele
Steven Stamkos
My feelings on the above: Hyman as McDavid’s puck-getting, crease-crashing, plow-horse is still a no-brainer to me. Bedard on the other side might seem presumptuous, but he was on pace for a 30-plus goal season on a garbage team that lives in its defensive zone with zero linemate quality. Another year of development and we’ll be talking about a 40-plus goal scoring offensive creator, with the chance to form some chemistry with Canada’s captain for the next decade. I put some other guys in that spot when building this, but the more I think about it, the more confident I am this won’t seem ridiculous. Who else can think on McDavid’s level but another bonafide hockey prodigy?
The next line is the single fastest line created in the history of hockey, full stop, only there shall be no stopping. Yes, I had considered Marner here, but the temptation to put together three Lamborghinis was too tempting. By 20-plus MPH bursts this season, MacKinnon is number one, two is Point, three is McDavid, and only a couple players down from there you’ll find Barzal. Good night and good luck to anyone defending those guys (and I’ll note that Point and MacKinnon are absolute dogs on the puck, too).
My favourite line of them all might be Marchand-Crosby-Marchessault because we have three undersized but absolute gamers, all Stanley Cup champions, all big moment clutch guys who’ll live in the blue paint, forecheck, and all can pass, shoot, check, defend … and run their mouths.
And finally, look…someone has to do the dirty work and kill penalties, win draws, and compete in those tight checking moments. Cirelli-Stone are the absolute backbone of that group to me, as “do the right thing” Stanley Cup champions.
That leaves the left wing open and, right now, you can see I’ve got Reinhart there, who’s having the best season of the chase group by a good distance.
That chase group, by the way, is: Marner, Nugent-Hopkins, Scheifele, Stamkos. Depending on who plays best next year, I can see a few things:
I can see Marner in a number of differing spots. I initially had him with McDavid and Hyman, which is still an option if Bedard goes elsewhere. But the most likely option is you could see Marchessault coming out since he’s 33-years old now and only on pace for 66 points (41 goals, though). Not having Marner on one of these lines already might be overthinking it, but right now it’s just a statement on how these guys have shown in big games over their careers. Marchessault thrives, having won a Conn Smythe Trophy.
Stamkos has done his share of winning too, and that’s a factor for me. Nugent-Hopkins is steady and does the right things, so he could play on a fourth line with Cirelli and Stone and make me feel comfortable about deploying him in any situation. And Scheifele is a great option too, I’d just want a more offensive slot to open up for him, which very well could happen a year from now.
DEFENCE
Picking Canada’s best defencemen isn’t quite like picking their forwards in terms of “where do you put all these great players.” This just means that performance in the 2024-25 NHL season will matter all the more.
But what I’ve prioritized here is guys who can skate and move the puck, given that’s all you’ll have to do with this group of forwards. There’s not a real need for “off the glass and out” types.
Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Josh Morrissey – Alex Pietrangelo
Morgan Rielly – Aaron Ekblad
Drew Doughty – Noah Dobson
Canada’s top pair has recently won the Stanley Cup, and for me, includes the world’s best defenceman in Makar. Pietrangelo is a proven, experienced winner, and a no-brainer here. I like that Ekblad is a little something different, in that he has some physical element the others don’t necessarily possess.
After that there are question marks. If Rielly is playing this well next season, he’s in, but that’s a high bar – he’s been superb. Morrissey is another guy who, at his current level, likely makes the team.
Has Doughty slowed down too much, or should he still be a big part of Team Canada? Has Dobson taken yet another step from becoming a point-per-game guy?
There’s always room for debate at the fringes. I’ve heard cases for Shea Theodore, Brandon Montour, Darnell Nurse, Colton Parayko and others.
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GOALIES
You sure you don’t wanna skip this section? I mean, I’m not saying the below guys aren’t good goalies, they’re among an elite class at their position who’ve made the hardest league in the world. But, lordy, it’s tough to look at what some of the other countries are rolling out and be confident in this part of Canada’s game. The Americans are choosing a starter between Connor Hellebuyck, Thatcher Demko, and Jake Oettinger.
The good news is, you’re only as good as your goalie is playing at that time, and a year from now Canada could have a number of red hot keepers.
For now, here’s how I’m leaning:
Jordan Binnington
Adin Hill
Connor Ingram
Tristan Jarry
Sam Montembault
Binnington is basically holding down top spot simply because Hill doesn’t have as long a track record. But he does also have a Stanley Cup, so you know he can take some pressure. This will come down to who’s better at this time next year.
Ingram is having an unbelievable year, and if you look at his career stats, he’s one of those guys who’s been good literally everywhere he’s played. If he’s this hot next year (currently top-five in goals saved above expected via SportLogiq), he could easily earn the job.
Will Jarry be playing well then? Will Montembault’s track record continue to accrue in a positive manner, pushing him into the conversation? These guys all have a year to pile up the saves, but a year is gonna get here in short order.
Say what you will about the Four Nations format, but it’s just going to be a gift to see all the above names piled on to the same roster, pulling in the same direction. Canada will still be the prohibitive favourites, even with some roster questions yet to be answered.
