World Cup: Four Nations Tournament-Team Canada

[Nucks2001]

Are you serious dude? Even at age 36 Marchand is a first line star and I say this as a die hard feafs fan. He's a player you'd love to have on your team

In all likelihood, Marchand would have made the team. But don’t kid yourself, he’s far no longer 1st line material on Canada anymore. The only way I see Marchand playing top 6 minutes is if Canada rolls an all Nova Scotia line.

Aside from that, Marchand likely plays a 4th line role and on the PK. It’s not a horrible selection by any means, but considering that you could have named another defensemen like Toews, Morrisey, Dobson, Theodore and monitor your other forwards play, it’s not the smartest selection by any means and seems very Hockey Canada-esque. Don Sweeney likely played a role in it

 

[bobholly39]

Bouchard is definitely making this team

I'd love to see Crosby and McDavid on the same line.

 

[HFpapi]

Are you serious dude? Even at age 36 Marchand is a first line star and I say this as a die hard feafs fan. He's a player you'd love to have on your team

Did I say otherwise?

He'd be on my team if it started today but the tournament doesn't start today. I said what's the point of taking the risk on an older player who's shown decline when you can just not make him the earliest selection and see how his next year plays out. If he's the same player in Feb, then great, name him. If he looks old and slow to start the year, you aren't stuck with him.

Of all players in contention for this team, he's the oldest. I just simply don't see the logic in naming the oldest player first, furthest away from the tournament, when there's zero risk in just not naming him yet and seeing how the season goes.

 

[MNRube]

The centers and scoring D are obviously great, but Canada needs to consider bringing some role players and sandpaper types. There’s no superstars who provide that anymore (Perry, Getzlaf, Weber, Bergeron). I could see Crosby adapting a shutdown style to fill the void, but this is the 3rd best team defensively

 

[JackSlater]

There isn't really an obvious candidate to replace Marchand as the sixth named player. It doesn't really matter and clearly he was going to get picked anyway.

The centers and scoring D are obviously great, but Canada needs to consider bringing some role players and sandpaper types. There’s no superstars who provide that anymore (Perry, Getzlaf, Weber, Bergeron). I could see Crosby adapting a shutdown style to fill the void, but this is the 3rd best team defensively

There is less variety in the forwards compared to the previous generation or so. Canada always had Toews and Bergeron to shore up two lines defensively, and in the lost best on best era there would have been Bergeron, O'Reilly, Stone, maybe Couturier. Really could use one or two of those legitimate Selke guys, even with Stone and O'Reilly still good they are not necessarily reliable to be there at their age. There aren't really Getzlaf types anymore stylistically. If Dubois had panned out (to his potential at least) he could have provided some valuable physicality on the wing.

We will have to see if any young players seem to bust out to start the next season.

 

[Nucks2001]

There isn't really an obvious candidate to replace Marchand as the sixth named player. It doesn't really matter and clearly he was going to get picked anyway.



There is less variety in the forwards compared to the previous generation or so. Canada always had Toews and Bergeron to shore up two lines defensively, and in the lost best on best era there would have been Bergeron, O'Reilly, Stone, maybe Couturier. Really could use one or two of those legitimate Selke guys, even with Stone and O'Reilly still good they are not necessarily reliable to be there at their age. There aren't really Getzlaf types anymore stylistically. If Dubois had panned out (to his potential at least) he could have provided some valuable physicality on the wing.

We will have to see if any young players seem to bust out to start the next season.

Laf and Byfield add size to the wings and I think they both breakout this season as legitimate all-stars. Aside from that, Canada just has to play to their strengths. You can add another player such as Danault, Stone or Cirelli, but anything more than that is excessive. Canada’s problem at the 1998 and 2006 Olympics were that they didn’t choose the best players possible or play them in the right situations.

Sure, this Canadian team is not as big or defensively oriented as the 2010 or 2014 teams, but they are far more offensively gifted and faster than those teams. Adding Marner, Barzal and Thomas should be obvious selections.

I also think Brayden Point fills the Toews role for this team.

 

[JackSlater]

Laf and Byfield add size to the wings and I think they both breakout this season as legitimate all-stars. Aside from that, Canada just has to play to their strengths. You can add another player such as Danault, Stone or Cirelli, but anything more than that is excessive. Canada’s problem at the 1998 and 2006 Olympics were that they didn’t choose the best players possible or play them in the right situations.

Sure, this Canadian team is not as big or defensively oriented as the 2010 or 2014 teams, but they are far more offensively gifted and faster than those teams. Adding Marner, Barzal and Thomas should be obvious selections.

I also think Brayden Point fills the Toews role for this team.

Canada's problem in 1998 was sample size and three of the world's best forwards not being there in the semi-finals. If we go back to 1998 Canada has a run of Roy, Brodeur, Luongo, and Price at the best on best level. Drastically better than now. The team plays to win, not to just throw out the best offensive talent it can. You build around McDavid and MacKinnon at forward and try to complement them while having variety to throw at other teams.

I'm fairly optimistic on Lafreniere. He was a strong even strength scorer last year and he brings good size as you said. Byfield shows great flashes too. If at least one can break out they provide some needed talent and versatility to the forward group. Unfortunately neither has played internationally since they were 18.

 

[some]

Hyman-McDavid-Bedard
Marchand-Crosby-MacKinnon
Lafrenière-Point-Marner
Verhaege-Thomas-Reinhart
13th: Barzal

Toews-Makar
Morrisey-Dobson
Theodore-Doughty
Pietrangelo

Hill
Thompson
Skinner

Skinner is quite well the first choice.

 

[therealdeal]

Stone should not be forgotten. He’s probably a lock for this team if he’s healthy.

 

[Nucks2001]

Stone should not be forgotten. He’s probably a lock for this team if he’s healthy.

Knowing Stone, he probably goes LTIR in February.

Skinner is quite well the first choice.

It’s arguable for Skinner to be the starter, but “quite well?” Canada hasn’t had a “quite well” choice in net since Carey Price

 

[jj cale]

Normally I would think a set up like this is a useless NHL cash grab but in Canada's case this time around it is going to be fairly useful because this dress rehearsal will let us see what changes we need to make in roster and tactics before the olympics.

Because I don't think we are going to win this " tournament"

 

[JackSlater]

Normally I would think a set up like this is a useless NHL cash grab but in Canada's case this time around it is going to be fairly useful because this dress rehearsal will let us see what changes we need to make in roster and tactics before the olympics.

Because I don't think we are going to win this " tournament"

After this length of time without bringing any of the top guys together, yeah this is a valuable dress rehearsal. I view it similarly. I want to see if any top guys show signs of life with McDavid, see what pairings work, see who sticks out in a bad way etc.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

There isn't really an obvious candidate to replace Marchand as the sixth named player. It doesn't really matter and clearly he was going to get picked anyway.



There is less variety in the forwards compared to the previous generation or so. Canada always had Toews and Bergeron to shore up two lines defensively, and in the lost best on best era there would have been Bergeron, O'Reilly, Stone, maybe Couturier. Really could use one or two of those legitimate Selke guys, even with Stone and O'Reilly still good they are not necessarily reliable to be there at their age. There aren't really Getzlaf types anymore stylistically. If Dubois had panned out (to his potential at least) he could have provided some valuable physicality on the wing.

We will have to see if any young players seem to bust out to start the next season.

Reinhart can provide a really solid defensive presence at RW up and down the lineup, and also take faceoffs on his strong side like he does in Florida. The same can be said, to a slightly lesser extent in terms of defensive acumen, about Point. With the goal scoring ability that both of those players possess, I wouldn't hesitate to let them ride shotgun with McDavid, MacKinnon, or Crosby depending on line configuration/responsibilities. To me, putting Reinhart on Crosby's right side (with Marchand on the left side) would be a really good checking/matchup third line, even if the size aspect that we had in the past with guys like Nash, Marleau or Carter isn't really there.

Speaking of size, that is why I can really see Lafreniere and Byfield make a push to make the 4 Nations Cup team. Byfield has tremendous speed and strength, and his forechecking/board work has improved exponentially over the past year or so. He's a good passer in the o-zone, but perhaps hasn't fully realized his goal scoring ability yet. Lafreniere has been a strong ES player for the Rangers, can attack downhill off the rush with speed and skill, gets to the middle of the ice, and has good scoring ability. In my mind, Lafreniere and Byfield are the Nash/Marleau/Carter of the next decade of international competition.

 

[JackSlater]

Reinhart can provide a really solid defensive presence at RW up and down the lineup, and also take faceoffs on his strong side like he does in Florida. The same can be said, to a slightly lesser extent in terms of defensive acumen, about Point. With the goal scoring ability that both of those players possess, I wouldn't hesitate to let them ride shotgun with McDavid, MacKinnon, or Crosby depending on line configuration/responsibilities. To me, putting Reinhart on Crosby's right side (with Marchand on the left side) would be a really good checking/matchup third line, even if the size aspect that we had in the past with guys like Nash, Marleau or Carter isn't really there.

Speaking of size, that is why I can really see Lafreniere and Byfield make a push to make the 4 Nations Cup team. Byfield has tremendous speed and strength, and his forechecking/board work has improved exponentially over the past year or so. He's a good passer in the o-zone, but perhaps hasn't fully realized his goal scoring ability yet. Lafreniere has been a strong ES player for the Rangers, can attack downhill off the rush with speed and skill, gets to the middle of the ice, and has good scoring ability. In my mind, Lafreniere and Byfield are the Nash/Marleau/Carter of the next decade of international competition.

I'm thinking similarly. Right now I'd put either Reinhart or Point as McDavid's RW to start. I like Konecny with Crosby and Marchand at the moment but Reinhart would be fine there too. Point's position would sort of depend on how other things go, for example if Thomas is even better next year then I'd love to slot him as the fourth centre and free up Point to go to the wing.

It would be great if Lafreniere or Byfield (or both) could become elite utility players like Nash, Marleau, Carter etc. as those guys are tremendously useful. Not sure that Lafreniere's skating is at that level, but he's a guy with better puck skills. The best thing for this team that is realistic is the development of Lafreniere or Byfleid (or Johnston or McTavish) into star players at forward. You'd love a defenceman or goaltender to emerge but there are fewer obvious options.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

I'm thinking similarly. Right now I'd put either Reinhart or Point as McDavid's RW to start. I like Konecny with Crosby and Marchand at the moment but Reinhart would be fine there too. Point's position would sort of depend on how other things go, for example if Thomas is even better next year then I'd love to slot him as the fourth centre and free up Point to go to the wing.

It would be great if Lafreniere or Byfield (or both) could become elite utility players like Nash, Marleau, Carter etc. as those guys are tremendously useful. Not sure that Lafreniere's skating is at that level, but he's a guy with better puck skills. The best thing for this team that is realistic is the development of Lafreniere or Byfleid (or Johnston or McTavish) into star players at forward. You'd love a defenceman or goaltender to emerge but there are fewer obvious options.

Yeah, that's how I see it too, and I like Konecny as well for a bottom-6 type role on the 4 Nations Cup team. The fact of the matter is, we're not going to have the size/speed/skill element that we've had in the past with Getzlaf, Perry (ok, he was never the quickest but had the size and skill elements), Benn, Nash, Carter, and Marleau. Lafreniere, Byfield and McTavish can fill a few of those roles. Hyman (I know, I know...) has developed a really strong power game down low that I think can work at the best-on-best level. In my mind, Johnston and Bedard are the young guys that I already have on the team. I'd pass on Stone for the 4 Nations Cup (he'll likely be injured anyway..), from the perspective of using that tournament as a proof of concept for the 2026 Olympics and getting some of those young guys best-on-best reps.

 

[JackSlater]

Yeah, that's how I see it too, and I like Konecny as well for a bottom-6 type role on the 4 Nations Cup team. The fact of the matter is, we're not going to have the size/speed/skill element that we've had in the past with Getzlaf, Perry (ok, he was never the quickest but had the size and skill elements), Benn, Nash, Carter, and Marleau. Lafreniere, Byfield and McTavish can fill a few of those roles. Hyman (I know, I know...) has developed a really strong power game down low that I think can work at the best-on-best level. In my mind, Johnston and Bedard are the young guys that I already have on the team. I'd pass on Stone for the 4 Nations Cup (he'll likely be injured anyway..), from the perspective of using that tournament as a proof of concept for the 2026 Olympics and getting some of those young guys best-on-best reps.

I think Konecny has decent odds. Tenacious and when he's healthy he's established as around a point per game player, plus he's versatile. I actually like Hyman and think that he's better than just a Kunitz, but I don't like that he's essentially never played an international game. Perhaps this event is the place to give him some reps. Ultimately I'm ok with reducing the odds of winning this thing if we can get more information heading into the 2026 Olympics.

 

[jj cale]

I'm also interested in seeing what kind of a start Montembeault has to next season to see if he is a viable candidate to push himself into the goaltending conversation. People seem to not take him seriously as a potential guy ( I never see him on any fans lists) but I think he is.

Let's see what he does this year behind what I think will be an improved Montreal team this year.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

I think Konecny has decent odds. Tenacious and when he's healthy he's established as around a point per game player, plus he's versatile. I actually like Hyman and think that he's better than just a Kunitz, but I don't like that he's essentially never played an international game. Perhaps this event is the place to give him some reps. Ultimately I'm ok with reducing the odds of winning this thing if we can get more information heading into the 2026 Olympics.

As am I. I like Konecny for the same reasons you do, and I like the fact that he's someone that would most likely find a way to contribute in some capacity at ES in limited, 4th line minutes if that is what his role ended up being.

I thought that in 2010 and 2014 guys like Nash, Carter and Marleau really excelled at getting up and down their wing at speed, backchecking effectively, and using their size/strength advantage together with that speed to lock-down the other team's wingers. While none of those guys had really played defensive roles before, they excelled in defensive roles at the Olympics and had the obvious scoring ability to, along with Toews as their centre, really tilt the ice in favour of the Canadians. I would imagine their puck possession/corsi ratings would have been well north of 70%. That's why I really like Byfield as someone that can be deployed in a straight up-and-down winger role that is optimized for his size, strength and speed. He doesn't need to do anything fancy, just get up and down his wing quickly, eliminate the winger he's matched up against, and complement his centre in the o-zone.

What we won't have in 2025 or 2026 is a "big boy" line like we had in 2010 and 2014 with Getzlaf/Perry + Morrow/Benn. I liked how the Getzlaf lines were able to change the pace of play, slow things down, and play a heavy game in the corners and in front of the net. In terms of style of play we don't really have anyone like Getzlaf, though I think Johnston is a player that is quite crafty and skilled in-tight with a nice release, kind of like Perry (without Perry's physicality). Hyman is too. We just don't have an obvious trio of forwards that we can put together. That's why I kind of lean towards creating a team that amplifies our strengths, rather than one that attempts to conforms to a successful template from years past when we don't really have the horses to do so.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Marner should absolutely not be on this team

I think there is a very good chance we see Nick Suzuki in the bottom 6

 

[Nucks2001]

As am I. I like Konecny for the same reasons you do, and I like the fact that he's someone that would most likely find a way to contribute in some capacity at ES in limited, 4th line minutes if that is what his role ended up being.

I thought that in 2010 and 2014 guys like Nash, Carter and Marleau really excelled at getting up and down their wing at speed, backchecking effectively, and using their size/strength advantage together with that speed to lock-down the other team's wingers. While none of those guys had really played defensive roles before, they excelled in defensive roles at the Olympics and had the obvious scoring ability to, along with Toews as their centre, really tilt the ice in favour of the Canadians. I would imagine their puck possession/corsi ratings would have been well north of 70%. That's why I really like Byfield as someone that can be deployed in a straight up-and-down winger role that is optimized for his size, strength and speed. He doesn't need to do anything fancy, just get up and down his wing quickly, eliminate the winger he's matched up against, and complement his centre in the o-zone.

What we won't have in 2025 or 2026 is a "big boy" line like we had in 2010 and 2014 with Getzlaf/Perry + Morrow/Benn. I liked how the Getzlaf lines were able to change the pace of play, slow things down, and play a heavy game in the corners and in front of the net. In terms of style of play we don't really have anyone like Getzlaf, though I think Johnston is a player that is quite crafty and skilled in-tight with a nice release, kind of like Perry (without Perry's physicality). Hyman is too. We just don't have an obvious trio of forwards that we can put together. That's why I kind of lean towards creating a team that amplifies our strengths, rather than one that attempts to conforms to a successful template from years past when we don't really have the horses to do so.

He probably won’t be on the team, but watch for Fantilli in the coming years. He provides both size and speed if you’re looking to add a bigger guy into the line-up

 

[NordiquesForeva]

He probably won’t be on the team, but watch for Fantilli in the coming years. He provides both size and speed if you’re looking to add a bigger guy into the line-up

I'm a big fan of Fantilli's game, but like you said (I think) 2025/2026 might be a little premature to find a roster spot for him. McTavish may be a little closer in terms of seasoning, but Fantilli may have more upside.

 

[JackSlater]

As am I. I like Konecny for the same reasons you do, and I like the fact that he's someone that would most likely find a way to contribute in some capacity at ES in limited, 4th line minutes if that is what his role ended up being.

I thought that in 2010 and 2014 guys like Nash, Carter and Marleau really excelled at getting up and down their wing at speed, backchecking effectively, and using their size/strength advantage together with that speed to lock-down the other team's wingers. While none of those guys had really played defensive roles before, they excelled in defensive roles at the Olympics and had the obvious scoring ability to, along with Toews as their centre, really tilt the ice in favour of the Canadians. I would imagine their puck possession/corsi ratings would have been well north of 70%. That's why I really like Byfield as someone that can be deployed in a straight up-and-down winger role that is optimized for his size, strength and speed. He doesn't need to do anything fancy, just get up and down his wing quickly, eliminate the winger he's matched up against, and complement his centre in the o-zone.

What we won't have in 2025 or 2026 is a "big boy" line like we had in 2010 and 2014 with Getzlaf/Perry + Morrow/Benn. I liked how the Getzlaf lines were able to change the pace of play, slow things down, and play a heavy game in the corners and in front of the net. In terms of style of play we don't really have anyone like Getzlaf, though I think Johnston is a player that is quite crafty and skilled in-tight with a nice release, kind of like Perry (without Perry's physicality). Hyman is too. We just don't have an obvious trio of forwards that we can put together. That's why I kind of lean towards creating a team that amplifies our strengths, rather than one that attempts to conforms to a successful template from years past when we don't really have the horses to do so.

Those utility players always do well. They were either good defensively or, like Nash, had shown that they good be good defensively when required. They all had really good tools (size, speed, good shot) and could apply themselves defensively. From an earlier era Gartner was always better than you'd think internationally. Byfield definitely fits the physical profile so if he can get there that would be awesome. It may help that he plays for a defensively responsible team in the NHL.

I don't think that enough players play the style required for Canada to have a Getzlaf style line now. Even the big players don't apply it that often. It was great to change the pace but I don't expect to see it for some time. It's going to be a lot of speed, but every country has a lot of speed.

 

[Nucks2001]

It's going to be a lot of speed, but every country has a lot of speed.

To be fair, no country touches Canada in the speed department. McDavid, MacKinnon, Makar, Point, Marner and Barzal?! Canada can legitimately roll the 2 fastest forward lines in the tournament. I know what you mean tho, Canada isn’t as big as they used to be.