4 Nations Face-Off Team Previews: Team Canada rosters, key players & major storylines to watch

Team Canada enters the 4 Nations Face-Off with a stacked lineup looking to take home the gold medal. The Canadian squad enters the tourney with a mix of experienced veterans and talented young stars.

Pittsburgh Penguins legend Sidney Crosby will captain the team, with Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche blue line star Cale Makar rounding out the leadership group.

So, let’s take a look at the Team Canada roster, key players, and major storylines to watch as the NHL season hits pause and shifts into the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Team Canada rosters, key players & major storylines to watch

Rosters

Here’s a look at Team Canada’s roster heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off:

Forwards (13)

• Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers
• Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
• Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Seth Jarvis, Carolina Hurricanes
• Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
• Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
• Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
• Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
• Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
• Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers
• Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights

Defensemen (7)

• Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
• Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
• Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues
• Alex Pietrangelo, Vegas Golden Knights
• Travis Sanheim, Philadelphia Flyers
• Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights
• Devon Toews, Colorado Avalanche

Goalies (3)

• Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
• Adin Hill, Vegas Golden Knights
• Sam Montembeault, Montreal Canadiens

A couple of notes: Alex Pietrangelo will not play in the tournament. However, a replacement has not been named for him as of yet.

Also, Crosby is undergoing evaluation for a potential upper-body injury. He did not practice on Wednesday. It is believed he sustained the injury in Tuesday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils. There is no work if Crosby will miss any time.

Key players

Three key players stand out for Team Canada:

First, Connor McDavid will be looking to shine on the biggest international stage for the first time in his pro hockey career. While Crosby will captain Canada, McDavid is Canada’s best player. If he can dominate the tournament, the Canadian squad will have a good chance to win it all.

Second, Cale Makar could stand out as the tournament’s best defenseman. Makar, along with the Vancouver Canucks' Quinn Hughes, will vie for the tournament’s best blue liner. Makar’s combination of speed and solid defensive skills could make Canada the team to beat.

Lastly, Brad Marchand will be expected to play a heart-and-soul role with Canada. He was one of the most vocal players about having an opportunity to represent his country. He will get his chance at the 4 Nations. So, it will be up to him to demonstrate he’s worthy of the roster spot given to him.

Storylines to watch

Here are three storylines to watch for Team Canada at the 4 Nations:

The biggest storyline will be who gets the nod as the starting goaltender. Jordan Binnington looks to get the nod but will find strong competition from Adin Hill. If Binnington struggles, Jon Cooper may not hesitate to go to Hill.

Also, another question mark will be the players who will flank Connor McDavid on the top line. Mitch Marner and Sam Reinhart look to be the likeliest players to get the call. However, with the abundance of options, Cooper will have a tough time deciding who gets to play with the world’s best player.

The final storyline to watch will be Canada’s bottom six. In particular, which players will fall into the group and how they will adjust to their role throughout the tournament. Players like Marchand, Brayden Point, and potentially Mitch Marner could be in the bottom-six group. If so, will they struggle in a role that’s different from the one they usually play?

Team Canada kicks off their participation on Wednesday, February 12, against Sweden at Bell Centre.