Insider Pierre LeBrun floats name of $27,000,000 Toronto Maple Leafs D-man as Alex Pietrangelo's potential replacement for Team Canada

Insider Pierre LeBrun has reported that Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev is being considered as a potential replacement for Alex Pietrangelo on Team Canada for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

This comes after the Vegas Golden Knights announced on Sunday the withdrawal of Pietrangelo due to an ailment, allowing him to focus on the remainder of the NHL regular season.

Alex Pietrangelo was initially included in Team Canada's roster for the coveted tournament scheduled to take place next month in Montreal and Boston. During a segment on TSN's Insider Trading on Tuesday, LeBrun mentioned that he spoke to Team Canada's manager, Don Sweeny, about potential replacements.

While Sweeney refrained from naming specific players, he acknowledged that they would closely monitor Drew Doughty's return, as he has not played this season.

"I spoke with Team Canada, GM, Don Sweeney on Tuesday, and obviously, as usual, he won't get into names, although I did press him on Drew Doughty because of the unique situation Doughty is in - he hasn't played all year, and Don Sweeney said they will obviously watch Doughty's play very closely when he does return, which is imminent," LeBrun said.

LeBrun noted that the type of replacement player would depend on the role and minutes previously designated for Pietrangelo, suggesting that the Toronto Maple Leafs' Chris Tanev could fit into a shutdown role if selected.

"But there are other candidates as well. And in terms of the kind of replacement player, he did confirm that the kind of role that player will have, the kind of minutes Pietrangelo was going to play, could affect the kind of player they take. And that, to me, tells me that a guy like Chris Tanev perhaps, in a shutdown role has a chance," he added.

Chris Tanev, who's currently inked to a $27 million deal, has accumulated 14 points through a goal and 13 assists in 49 games this season with a +18 rating.

As for Drew Doughty, he hasn't played a single game this season due to an ankle injury that has sidelined him for several months. While the LA Kings defenseman is not fully healthy yet, he is gradually working his way back to rejoin the lineup and is focused on getting back to game speed.

He's another player to watch out for as Pietrangelo's potential replacement for Team Canada.

Other potential replacements for Alex Pietrangelo on Team Canada blue line

In addition to Chris Tanev, Team Canada is considering several other notable players as potential replacements for Alex Pietrangelo on the blue line. LeBrun mentioned the likes of Evan Bouchard (EDM), Noah Dobson (NYI), Dougie Hamilton (NJD), and Mackenzie Weegar (CBJ).

These players are reportedly being evaluated to step into Alex Pietrangelo's role for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, which begins on Feb. 12 with Team Canada facing off against Sweden in the opening fixture at Bell Centre.