Building Team Canada piece-by-piece: The Forwards
Published
With a month until the 4 Nations Face-Off teams are named, it’s a prime moment to look at who should make Team Canada at this time.
TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button and TSN Hockey analyst Mike Johnson have teamed up to put together a Canadian roster for the tournament.
Note that Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Connor McDavid, Brad Marchand and Brayden Point have already been named to the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off roster back in June.
And while the Edmonton Oilers await details on McDavid's injury suffered on Monday in Columbus and the tournament still nearly four months away, McDavid headlines a forward group that's deep in scoring ability on all four lines, with a blend of experience and youth.
Here are Button and Johnson’s forward picks and line combinations for Team Canada. Their picks for Team Canada's defence and goaltenders will be revealed on Wednesday.
Line 1: Zach Hyman-Connor McDavid-Mitch Marner
McDavid had 32 goals and 132 points in the regular season last year but was a monster in the playoffs, scoring eight goals and 42 points en route to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Despite the loss, McDavid was the first player on the losing side to earn the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP since Anaheim’s Jean-Sebastian Giguere in 2003.
Flanking McDavid on the Canadian top line is his Edmonton Oilers teammate Zach Hyman and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner.
Skating alongside McDavid last season, Hyman had a career-high 54 goals last season and added another 16 in the Oilers’ playoff run.
In Toronto, Marner had 26 goals and 85 points in 69 games.
Line 2: Sam Reinhart-Nathan MacKinnon-Brayden Point
Centering Canada’s second line is the NHL’s reigning Hart Trophy winner in Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. MacKinnon had a career season in 2023-24, recording career highs in goals (51), assists (89) and points (140), beating out McDavid and Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov for league MVP honours.
MacKinnon is joined here by a pair of fellow Stanley Cup champions in Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers and Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Reinhart is also coming off a career season, finishing second in goals (57) and had 94 points. He helped the Panthers win their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history, scoring the game-winner in Game 7.
Point, who helped the Lightning win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021, had 46 goals last season with 90 points.
Line 3: Brad Marchand-Sidney Crosby-Mark Stone
Canada’s third line will be its most experienced, with three current NHL captains led by Sidney Crosby, who is also expected to be the Canadian captain.
At 37, Crosby is continuing to dominate. He had 42 goals last season, and his 94 points were the most he’s had since notching 100 in 2018-19. On top of his three Stanley Cups, Crosby’s international trophy case contains two Olympic gold medals, a World Championship and a World Cup of Hockey. ***Also, a World Junior gold
Brad Marchand is coming off a 29-goal, 67-point season with the Boston Bruins, his first as captain. Like Crosby, Marchand has a packed trophy case for Canada, winning gold at the U18s, World Juniors, World Championships and World Cup of Hockey. At 36, Marchand is the only player from Boston’s 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team still playing for the Bruins.
Health has held Mark Stone of the lineup for the Vegas Golden Knights for long stretches of time the past two seasons, but has been very effective when playing. Last season, he had 16 goals and 53 points in 56 games. The year prior, he captained the Golden Knights to the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history with 24 points in 22 postseason games.
Line 4: Alexis Lafreniere-Nick Suzuki-Mathew Barzal
Extra: Connor Bedard
Following Canada’s most experienced line is their youngest with Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki centering a fourth line alongside New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere and Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders.
Suzuki has been a constant on a rebuilding Montreal squad, playing all 82 games the past three seasons. He led the team in scoring in 2023-24, netting career highs in goals (33), assists (44) and points (77).
Alexis Lafreniere did not start his NHL career with a bang after being drafted first overall by New York in 2020 but took a big step last season, scoring 28 goals with 57 points in 82 games. On a veteran Rangers squad with Stanley Cup aspirations, Lafreniere’s growth has been slow but steady.
Rounding out the trio is Barzal, the Calder Trophy winner in 2018. The 27-year-old had a career-high 23 goals last season with 80 points in 80 games as helped the Islanders reach the postseason for a second straight year.
Connor Bedard is here as the 13th forward after a strong rookie season in 2023-24. The first-overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2023, Bedard led all rookies in scoring with 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games en route to earning the Calder Trophy.
Craig and MJ's consensus Team Canada