Early Trading: Who will Canada choose to replace Pietrangelo?

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun joins Gino Reda to discuss the NHL's reaction to Las Vegas defenceman Alex Pietrangelo pulling out of the 4 Nations Face-Off and then proceeding to play 24 minutes in a Golden Knights' win that same day, how Team Canada management will handle choosing a replacement for the defenceman and the NHL and NHLPA advising the IIHF they intend on moving forward without their involvement in the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, for now.

Fallout from Alex Pietrangelo pulling out of 4 Nations

Reda: Are we about to see some of the best players in the world bail on the 4 Nations Face Off? The tournament starts two weeks from tomorrow and some players are pulling out because they'd rather rest and heal for a playoff run.

Here's insider Pierre LeBrun: Pierre, right after Alex Pietrangelo announced he was pulling out of the tournament to heal some nagging injuries he stepped on the ice and played 24 minutes in a game over the weekend.

Is the NHL worried about where this could be headed?

LeBrun: Well first let's just point out that it's absolutely genuine Pietrangelo has not been 100 per cent and he's managing it.

The Vegas Golden Knights are trying to win a Stanley Cup, but nevertheless, I understand the look that it gave everyone, so I did reach out to NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly to get his concern, if there's any, about the optics for the 4 Nations if players like Pietrangelo start pulling out, if there's more after him.

His response was no. To read him exactly, Daly said "I don't think this is anything like All-Star. A player has to do what's best for him and I have no problem with a decision that takes into account being healthy for his NHL Club down the stretch run."

That's exactly it - Pietrangelo has played for Canada at the Olympics in 2014, I don't think he needs to essentially prove himself, 4 Nations is not the Olympics, but there's that line for certain players, and I don't think Pietrangelo will be the last player to bail, but I don't think it's going to be a mass exodus.

The number of high profile players that have been named to their respective 4 Nations rosters, their excitement is through the roof.

Victor Hedman recently talked about his excitement, we've heard Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid talk about it so the main guys are going to be there but I do think there will be the odd player saying they're not 100 per cent and they have to put their Stanley Cup-contending team ahead of their international needs here.

Who could replace Pietrangelo in Team Canada's lineup?

Reda: Now two key questions come up: As you've already pointed out, the first question is now that the door's open, will other guys like Auston Matthews, who's also fighting injuries, pull out of the 4 Nations and maybe more of a media concern right now, but who is Canada going to call up to replace Pietrangelo on its blueline?

LeBrun: Pietrangelo was going to play a pretty significant role, and I think it's going to depend on what kind of role they want his replacement to play, because there are different types of defenceman obviously available.

Team Canada has told me they're going to take their time, there's no point in naming a replacement this week when they have until Feb. 11, right on the eve of the event.

What they won't say, and they certainly won't get into names with me, as per always, but what they won't say is that they want to give Drew Doughty all the time he can to prove he's back up to speed.

We know that Doughty's on the mend, he's going to play his first game of the season here in the next 7-to-10 days.

Can he show Team Canada that he's back, that he's ready to play those minutes?

Doughty did his first media availability since his injury over the weekend with Los Angeles media and he was asked by one of the reporters 'It'll be nice to have that break at 4 Nations when you come back, because it might give your body a bit of a rest,' and he basically said 'No, I want to play in 4 Nations. I'm still holding out hope that Team Canada phones me.'

So speaking of players who want to play for their country big time, Doughty is one of them. I think he's got a real shot if he can show Team Canada management that he's up to game speed, and I don't think there's a guarantee of that.

Because of that there are other names Team Canada is monitoring, depending on the role - Evan Bouchard was the biggest omission on Dec. 4, obviously he's a name worth monitoring, Noah Dobson, Dougie Hamilton, I really like Mackenzie Weegar's all-around game, but what if Team Canada decides they need more of a shutdown guy?

We know Pietrangelo was going to play those types of hard minutes - Chris Tanev of the Toronto Maple Leafs makes a lot of sense. I know Mike Johnson mentioned that possibility earlier and I agree, I think Tanev is also on Team Canada's radar. Let's see where this goes, but certainly some names to monitor there.

What are the ramifications of the IIHF being on the sideline for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey?

Reda: In the past, fans would love to see their guy get the nod to play for their country but not at the expense of hurting their chance in the playoffs. We know the 4 Nations is just going to be a one-off this year; in the future the NHL wants to alternate between the Olympics and a World Cup, both played in season every second year, but is there a breakdown in talks with the IIHF?

LeBrun: There sure is - Darren Dreger reported on Monday night that the NHL and NHLPA have informed the IIHF that they're moving on without the IIHF for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey.

That's pretty big news because there are a number of ramifications in that, one of them is that if the IIHF is not sanctioning a World Cup - which, by the way, that's the NHL's prerogative - the World Cup of Hockey is an NHL/NHLPA event.

They would prefer to have IIHF involved, but the IIHF doesn't have to be involved.

But if you don't have the IIHF involved, the question to me right now that's unanswered is: What happens to teams like Switzerland and Czechia that are in this World Cup? A lot of their players play overseas, they don't play in the NHL, so how do some of those countries ice a full roster if it's not a IIHF-sanctioned event?

That's a question I will have for the league and the players association when we all meet up at the 4 Nations next month. It's interesting to monitor where this all goes.

The reason the IIHF is not thrilled with the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, we're told, is because it's going to be held in February. IIHF doesn't want to have their seasons interrupted so we'll see where this goes.

I will say this: That's the case right now, and this news will be pretty big news, but I think there's still time for the NHL and NHLPA to bring the IIHF back in the fold for sure.

Reda: Talks are still ongoing.