Building Team Canada piece-by-piece: Defence and goaltenders
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TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button and TSN Hockey analyst Mike Johnson have put their heads together to assemble the best possible roster for Team Canada at February’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
After selecting the 13 forwards, led by superstars Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, they now shift the focus to the blueline and in goal to see who will be responsible for shutting down the best the United States, Sweden and Finland have to offer.
Here are the seven defencemen and three goaltenders they have selected for Team Canada.
Top pair: Devon Toews-Cale Makar
The first pairing for Canada will be the top pairing from the Colorado Avalanche in Cale Makar and Devon Toews.
The duo has been together for several years now, and were critical in the Avalanche clinching a Stanley Cup title in 2022.
Makar has emerged as one of the best defencemen in the world at age 25. At the NHL level, he has won a Norris Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy and Calder Trophy, while being named an All-Star three years in a row.
Toews has recorded three straight seasons of notching at least 50 points and has become a top defenceman since arriving via trade from the New York Islanders in 2020.
Last season, Makar averaged 24:46 minutes of ice time with Toews not far behind at 23:26 minutes.
Second pair: Josh Morrissey-Evan Bouchard
The second pairing for Canada features a pair of blueliners who play in Western Canada in Winnipeg’s Josh Morrissey and Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard.
Morrissey, who was drafted 13th overall by the Jets in 2013, took a massive step in 2022-23 when he broke out for 76 points in 78 games, shattering his previous career high of 37. He then followed that up with 69 points last season.
On a Jets blueline that has a lot of changes over the years, Morrissey has been a consistent figure, averaging over 24 minutes of ice time the last few seasons.
Bouchard’s breakout year came last season as he blossomed into the Oilers’ most important defenceman. He exploded for 18 goals and 82 points in 81 games and had six points and 32 points during their playoff run to the Stanley Cup Final.
After averaging 23 minutes of ice time last season, that number has taken a leap this season to nearly 25 minutes.
Third pairing: Shea Theodore-Noah Dobson
Extra: Chris Tanev
Canada’s third pairing features its youngest defenceman in 24-year-old Noah Dobson alongside a reliable veteran in Shea Theodore.
Dobson has emerged as the No. 1 defenceman with the New York Islanders, averaging just over 24 minutes this season. Last year, he broke out with 70 points in 79 games. He is in his sixth NHL season after being selected 12th overall by the Islanders in 2018.
Theodore is fresh off signing a seven-year extension to stay in Vegas. An original Golden Knight after being selected in the expansion draft in 2017, he has blossomed into being a top defenceman for Vegas, helping them win a Stanley Cup title in 2023.
The seventh defenceman in the group is Chris Tanev of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Signing a six-year deal with the team in free agency, Tanev has been one of the steadiest blueliners in the game since breaking in with the Vancouver Canucks in 2011. He has averaged just over 19 minutes of ice time the last three seasons.
Goaltenders: Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, Samuel Montembeault
The question of who Canada’s goaltender would be in a best-on-best competition has been floated since Carey Price’s knee injury ended his playing career in 2022.
Jordan Binnington backstopped the St. Louis Blues to the franchise’s only Stanley Cup title in 2019 as a rookie. In 57 games last season, he went 28-21-5 with a .913 save percentage and 2.84 goals-against average.
After spending the first part of his career bouncing between the NHL and AHL, Adin Hill has established himself as a regular with the Vegas Golden Knights. Injuries paved the way for Hill in 2022-23 as he backstopped Vegas to the Stanley Cup that season. In 35 appearances last season, he went 19-12-2 with a .909 save percentage and 2.71 GAA.
Samuel Montembeault has been playing behind a very young Montreal Canadiens squad. Last year was his best yet, recording a .903 save percentage and 3.14 GAA. Montembeault impressed at the World Championships in 2023, backstopping Canada to gold with a 6-1 record and a .939 save percentage and 1.42 GAA.
Building Team Canada piece-by-piece: Defence and goaltenders