Debating key position battles for Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off roster

Rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off are due Dec. 2 and will be unveiled two days later. In other words, the clock's ticking louder by the day for management groups in Canada, Sweden, Finland, and the U.S.

Each nation must select 23 players - 20 skaters and three goalies. Six picks were announced in June, which means 17 spots remain unfilled.

Here, theScore's Josh Wegman and John Matisz debate the toughest decisions for Team Canada general manager Don Sweeney and his staff ahead of the February tournament. (Read our Team USA rundown here.)

Forwards

Already on roster: Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Brad Marchand, Connor McDavid, Brayden Point

Near locks: Mitch Marner, Sam Reinhart, Mark Stone

5 spots left for: Mathew Barzal, Connor Bedard, Sam Bennett, Quinton Byfield, Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, Zach Hyman, Seth Jarvis, Wyatt Johnston, Travis Konecny, Alexis Lafreniere, Ryan O'Reilly, Mark Scheifele, Steven Stamkos, Nick Suzuki, Robert Thomas, Carter Verhaeghe, Tom Wilson

Wegman's picks: Bedard, Cirelli, Hagel, Hyman, Konecny

Canada has an embarrassment of riches up front, making these picks incredibly difficult. There are just so many ways Sweeney can go.

Cirelli isn't overly popular in mock rosters, but I believe he's the perfect choice as Canada's fourth-line center. His skating, competitiveness, and intelligence make him a Selke Trophy-caliber defensive player who can match up against anyone. He's no slouch offensively, either, producing at a near-point-per-game clip this season. And head coach Jon Cooper trusts him immensely.

The same can be said for Hagel, who would bring instant chemistry to a line led centered by either Point or Cirelli. Hagel is as skilled offensively as other contending players, plus he's super consistent. He'd also bring some competitive fire - not completely unlike Konecny, another feisty winger who'd fit a bottom-six role well.

Hyman has picked things up after a slow start, so I'm sticking with him. Bedard's my 13th forward. He'll take on a bigger role at the 2026 Olympics.

Matisz's picks: Bedard, Hyman, Konecny, Lafreniere, Verhaeghe

The options are truly limitless.

Still, three players jumped to the top of my queue. Verhaeghe could be an incredibly valuable piece as a true dual-threat winger. Lafreniere could easily assume a complementary role on a line that plays with pace and can tap into his quick-strike style. Bedard is a lethal triggerman whose goal-scoring totals have been suppressed in Chicago - he's ready to pop with better linemates.

Konecny and Hyman were harder choices. Ultimately, both are connector types: highly intelligent wingers who've mastered wall play, puck hounding, and net-front havoc-wreaking. Hyman's chemistry with McDavid is a bonus.

My toughest cuts were Johnston, Hagel, and Suzuki. I would've strongly considered Thomas as well if he weren't currently injured. And I like Cirelli, but I think Canada has a handful of better options at fourth-line center.

Scheifele, who's tied for 17th in NHL scoring, deserves a mention. He probably makes the cut based on pure talent. However, his offense-first skill set would be redundant on a Canadian squad teeming with firepower.

Defense

Already on roster: Cale Makar

Near locks: Noah Dobson, Josh Morrissey, Devon Toews

3 spots left for: Evan Bouchard, Drew Doughty, Dougie Hamilton, Brandon Montour, Colton Parayko, Adam Pelech, Alex Pietrangelo, Owen Power, Morgan Rielly, Shea Theodore, MacKenzie Weegar

Wegman's picks: Doughty, Parayko, Power

Doughty is the biggest question mark as he remains out with a fractured ankle suffered in preseason. If he's healthy in time for the tournament - a big "if" - he needs to be on this team. (He's projected to return in early January.)

I opted to lean on size for my final two picks - Power and Parayko both stand at 6-foot-6. They played together at the 2024 World Championship, so there's already some familiarity if they combine forces on the third pair. Parayko, in particular, would bring much-needed nastiness and penalty-killing chops to a Canadian blue line that's rather undersized in the top four outside of Dobson.

Matisz's picks: Doughty, Pietrangelo, Theodore

Sweeney and his staff are reportedly keeping a close eye on Doughty's recovery. Barring an injury setback, he's tracking toward a key shutdown role.

Canada should try to strike a balance between mobility/skill and size/toughness on the blue line, especially with question marks in goal. In my eyes, veterans Theodore and Pietrangelo best round out the defense corps. You know exactly what you're getting from both of them.

Makar and Morrissey can each man the point on a power-play unit, while any of the seven defensemen is capable of hunkering down on the penalty kill.

Goaltending

Already on roster: None

Near locks: None

3 spots left for: Jordan Binnington, Mackenzie Blackwood, Marc-Andre Fleury, Adin Hill, Connor Ingram, Darcy Kuemper, Sam Montembeault, Stuart Skinner, Cam Talbot, Logan Thompson

Wegman's picks: Binnington, Talbot, Thompson

Canada's goaltending is easily the most wide-open and intriguing position battle of the entire tournament. I was of the belief someone would separate themselves from the pack, but that hasn't been the case.

I'm giving Binnington the nod as the nation's most consistent goalie in recent years, but I don't feel overly confident about it. He was playing relatively well this season until he was shelled for eight goals against the Capitals recently.

I'm rolling with the hot hand for my other two picks. The 37-year-old Talbot seems to play well in whatever uniform he's wearing. That bodes well in a short tournament. He's been lights out despite playing behind a mediocre Red Wings team.

Thompson, meanwhile, is beginning to emerge as the Capitals' go-to guy after a couple of promising tandem seasons with the Golden Knights.

Matisz's picks: Binnington, Montembeault, Talbot

It feels like there's no great answer here. However, I'm going with Binnington as the starter, Talbot as the backup, and Montembeault as the third-stringer.

Binnington hoisted the Stanley Cup more than five years ago, yet there's still something about the fiery competitor that screams "big-game player."

Talbot has posted excellent underlying numbers this season (top five in the NHL in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes, according to Sportlogiq).

Montembeault has been quietly trending up over the past few seasons, his raw numbers dragged down by Montreal's putrid goaltending environment.