Ranking Canada’s top options to replace Alex Pietrangelo at the 4 Nations Face-Off

Credit: Jan 23, 2025; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar (52) against the Buffalo Sabres during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

How should we choose to perceive the news that Alex Pietrangelo has withdrawn from the 4 Nations Face-Off?

We can smirk at the fact he stepped aside from Team Canada to rest “an ailment” and, hours later, logged more than 24 minutes to help his Vegas Golden Knights topple the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. We can rub our foreheads with concern, noting Team Sweden is already down two goaltenders, and wonder how many other players will pull out in the two remaining weeks before the event starts. We can pat ourselves on the back with an “I told you so,” as the NHL made its bed by creating a low-stakes, four-team tournament and placing it in the middle of the regular season’s stretch run.

Or…we can accept that the tournament will go forward even if a few more big names drop out, and that, once the best-on-best action actually starts, the players participating won’t be able to suppress their competitiveness.

If we embrace the latter mentality and stay enthusiastic about the 4 Nations: let’s talk Pietrangelo replacements. While Cale Makar remains Canada’s top right-shot option, ‘Petro’ was likely to man the second pair, so he’ll be missed. Luckily, Canada is so deep that it can easily replace him – maybe even with someone who should’ve made the team in the first place.

What we know so far about the replacement process:

– According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, Canada might drag out its decision until the last possible day, and it won’t solely consider right-shot candidates. He also notes Drew Doughty, working his way back from a fractured ankle, is squarely in the mix.

– According to the Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons, Doughty, MacKenzie Weegar, Brandon Montour and Chris Tanev are “among the players being considered” to take Pietrangelo’s spot.

Let’s break down the top candidates, from the names listed above to a few other qualified options, counting down by how realistic the fit is. Reminder: the New York Islanders‘ Noah Dobson is out long term with a lower-body injury and is not an option.

6. Dougie Hamilton, New Jersey Devils

Hamilton is rangy. He’s a power-play weapon. He’s an excellent offensive 5-on-5 play driver. Physically, he’s like younger Pietrangelo in so many ways, except Hamilton doesn’t sniff the PK. His minutes are down this season, and he doesn’t play on New Jersey’s shutdown pair. He has also never been a favorite of the Team Canada brass; he hasn’t represented his country since the 2013 World Junior Championship. Canada’s GM also happens to be the man who first traded him away from the Boston Bruins in Don Sweeney. It doesn’t feel like Hamilton has a shot, then, despite the fact he’d be a solid pick.

5. Brandon Montour, Seattle Kraken

Montour has Stanley Cup winning pedigree. He has a big shot, sitting eighth among all defensemen in shots 90 mph or harder, per NHL EDGE. He’s average-sized at best for an NHL blueliner at six-foot and 199 pounds but plays with more jam than he gets credit for. In Year 1 of a lucrative seven-year contract and toiling on a Kraken team going nowhere in the playoff race, he has little on the line this NHL season, so he’d theoretically bring an all-in competitiveness. On the other hand: Montour’s skill set doesn’t perfectly replace Pietrangelo’s. All the things Montour does best, Makar does better. Pietrangelo leads the Golden Knights in shorthanded minutes per game, whereas Montour doesn’t kill penalties. If the goal is to replicate Pietrangelo’s tools, Montour doesn’t feel like the pick…

4. Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers

…but what if Canada is better off not replacing Pietrangelo’s skill set directly? It has Colton Parayko and Travis Sanheim and thus doesn’t necessarily need another big, long guy who can man the PK. Might Canada be better off with a right-shot defenseman who drives offense more than Petro does at this stage of his career? If so, can the front office please revisit Bouchard? He should have made the team and should rank higher on this list, but I’m keeping him this low based on the fact those in the know have expressed little confidence he’ll get the call. I’ll continue to call BS on the narrative that he’s not good enough defensively; yes, he’s turning the puck over quite a bit more this year, but his pairing with Mattias Ekholm remains elite at both ends of the ice, holding down roughly 60 percent of the 5-on-5 scoring chances and expected goals. Bouchard leads all NHLers in shots of 90 mph or more, and the idea that he’s carried by elite players is silly in the Team Canada context, because who the hell do you think he’d be playing with in the tournament?

3. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings

Doughty is a Canadian institution – a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a World Cup winner. Seeing him wearing the maple leaf would feel like sliding on a comfy, worn-in pair of skates. Returning from a season-long injury layoff, he’d be quite an enthusiastic participant in the tournament. He expressed this week how much he’d like to play, and he’s the rare player whose NHL team could definitively benefit from his participation, as it would give him extra reps to find his legs heading into the Kings’ playoff run. That said: Doughty is 35 and coming off a major injury. It’s difficult to imagine him being himself immediately, even if he gets a couple NHL games in before the tournament. Choosing him feels like an unnecessary risk when so many other good right-handed options are available.

2. Chris Tanev, Toronto Maple Leafs

Choosing or passing on Tanev would tell us exactly how serious Don Sweeney and team lead Doug Armstrong are about winning the 4 Nations Face-Off. If you want to smother the opposition’s top players, keep the puck in the offensive zone, kill penalties and block shots: Tanev is your guy. He’s the choice if you prioritize winning over entertaining the fans. While his mobility and knack for making smart and simple puck decisions are underrated, he’s not an offensive threat. Bringing him means you’re punting on offense from your defense a bit, but when you spread Makar, Shea Theodore and Josh Morrissey on different pairs, that’s not much of a problem.

1. MacKenzie Weegar, Calgary Flames

Canada doesn’t have to overthink this. Big and strong? Check. Plays both special teams? Check. Righthanded but can also play the left side if needed? Check. Plays against opponents’ top players nightly? Historically a high-end play driver at 5-on-5? Check. Weegar is among the most well-rounded defensemen in the sport. He’s the ideal replacement for any injury on the blueline because he can play any role, anywhere. Weegar feels like the lowest-maintenance addition possible. Sure, his 20-goal season from a year ago was an obvious outlier, but Canada wouldn’t need him to reproduce that deadliness. If Weegar is just himself, a.k.a. pretty good at everything, he’s an ideal second-pair option.

Also considered: Aaron Ekblad, Thomas Harley, Darnell Nurse, Kris Letang, Owen Power, Jakob Chychrun, Vince Dunn, Bowen Byram, Morgan Rielly, Thomas Chabot

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