With many options struggling, who be Canada’s goalies for 4 Nations Face-Off?
Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster is set to be named on Dec. 4, 2024 – and no position will be harder to predict than in net.
It’s been a while since Canada has had some serious high-end options at their disposal. Despite that, a few names have backstopped their teams to Stanley Cup victories in recent years. On Tuesday’s episode of Daiy Faceoff Live, former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton joined Tyler Yaremchuk and Colby Cohen to share his thoughts on what the crease situation could look like when the tournament kicks off in Februrary:
Tyler Yaremchuk: “Carter, there have been five Canadian-born goalies this year who have played 10 or more games. None of them have a save percentage above .900. What is Team Canada going to do at the 4 Nations Face-Off? What would you do if you were in charge?
Carter Hutton: “I know, it’s wild. Think, sitting here as a Canadian goalie growing up in Canada that we don’t have a guy. We had Carey Price, we had (Martin) Brodeur, Marc-Andre Fleury for a lot of years. There’s a lot of guys this year where you look and there’s some guys with experience, guys with Stanley Cup runs.
Per MoneyPuck: the top goals saved above expected leaders at 5-on-5 among Canadian goaltenders:
1. Cam Talbot: 7.9 (3rd in NHL)
2. Logan Thompson: 4.3 (9th)
3. Jake Allen: 3.0 (16th)
4. Calvin Pickard: 2.2 (24th)
5. Mackenzie Blackwood, 2.0 (25th)https://t.co/NNtEWy1ar9 pic.twitter.com/RfB94GCaqh
“I think right now my guy would be Jordan Binnington if I had to gun to my head. I also think about Adin Hill. I also think about Stuart Skinner. But for me, the the ups and downs Adin Hill and Stuart Skinner are the biggest question marks for me. I think with those three guys, you have potential.
“But then, maybe as your No. 3, I go off the board a little bit. I start thinking about guys that are veteran players. I start thinking about Marc-Andre Fleury, and maybe Cam Talbot. These guys have played a lot of good games and they have a lot of experience… But I think right now, Jordan Binnington is your guy who you’re going to see in the Team Canada jersey to start.”
Colby Cohen: “I like Fleury. I like that. You get three goalies – why wouldn’t you bring Fleury? You really have nothing to lose because of the other guys. Although, Mackenzie Blackwood has played some better hockey as of late. So you got to think he at least puts himself on their radar.”
Carter Hutton: “I love Blackwood. I’m a big Blackwood fan. He’s a Thunder Bay boy. I train with him all the time. My worry in this situation, Colby, would be when Blackwood is great, he’s busy. Right? And now you got to think when they go into a tournament like this, he’s going to be protected. It’s going to be one of those games where there’s not a lot. That’s kind of why I throw Cam Talbot in the mix, because I look at the success he had with the LA Kings when he didn’t get a lot of work, when he was able to hold that together. So I think as we move forward toward the Olympics, Mackenzie Blackwood is someone that is in the conversation. He has the skill set, the size. But for right now, at that No. 3 position, I just think someone that’s a veteran that can handle the moment and being thrown in, it’s not going to be overwhelming.”
You can watch the full episode below: