So, you weren’t selected to your country’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Time to start looking around for a nice mid-season vacation, right?
Not so fast.
There’s an entire shadow list of American, Canadian, Swedish and Finnish players already on standby, both officially and unofficially. The management staffs from those countries have had to start planning for the possibility — if not probability — that they’ll need injury replacements before the tournament begins on Feb. 12.
“We have a lot of games between now and February,” Team Canada general manager Don Sweeney said Thursday. “We hope we picked the team that’s going to stay together all the way through, but we just don’t know. So we have opened it back up to have a better understanding of who is going to play well between now and then.
“We’ve laid a lot of groundwork of players that we would feel very, very comfortable with because they were that close to making the team.”
The Canadian management team intends to continue monitoring its player pool closely this month and next. Effectively, the auditions continue. And while some players received courtesy calls from Hockey Canada after being left off the initial 23-man roster, none are believed to have formally been promised they’re next in line as injury replacements.
Sweden took a different tact.
“We let some of the players know that they’re high on the list, pending injuries, to plan to be available,” GM Josef Boumedienne said. “Two months to go until we’re at that point, so a lot can happen.”
Changes to the rosters — made up of 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goaltenders — can only be made before the 4 Nations Face-Off gets underway. No additional in-tournament additions will be permitted.
“I bet you there will be 10 new players minimum,” Canadian coach Jon Cooper said. “If you’re not named to that team, you know, stay ready because unfortunately there’s probably going to be some spots open.”
With that in mind, here’s a look at our projected next man up at each position for each country.
Finland
Forward: Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Unable to claim a job where his country is arguably deepest at center, the 24-year-old would be a natural next call if the Finns needed to replace someone down the middle. Kotkaniemi has had a reasonably good start to his season with the Carolina Hurricanes and is currently on pace for his first 50-point campaign in the NHL.
The next next man: Joel Kiviranta
Defense: Henry Jokiharju
The only Finnish defenceman currently playing regular NHL minutes who wasn’t selected to the team, Jokiharju has the inside track should an injury arise. The Buffalo Sabres rearguard should probably stay on high alert given that Jani Hakanpää cracked the roster despite only being healthy enough to play two NHL games this season because of ongoing knee issues.
The next next man: Ville Heinola
Goalie: Joonas Korpisalo
Off to a strong start in his first season with the Boston Bruins, Korpisalo could easily have claimed one of the three available roster spots. His limited national team experience at the senior level may have hurt his chances, but he’s currently in the best form of the Finnish goalies not already on the team.
The next next man: Justus Annunen
Sweden
Forward: Mikael Backlund
A reliable two-way center and past world champion for Tre Kronor, Backlund brings the sort of experience the team’s management group prized when assembling this team. He’s a no-maintenance player and would be an easy addition if the need arises.
The next next man: Fabian Zetterlund
Mikael Backlund was a surprise snub to many. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Defense: Hampus Lindholm
By far the best Swedish defenseman left off the roster, Lindholm’s hopes of making the team were interrupted by a lower-body injury suffered on Nov. 12. He’s not expected back in the Boston Bruins lineup for at least another couple weeks. Swedish coach Sam Hallam hinted that they went with Jonas Brodin, currently out of the Minnesota Wild lineup with injury, over Lindholm in part because of a better prognosis.
The next next man: Adam Larsson
Goalie: Samuel Ersson
Not only is the 25-year-old off to a 5-2-2 start with the Philadelphia Flyers this season, but he’s coming off a reasonably good showing for his country at the IIHF World Hockey Championship. He’d be an ideal fill-in as a No. 3 goaltender who could benefit from the experience of being around a best-on-best competition.
The next next man: Arvid Söderblom
Canada
Forward: John Tavares
Very few players of this generation have savored the opportunity to represent Canada more than Tavares. He’s played at four IIHF World Hockey Championships, serving as captain earlier this year in Prague, and has had a turn-back-the-clock start to this season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Should Canada need another trusted veteran who can win faceoffs and play down the middle, he’d be an easy call.
The next next man: Wyatt Johnston
Defense: Drew Doughty
Had Doughty not suffered a fractured ankle in preseason with the Los Angeles Kings, he would almost certainly be wearing the Maple Leaf again in February. He’s among the players who received a personal call from Hockey Canada when he wasn’t selected and will be viewed as a top injury replacement option provided he gets back up and running in time for the tournament.
The next next man: MacKenzie Weegar
Goalie: Joey Daccord
The fact that Daccord’s citizenship status was so closely scrutinized in recent weeks speaks to the kind of season he’s having for the Seattle Kraken. Yes, the Boston-born son of a Canadian father and Swiss mother is eligible to play for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and he’s described by those familiar with his game as someone who consistently raises his performance to meet the biggest moments.
The next next man: Logan Thompson
United States
Forward: Tage Thompson
Off to a point-per-game start with the Buffalo Sabres, and with 13 goals through 20 games, Thompson appears to have regained the form he showed during his breakout campaign two years ago. What ultimately hurt him in the evaluation by Team USA management was a lack of playoff experience, but he remains very much on the radar as a possible injury replacement.
The next next man: Cole Caufield
Tage Thompson doesn’t have playoff experience but is a proven scorer. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Defense: Jake Sanderson
Unquestionably a future member of Team USA at best-on-best events, the 22-year-old Ottawa Senators defenseman got a long look this time around. He’s a smooth skater with above-average mobility who has had an up-and-down start to the season. If he regains top form, he could still get the call before February.
The next next man: John Carlson
Goalie: Anthony Stolarz
While he doesn’t have the pedigree of the three goalies picked ahead of him, Stolarz has performed well enough over the past two NHL seasons to keep company with them. He’s among the league leaders with a .924 save percentage for the Toronto Maple Leafs this year.
The next next man: Dustin Wolf
More 4 Nations coverage
Full rosters
How they were picked
(Top photo of John Tavares: Thomas Skrlj / Getty Images)
