Who Could Replace Alex Pietrangelo at the 4 Nations Face-Off?

It was a matter of time before players selected to represent their countries at the 4 Nations Face-Off suffered injuries that could keep them out of the tournament. The first big name to go down was Swedish goaltender Jacob Markstrom, and now, so has Canadian defenceman Alex Pietrangelo.

A few other players (Charlie McAvoy for USA, Linus Ullmark and William Karlsson for Sweden, and Erik Haula for Finland) are injured as well but they are expected to be healthy in time for the tournament. However, the Vegas Golden Knights announced yesterday that Pietrangelo has withdrawn himself from the 4 Nations Face-Off to tend to an ailment. 

Update: Alex Pietrangelo will be withdrawing from the 2025 4Nations Face-Off to tend to an ailment and prepare for the remainder of the regular season with Vegas. #VegasBorn

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) January 26, 2025

While Pietrangelo’s “ailment” isn’t big enough to keep him from playing hockey (he remained in the lineup for the Golden Knights on Sunday), he has opted out of the tournament. Sportsnet’s NHL insider Elliotte Friedman also reported that Pietrangelo would not face any consequences from the league for doing so.

Pietrangelo, a two-way puck-moving defenceman, has three goals and 25 points through 47 games this season. It’s expected that the player named to replace him would be of a similar style. Since Team Canada has four left-hand shot defencemen on the roster right now, a right-shot defenceman will likely replace him. With that, here’s a look at who could be on their way to Montreal and Boston for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

MacKenzie Weegar

When Team Canada’s roster was announced, it was surprising that MacKenzie Weegar wasn’t on it. In terms of defencemen for Team Canada, he was one of the biggest snubs. Through 48 games this season, Weeger has six goals and 25 points. He leads the Calgary Flames in points by a defenceman and ranks 10th among Canadian defencemen in the NHL. 

He can do it all and has been a major part of the Flames’ blue line ever since he was dealt there. What should make Weegar the top candidate to replace Pietrangelo is his versatility and the many different roles he can play. Whether he’s quarterbacking the power play or killing penalties, he has proven he can be relied upon in any situation. He brings that shutdown presence and has an underrated offensive upside. He also isn’t afraid to put his body on the line to block shots and makes life difficult for the opposition in the corners or front of the net. 

Weegar fits the mould of what Team Canada needs the most, and he was among the final cuts when the roster was first announced. 

Evan Bouchard 

Evan Bouchard was considered another roster snub. While he has made his case for a spot on Team Canada, he has also made his case to be left off it. Through 49 games with the Edmonton Oilers this season, he has eight goals and 37 points. He ranks fourth in points among Canadian defencemen, trailing Josh Morrissey, Shea Theodore, and Cale Makar, all of whom are on the Canadian roster. 

When it comes to offence, Bouchard is your guy. He’s elite at quarterbacking the power play, has a wicked shot, and his great vision allows him to distribute and move the puck up the ice with ease. The problem is his inconsistency and struggles on the opposite side of the puck. While he’s not awful, he can be easily beaten off the rush, lost in his defensive coverage, and outright lazy when he thinks he’s out of the play. 

Despite his offensive talents, Bouchard is a defenceman, and he might struggle against the best players the NHL has to offer. For a team like Canada that has the weakest goaltending of the four teams, striving to add the best defensive defenceman available would probably be the better move. That said, if Bouchard’s defensive deficiencies were to be overlooked, he could add another layer to the Canadian offence from the back end.

Dougie Hamilton 

Another elite Canadian defenceman who could see himself repping the Maple Leaf in February is Dougie Hamilton, the New Jersey Devils’ number one defenceman. He leads all Devils blueliners in points with 33 and ranks fifth among Canadian defencemen. Hamilton, known for his offence-first style of play, has a terrific shot and excellent mobility. At 6-foot-6, Hamilton’s big frame and long reach make him tough to play against in many areas of the ice. 

Hamilton is one of the best at finding shooting lanes and getting pucks on net from the point, and he thrives on the power play. It’s a similar story to Bouchard, though, as Hamilton isn’t the most reliable at defending, although his size and long reach give him that edge. If Hamilton were to join Team Canada, they would have two 6-foot-6 defencemen. Colton Paryako is the other one. 

Hamilton can hold his own in the defensive zone but he won’t be the guy chosen to go out and lock it down and be that defensive defenceman to withstand a heavy push from the opposition. Again, it’s a trade-off. As a consistent 40-point producer, Hamilton will bolster Team Canada’s ability to produce offence.

Drew Doughty

It’s probably not likely, considering he has been injured the entire season, but if history and a lengthy resume held any weight in this decision, Drew Doughty would be at the top of the list. The search for a Pietrangelo replacement comes right as Doughty is ready to return to the Los Angeles Kings lineup. 

Related Link: Guide to the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off

Where do you even begin when talking about Doughty? He’s a two-time Stanley Cup champion and a Norris Trophy winner who has been the face of the Kings’ defensive group for almost two decades. Doughty is another one of those two-way defencemen that fit anywhere and everywhere. If Team Canada wants him to kill penalties? He can do that. They want him to eat up a lot of minutes? sure. They want him to join the rush and contribute offensively? Okay. They want him to shut players down and be aggressive in the corners or in front of the net? Absolutely. 

Doughty’s compete level is as high as it gets. He does everything, and he does it well, which is why he has had such a long and acclaimed career. If he had been healthy to start the season, there isn’t a doubt that he wouldn’t have made the team from the get-go. 

TSN insider Pierre LeBrun reported yesterday that if Doughty can show that he’s up to game speed, he has a real shot of making Team Canada, so even if it may be a long shot, it’s possible that we see No. 8 back in the red and white.

Honourable Mentions

Honourable mentions include Noah Dobson, Brandon Montour, and Chris Tanev, although it would be very shocking to see one of them selected over the four listed above. Jakob Chychrun and Jake Walman would be potential candidates, but it wouldn’t make sense for Team Canada to run with five left-handed defencemen and only two right-handed. 

With the current makeup of the Canadian roster, their top-end talent up front, and the iffy goaltending they have to deal with, selecting Weegar would be the best choice to bolster the shutdown presence. Weegar gives you the best of both worlds, and it’s not like Canada should be itching to add purely offensive defencemen to a group that already has Makar, Theodore, and Morrissey.