Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid leads a stacked Team Canada top line that promises to be the 4 Nations Face-Off's best trio. McDavid leads a line packed with speed, skill, and raw goalscoring ability.
While it was a no-brainer that McDavid would centre the top line, there were some questions about who coach Jon Cooper would select to be McDavid’s running mates. Some initial reports suggested that Team Canada could stack the top line with Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon flanking McDavid.
While such a line looks like a coach’s dream come true, the fact is that combination would have made inefficient use of valuable resources. Team Canada was right to lineup MacKinnon on the second line alongside Crosby and Mark Stone.
Doing so allowed Cooper to deploy McDavid with Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner and Florida Panthers sniper Sam Reinhart. So, let’s take a closer look at McDavid’s Team Canada linemates at the 4 Nations Face-Off
Connor McDavid's Team Canada linemates at 4 Nations Face-Off
Mitch Marner
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ leading scorer had to be on the top line. Marner has been top-five in league scoring over the last few seasons and brings an elite playmaking ability. Very few players in NHL history have been able to combine speed, skill, and vision the way Marner has.
But there’s another key element to Marner’s game. He’s one of the league’s best two-way forwards. While he doesn’t get much credit for it, Marner is able to kill penalties while shutting down the opposition 5-on-5.
There’s little to no downside in Marner’s game. Considering that McDavid is also an elite playmaker, opposing defences will have nightmares trying to stop both from creating scoring chances. Ultimately, Marner balances this top line with skill and strong defensive skills.
Sam Reinhart
Reinhart should have the time of his life playing with two elite playmakers. Reinhart is a hard-nosed, go-to-the-net guy with a keen sense for scoring goals. That situation bodes well as Marner and McDavid will need someone to finish plays and capture loose pucks and rebounds.
Reinhart is fast enough to where he can keep up with Marner and McDavid, but also physical enough to where he won’t be outmuscled in front of the net. It seems the only recourse opponents may have is to use their biggest, most physical defencemen to pound the front of the net, forcing McDavid and Marner to shoot the puck.
If that’s the case, Reinhart will need to use his skills to create chaos in front of the net. He’s got the size so he won’t be an easy out. At the end of the day, Reinhart is the best pure goalscorer on Team Canada’s roster. With McDavid and Marner floating around the ice, Reinhart should have no shortage of pucks. So, it will be up to him to make the most of his opportunities.
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