Defense
Alex Pietrangelo – Drew Doughty
The number one defense pair for Team Canada will include two of the best two-way defensemen in the league. Drew Doughty is a former Norris winner and a four-time finalist. Alex Pietrangelo, while never placing in the top-3 of Norris voting, will surely be there this year. He was also 6th in defensemen scoring this season (stats; NHL.com).
Dougie Hamilton – Shea Weber
Had he not gotten injured, Dougie Hamilton may have been the unanimous Norris winner this year. Up until his injury, Hamilton was 4th in d-scoring and had a better plus-minus than Norris front-runners Roman Josi and John Carlson. Shea Weber had a nice bounce-back season this year and has represented Team Canada on many occasions before.
Morgan Rielly – Cale Makar
Morgan Rielly had one of the best scoring seasons by a defensemen last year. He finished with 20 goals and 72 points (stats; NHL.com) and finally broke out as the dynamic defensemen he has proven to be.
Arguably the favourite for the Calder Trophy, Cale Makar did not just have one of the best seasons as a rookie defensemen this year – it was a fantastic season by a defensemen period. He finished 7th in even-strength points and will most likely take home the Calder Trophy come seasons end.
Canada could employ some of the best defensemen in the league, making them a powerhouse at both ends of the ice.