NHL.com projects Canada's lines, defense pairs, goalies for 4 Nations

The rosters for the four teams competing in the 4 Nations Face-Off were revealed on Wednesday, and though the teams are now set, there is still plenty of work to be done for Team Canada, Team United States, Team Finland and Team Sweden.

Now, it's up to the respective coaching staffs to find the right line combinations, defense pairs and goalie depth charts to make their teams winners. With only a few practice days between the start of the break in the regular season and the first game of the tournament, most of this will need be figured out ahead of time.

The 4 Nations Face-Off will be held from Feb. 12-20 at Bell Centre in Montreal and TD Garden in Boston. Tickets for each site are on sale now.

With that in mind, a team of three NHL.com writers and editors will take a crack at each country's lineup.

Here, NHL.com Editor-in-Chief Bill Price, staff writer Derek Van Diest and LNH.com staff writer Nicolas Ducharme give their opinion on how Canada should line up when it opens the tournament against Sweden on Feb. 12 at Bell Centre in Montreal.

Forwards (13)

Sam Reinhart -- Connor McDavid -- Nathan MacKinnon

Brad Marchand -- Sidney Crosby -- Mark Stone

Brandon Hagel -- Brayden Point -- Mitch Marner

Sam Bennett -- Anthony Cirelli -- Travis Konecny

Seth Jarvis

With a plethora of offensive talent available to Team Canada coach Jon Cooper, there is an unlimited number of line combinations he could deploy. Perhaps the biggest question is whether Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon will center his own line or play alongside Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid. MacKinnon, McDavid and Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, who has been one of the most prolific goal-scorers in the NHL the past two seasons, would make an extremely formidable trio. If MacKinnon centers his own line, Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs could very capably play on McDavid's right side. Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point is also expected to center a line and will also have very talented wingers available to him. Point is already familiar with Tampa Bay teammate Brandon Hagel, and if MacKinnon is with McDavid, Marner would be a good fit with the two Lightning forwards. The other two forward lines would also be dangerous with Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby having Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand and Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone available to play on his wings. The Captain line would be tenacious on the offensive cycle, with all three having an extraordinary ability to keep possession of the puck and hold off defenders. Canada would also have a strong checking line with Panthers forward Sam Bennett, Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli and Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny, along with Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis in the mix. This is forward group that can score a lot of goals and will be exciting to watch. -- Van Diest

Defensemen (7)

Cale Makar – Devon Toews

Shea Theodore – Alex Pietrangelo

Josh Morrissey – Colton Parayko

Travis Sanheim

It's no accident that Canada has turned to two pairs of defensemen already playing together to build its roster. In a tournament with such a short format, the success of a team will depend on the speed at which chemistry can develop between teammates. Canada already has that chemistry with the Avalanche pairing of Makar and Toews, one of the NHL's best in recent years. Canada will also be able to count on Theodore and Pietrangelo from the Golden Knights. Such familiarity is a significant advantage. In addition, all four have won the Stanley Cup in the last three years; no other country can boast so much experience. In addition to Makar and Theodore, Morrissey will be Canada's third defenseman with a knack for offense, and he will play on a pair alongside Parayko, who won the Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. The two will have very defensive and physical responsibilities. As for Sanheim, his versatility has enabled him to leapfrog competitors for the final position such as Evan Bouchard, Dougie Hamilton and Noah Dobson, who are much more offensive-minded. -- Ducharme

Goalies (3)

Adin Hill

Jordan Binnington

Sam Montembeault

I'm going with Hill as the No. 1, especially since he's playing well at the moment with the Golden Knights and he certainly is going to be comfortable playing behind Vegas teammates Theodore and Pietrangelo. Like Hill, Binnington also led his team -- the Blues -- to the Stanley Cup, so the edge for Hill right now is razor thin. But this could come down to who is playing the best by the time February rolls around, so Montembeault could still be in the mix to be the Game 1 starter, but right now, I'd go with Hill. -- Price