What a Team Canada 'B' squad for 4 Nations Face-Off could look like

After months of debating who will represent Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, we finally know which players have made the cut.

Some tough decisions came down to "a photo finish" head coach Jon Cooper said. But in the end, the management group believes this squad can lead Canada to victory.

Picking a roster for a best-on-best tournament is never easy. Sometimes, there is second-guessing, and in the end, someone is bound to be disappointed.

Think back to the 2014 Winter Olympics when Team Canada announced its roster, and Steve Yzerman did not include Martin St. Louis. It was the second time the former Lightning general manager did not pick St. Louis for the Olympic roster, and it led to a rift between the two.

Fortunately for Canada, there doesn't appear to be another St. Louis situation, but there are definitely players who are disappointed that they won't be representing their country.

Canada's management team had no shortage of options for the upcoming tournament. Some would even say enough to fill two rosters.

So what would a second roster of Canadian players look like?

Here is a look at Canada's 'B' roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Forwards
Alexis Lafreniere-Mark Scheifele-Connor Bedard
Steven Stamkos-John Tavares-Matt Duchene
Tom Wilson-Dylan Strome-Wyatt Johnston
Zach Hyman-Nick Suzuki-Macklin Celebrini
Carter Verhaeghe
Honourable mentions: Adam Lowry, Jonathan Marchessault, Connor McMichael

It's no secret that Team Canada has an abundance of options at forward, which is why this second squad includes a pretty impressive lineup.

A case could have been made for John Tavares and Mark Scheifele to land on Canada's roster. Both have enjoyed great seasons so far and have made the trip to Europe to play for Canada at the World Championship when they were available.

We also included a pair of Washington Capitals players who have had impressive starts to the season. Dylan Strome is currently 10th in scoring with 34 points in 25 games, while Tom Wilson would provide some sandpaper and secondary scoring. You could even make a case for a third Capital, Connor McMichael, who has 14 goals in 25 games this season.

Unfortunately, for a few players on this list, like Zach Hyman, Steven Stamkos and Alexis Lafreniere, their subpar starts to the season pushed them out of the picture for this year's team. However, their body of work still had them in the conversation for a roster spot.

While not having young players like Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini and Wyatt Johnston on this year's roster is understandable, denying them in future tournaments will be tough. Bedard is a phenom who should only see his stock rise when the Blackhawks improve the talent around him, Celebrini's numbers this season prove that he was worthy of being a first-overall pick, and Johnston has been a big-time contributor in the playoffs with the Stars.

Defence
Morgan Rielly-Dougie Hamilton
MacKenzie Weegar-Aaron Ekblad
Owen Power-Evan Bouchard
Noah Dobson
Honourable mentions: Drew Doughty, Brandon Montour, Chris Tanev

Defence

One surprise on the blue line was seeing Dougie Hamilton not included after an impressive start to his season with 26 points in 28 games. While Hamilton will be disappointed about not making the team, the New Jersey Devils will be happy that their No. 1 defenceman will get a chance to rest, given his struggles with injuries.

Canada chose to take four lefties to the 4 Nations but two others were deserving of consideration. Powerplay specialist Morgan Rielly would help drive offence for the 'B' squad while big Owen Power has taken major strides this season as a do-it-all defenceman for the Sabres.

There are so many right-shot Canadian defencemen that talents like Brandon Montour and Chris Tanev had trouble cracking the 'B' team. However, reuniting MacKenzie Weegar and Aaron Ekblad makes too much sense, considering how dominant they were as a pairing when Weegar was in Florida.

It was tough to leave Drew Doughty off another Team Canada roster, but if he had been healthy the veteran defenceman would have been a lock for the 'A' team.

Evan Bouchard's upside as an offensive defenceman will also come in handy for the 'B' team, especially on the power play, and it's tough to ignore his performance during the Oilers' run to the Stanley Cup Final. Noah Dobson's tough start to the season, especially in late-game situations, likely led to his omission from the main roster, but there is too much talent there not to have him as an option.

Goalies
Logan Thompson
Marc-Andre Fleury
Stuart Skinner
Honourable mentions: Cam Talbot, Darcy Kuemper, Mackenzie Blackwood

Goaltending

This is where the 'B' squad looks to right a wrong.

How Logan Thompson didn't factor into the mix for Canada is certainly puzzling, given the numbers suggest he was more than deserving of a spot. Thompson's stats this season far exceed the trio of Adin Hill, Jordan Binnington and Sam Montembeault.

Binnington and Hill bring Stanley Cup-winning pedigree to Team Canada but Thompson's 8.1 goals saved above expectation is in the top 10 among goaltenders this season, according to Mike Kelly of Sportlogiq.

Stuart Skinner's numbers this season (.889 save percentage, eight wins in 17 starts) certainly played a factor in him not making Canada this time around. But back in the summer, there was definitely a case for him to be on the team after he helped the Oilers reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Fleury's experience plays a factor in making the 'B' roster. The 40-year-old future Hall of Famer has won everything you can win in hockey.