Projecting Canada's Roster for a Potential 2024 World Cup of Hockey

Hockey fans were robbed of the opportunity to see the world's best professional players in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics when the NHL and NHLPA agreed to withdraw over COVID-19 concerns. However, there's a chance the league could stage a World Cup of Hockey in two years' time.

On Feb. 3, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported the league and players' association met to discuss a World Cup tournament, with sources suggesting it could be held in February rather than the usual September time frame. He also indicated they intend to meet with the International Ice Hockey Federation about a schedule within the next two months.

NHL players probably won't mind a two-week February tournament, as they'll be in midseason shape and it won't shorten their offseason or training camp. Team owners should be on board because, unlike Olympic participation, they would reap the benefits of the revenue generated by the World Cup, which would be divided 50-50 with the players as per the collective bargaining agreement.

In December, we shared our projected roster for Canada at the Beijing Olympics. With the Games underway without NHL players, it seems like a good opportunity to predict what Canada's roster would look like for the 2024 World Cup of Hockey.

This roster will have some notable changes, as several aging stars, such as Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron and Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, could be retired or making way for younger stars. Assuming the league follows the 2016 format, we've excluded players 23 and younger because they could be part of Team North America.

Do you agree with our selections? Is there someone we've overlooked who you believe is worthy of inclusion on this list? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.

In our Olympic previews, we anticipated the Chicago Blackhawks' Marc-Andre Fleury and Montreal Canadiens' Carey Price would be on Canada's roster for the 2022 Beijing Games. Fleury, however, will be 39 by the 2024 World Cup of Hockey and could be approaching retirement. Price will be 36 but already faces an uncertain future after a knee injury and personal issues sidelined him this season.

Canada will have to consider other goaltending options. It could turn to the Pittsburgh Penguins' Tristan Jarry, the Philadelphia Flyers' Carter Hart and the St. Louis Blues' Jordan Binnington.

Jarry, 26, has rebounded well from a difficult 2020-21 campaign and a disastrous playoff performance. He's lowered his goals-against average (GAA) from last season's 2.75 to 2.25, while his save percentage (SP) has improved from .909 to .923. He's among this season's top 10 goaltenders. If he can maintain that level of performance over the next two years, he could be a shoo-in as Canada's starter in 2024.

Like Jarry, the 23-year-old Hart has bounced back from a lousy 2020-21 to be one of the few bright spots in an otherwise miserable season for the Flyers. His 2.96 GAA is down from last season's bloated 3.67, while his SP is up from .877 to a respectable .910. Hart's stats should continue to get better if the Flyers' defensive game improves.

Binnington's stats have declined from his splashy NHL debut in 2018-19 when he backstopped the Blues to their first-ever Stanley Cup. The 28-year-old is also enduring his worst season with a 3.35 GAA and .898 SP, though that can be partly attributed to missing seven games because of COVID-19. He still has time to regain his form over the next two seasons.

The Colorado Avalanche's Darcy Kuemper and New Jersey Devils' Mackenzie Blackwood also merited mention on our Olympic ranking. However, the 31-year-old Kuemper has struggled at times on a powerhouse Avs team, suggesting his age and injury history could catch up with him by 2024. The 25-year-old Blackwood, meanwhile, continues to encounter difficulty establishing himself as a reliable starting goalie.

Devon Toews and Cale Makar form one of the NHL's top defense pairings with the Colorado Avalanche. They're a key factor in that club's rise among the league's elite franchises over the past two seasons, winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2020-21. If they continue playing well together over the next two years, it would make sense to make them Canada's top defense pairing in the World Cup of Hockey.

Born on Feb. 21, Toews would be approaching 30 if the World Cup is held in February 2024 but would still be in his prime. Often overshadowed by Makar, he's the Avalanche leader in time on ice per game (25 minutes and 29 seconds). A solid two-way defenseman, he leads the club in shorthanded ice time (3:00) per game and is among their leaders with 28 takeaways, 48 blocked shots and 35 points.

Makar, 23, has been a superstar since winning the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2019-20 and finishing as a finalist last season for the James Norris Memorial Trophy. A smooth-skating blueliner with outstanding offensive skills, he leads all rearguards with 18 goals and averages 25:09 of ice time per game. Makar will still be a Norris candidate in two years and a lock to make Team Canada.

Vegas Golden Knights defensemen Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo don't play together that often. Nevertheless, their familiarity as teammates and their blue-line skills made them our choice as first defense pairing for Canada's 2022 Olympic squad. Although the Colorado Avalanche tandem of Devon Toews and Cale Makar usurped them as the first pairing for the 2024 World Cup, Theodore and Pietrangelo are a good fit for the second pairing.

Theodore, 26, continues to flourish as a puck-moving defenseman with the Golden Knights and will remain in his prime in 2024. With 32 points in 45 games this season, he's among their leading scorers and should easily eclipse his career-best 46-point performance in 2019-20. He also sits second in time on ice per game (23:16), while his 2:28 in power-play ice time per game ranks third.

Pietrangelo will be 34 in February 2024 but should remain among the league's elite defensemen. A solid performer at both ends of the rink, he has 27 points in 47 games this season, leads the league with 64 takeaways and is among the leaders with 108 blocked shots and time on ice per game with 25:31. His skills, experience and leadership should make him a key part of Canada's blue-line corps.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse and Florida Panthers blueliner Aaron Ekblad both made the cut for our projected Olympic roster for Canada in 2022. They will still be in their prime two years from now and should remain solid additions to our 2024 lineup.

Nurse will turn 29 by the time the World Cup begins. At 6'4" and 221 pounds, he would be a strong physical presence and penalty killer on Canada's blue line. His 26:15 of time on ice per game and 130 hits rank among the top 10. He also averages 2:34 in shorthanded ice time and can chip in offensively with 20 points in 41 games.

The 6'4", 216-pound Ekblad would provide the third pairing with another big body. A talented all-around player, the Panthers star's 43 points in 47 games and 34 takeaways rank among the top 10 for defensemen. He's also a big-minute blueliner logging 25:20 in ice time per game in all situations.

Spares: Morgan Rielly and Thomas Chabot

Morgan Rielly was also part of our projected Canadian Olympic roster. The 27-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman is among the top 10 blueliners with 42 points this season. His ability to play big minutes would make it possible to plug him into any line on this club.

Thomas Chabot is another minute-munching rearguard who could be a good fit with Canada's World Cup roster. The 25-year-old leads the league this season with 26:51 in ice time per game and has 24 points in 45 games with the rebuilding Ottawa Senators.

We had Florida Panthers left wing Jonathan Huberdeau, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon on the first line of our projected Canadian Olympic roster. Considering the trio will still be in their prime in February 2024, they should remain a formidable top line for the World Cup of Hockey.

Huberdeau, 28, is emerging from the shadow of Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov as a star in his own right. A talented playmaker, he's among this season's scoring leaders with 66 points. Dating back to his debut in 2012-13, he sits fourth among all left wingers with 564 total points.

Considered the NHL's top player, McDavid leads the league with 68 points. He's a three-time winner of the Art Ross Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award and a two-time winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy. An explosive skater capable of making incredible plays at high speed, the 25-year-old Oilers captain remains the obvious choice to center Canada's top line at the World Cup.

MacKinnon has been hampered by injuries this season but has still managed 46 points in just 34 games. The Avalanche superstar remains among the league's elite forwards and can skate at center or right wing. Since his 97-point breakout performance in 2017-18, he sits third among all skaters with 400 career points.

Our projected second line for Canada's World Cup roster features Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point on left wing with the New York Islanders' Mathew Barzal at center and the St. Louis Blues' Jordan Kyrou at right wing. Point made the cut for our Olympic lineup, while Barzal and Kyrou are part of a young group of forwards who could play key roles for Canada.

A versatile two-way forward who can play center or wing, the 25-year-old Point plays first-line minutes with the Lightning. He was a key factor in their Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021 with a reputation for elevating his play in big-game situations. Though sidelined for 14 games earlier this season, he has 34 points in 35 contests and 344 total points in 386 career games.

Barzal, 24, took home the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2017-18 with an 85-point campaign. His production has not returned to those stellar heights in part because of the Isles' defensive system under head coach Barry Trotz. A slick and agile playmaker, he has 33 points in 41 games this season and 285 total points in 330 career games.

After showing promise in his first full NHL campaign last season, Kyrou is enjoying a breakthrough performance in 2021-22 with 18 goals and 43 points in 44 games to sit among the Blues' scoring leaders. The 23-year-old can play center or right wing with outstanding speed and solid offensive skills.

Our projected third line for Canada combines two aging but still effective and respected veterans in Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby with young Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitch Marner. They would bring a solid mix of two-way skills and, in the case of Marchand and Crosby, leadership and experience.

Marchand will be 35 when the 2024 World Cup of Hockey rolls around, but he should still have plenty left in the tank to be a solid contributor to Canada's third line. The pesky Bruins winger leads his club with 49 points in 39 games. A dangerous scoring threat in every situation, he paces all NHL players with 18 shorthanded goals since his breakout performance in 2015-16.

Crosby is the greatest player of his generation, with three Stanley Cup championships, two Olympic Gold Medals and a gold at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey among his numerous accomplishments. Despite missing 12 games to offseason wrist surgery and COVID-19, the Penguins captain has 46 points in 39 games. He'll be 36 in two years but should make Canada's roster if he's still playing well.

Marner, 24, overcame a slow start to this season and a nine-game absence to a shoulder injury and COVID-19 and has 45 points in 38 games for the Maple Leafs. A gifted playmaker, Marner is also an underrated defensive player, sitting second among Leafs forwards with 2:02 in shorthanded ice time per game, and is among their leaders in takeaways with 35.

Another skillful two-way line featuring a mixture of two veterans along with an up-and-coming young forward for Team Canada. St. Louis Blues forward Ryan O'Reilly, Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki and Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone have each faced difficulties this season, but they could form a solid fourth line for Canada's World Cup roster in two years.

The 31-year-old O'Reilly struggled to regain his form after having COVID-19 early in the season. Still, he's netted 31 points in 44 games and is among the Blues leaders with 35 takeaways and just 4 PIMs. One of the league's best two-way forwards, he should return to his usual high standards after this season and remain an effective part of Canada's lineup.

Suzuki, 22, has been among the few bright spots for the Canadiens in an otherwise miserable season. A talented playmaker capable of playing center or right wing, he leads the low-scoring Habs with 28 points. Suzuki proved to be a reliable two-way player during his club's run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. If he continues to improve, he should earn himself a spot on Team Canada in 2024.

A back injury has limited Stone to just 28 games this season, but he's scored at a point-per-game pace during that time. The king of the takeaways, he's second among the Golden Knights with 44. The 29-year-old Golden Knights captain remains in his playing prime. Should he fully recover from his current injury, he should have a good chance of skating for Canada's World Cup team in 2024.

Spares: Pierre-Luc Dubois and Drake Batherson

After struggling through injury and COVID-19 in his first season with the Winnipeg Jets, Pierre-Luc Dubois has bounced back with a solid effort this season. The versatile 23-year-old has a solid two-way game and can play center or left wing. His improvement this season signals better things ahead.

Born in the United States, Batherson was raised in Nova Scotia and played for Canada at the 2018 World Junior Championships. With 13 goals and 34 points in 31 games, the 23-year-old Senators right winger was well on his way to a career-best season until he was sidelined by an ankle injury. His play this season suggests a breakout performance is coming, one that could earn him a spot on Canada's World Cup roster.

Stats (as of Feb. 18, 2022) via NHL.com.