3 potential replacements for Alex Pietrangelo on Team Canada.

The 4 Nations Face Off is off to a tough start for the country of Canada with a surprising announcement from the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday evening. The Golden Knights officially confirmed that Canada would be without one of its top defensemen at the tournament when they announced that Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was pulling himself out of the competition.

It is a tough blow to be sure but in a hockey crazed nation like Canada there is no shortage of replacements and the biggest question now is who will be tasked of stepping in to take Pietrangelo's place? Today I will look at 3 defensemen that I believe are likely to be the frontrunners for that spot in on the roster, with one of them admittedly being a bit of a long shot.

#1 Drew Doughty - Los Angeles Kings.

This one is definitely a long shot but it does sound like the imminent return of the Los Angeles Kings star defenseman could not have come at a better time for Canada. Doughty has missed the entire regular season thus far but appears to be on the verge of making his return to the ice and I believe that he will be monitored closely as a potential replacement for Pietrangelo.

In fact, NHL insider Darren Dreger reported on Monday morning that Canada may be taking its time naming a replacement for Pietrangelo exactly because of Doughty's impending return to the ice.

#2 Brandon Montour - Seattle Kraken.

Fresh off of a Stanley Cup championship it sounds like Montour was a player that just barely failed to make the cut for the initial roster so it would make sense that he would be considered once again with a spot opening up. The 30 year old Montour is no longer a part of the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers but is playing well for the Kraken this year with 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points in 49 games.

Montour's stellar play this season as well as his winning pedigree make him a strong contender for the vacant spot.

#3 MacKenzie Weegar - Calgary Flames.

Another player that is believed to have just barely failed to make the initial roster, Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar may very well be the frontrunner for Pietrangelo's spot on the roster.

Weegar has proven himself to be a stable presence on the blue line throughout his career in the National Hockey League, with both the Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames, and it is exactly that kind of stability that I suspect Canada will be looking for in a replacement for Pietrangelo.

Would any of these 3 be your pick? Or did you have another name in mind? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.