TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun discusses Canada’s men’s Olympic roster refinement down the stretch, the chances of Matthew Schaefer being their eighth defenceman, if Jordan Binnington is still a lock and NHL teams calling on Phil Danault.

GINO REDA: We’re now down to less than two weeks before the final roster is announced for the Canadian Olympic team.

Who is still on the bubble? Could Matthew Schaefer really make the team? And could Jordan Binnington actually get bumped? Here’s our Insider Pierre LeBrun to discuss these topics and more.

Pierre, what are you hearing about the final number of spots still available on Team Canada right now?

PIERRE LeBRUN: Gino, first let me tell you that Team Canada’s management group will have another call to discuss all of this on Thursday night.

It won’t be their last call. The deadline, of course, Dec. 31, is when they’ll announce their roster.

My understanding is that they’re down to about five roster decisions. Two up front, two on defence, and one in goal, where they are down to four goalies.

Let’s start up front, Gino. This is where there’s the potential for the most movement from the 4 Nations roster.

Remember, Gino, we’ve talked about this a lot. The 4 Nations roster matters a lot to Team Canada, as far as guys needing to lose their job to guys pushing.

But the four forwards I’m told that have absolutely been identified as guys that have pushed hardest to make the Olympic team are Macklin Celebrini, Tom Wilson, Bo Horvat, and Nick Suzuki.

I think Celebrini and Wilson are on. I think then that’s a question for Team Canada to decide can they take both Horvat and Suzuki, or one or the other? I think one of the reasons why these things are still uncertain is that there are other debates.

For example, if you are taking Tom Wilson, and I think they are, can you have Tom Wilson, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand all on the Olympic team, or as someone close to it described to me, can you take two of those three or one of those three? So, that still is a conversation internally with Team Canada.

And then, of course, there’s Connor Bedard, who, absolutely, his stellar play pushed him up the ranks, made him a constant conversation with Team Canada. Obviously, his injury hurts now, but there’s still some, I think, that say ‘Why not take him as a 14th forward and let him work his way up?’ But I think, at this point, it’s more realistic that he’s probably just on the outside looking in.

Keep in mind, Gino, at all three positions there is going to be a group of reserve players in case of injury that may get the call just like Marty St. Louis did in 2014 when Steven Stamkos got hurt.

I absolutely believe that if Bedard doesn’t make the team outright on Dec. 31, that he absolutely will be on that group of reserves. No question.

REDA: Okay, so let’s go to the blueline now. You mentioned Canada is still trying to decide about two spots on defence.

Matthew Schaefer is only 18. He could actually still be playing at the World Juniors this Christmas if the New York Islanders let him go, but they’re obviously not going to do that.

But could he really, actually make this Olympic team as a kid?

LeBRUN: He could. That’s not to say he will, but he remains still in these final conversations, I’m told, with Team Canada.

I think the conversation within them is, do they take him as their eighth defenceman and see where he fits from there? He’s just been so good and they keep waiting for him to hit a wall as an 18-year-old, and he hasn’t hit that wall.

One name that has been written off by many is Evan Bouchard. By the way Gino, I’m told his name now has resurfaced in these conversations at the 11th hour because he’s been a lot better over the final month.

So, I think it’s between Schaefer and Bouchard, probably for that eighth spot. Having said that, someone else close to the situation told me on this day, it’s also not out of the question that they just bring back all eight defencemen they had at the 4 Nations, that that is one of the debates they are having.

But at the end of the day, I think there are three players that played at the 4 Nations that are vulnerable here because they’ve been up and down this year: Thomas Harley, Colton Parayko, and Travis Sanheim.

There’s a world in which one or two of those three guys, perhaps, get replaced for the Olympics. Again, not decided. That’s why there’s a call on Thursday night. That’s why there’s still decisions to be made between now and Dec. 31.

REDA: Alright, let’s get to the goalies, and this one’s juicy, my friend. Jordan Binnington was a rock star at the 4 Nations against Team USA.

For a long time, we figured he was a lock to make the team and he’s probably a lock to at least get the starting job to open the tournament. But could he actually get bumped now, Pierre?

LeBRUN: Listen, I think the chances are not great that he gets bumped. But what I will tell you is that it is a real conversation now that his struggles continue.

We’re down to four names for Team Canada in goal. The four names are Binnington, Logan Thompson, Darcy Kuemper, and Mackenzie Blackwood.

The other three goalies I mentioned are playing well this year, in particular Logan Thompson, but Binnington is not and so, at the very least, it has been a conversation of late within Team Canada that we need to look at this.

At the end of the day, my sense is they still will take Jordan Binnington based on the body of work and then choose between two of those other three names. But the mere fact now that it’s more of a conversation than it was a month ago tells you that there’s some concern.

REDA: Alright, change of topic before I let you go. Just heading into the Christmas trade freeze tomorrow night at midnight, and the Los Angeles Kings are getting a lot of last-minute calls, Pierre?

LeBRUN: Yeah, they’re getting calls on Phillip Danault.

Listen, it’s been out there over the last week. Allan Walsh obviously brought a lot of light to it when he said that his client, Phillip Danault, had not asked for a trade. But that doesn’t mean that he won’t get traded, and the fact is the Kings are getting lots of calls on him.

It’s a complicated situation. I mean, he’s not a rental player. He’s got another year on his deal at $5.5 million. And for the Kings, it’s not like they’re a seller. They’re a perennial playoff team and they intend to be in the playoffs again.

So, if they trade Phillip Danault, my understanding is they’ve told other teams, ‘We need help, we need offence. We don’t want draft picks and prospects that can’t help us today.’ They would rather make a deal where it’s a traditional hockey deal where they get help now.

I don’t know how easy that is to do, especially in the next 24 hours. It might be something that needs to play out here between now and March 6, but they’re getting calls on him.

Among the teams that have called – Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Utah Mammoth, a long list of teams. I mean, all of the teams that you can think of that need help at centre have obviously checked in with L.A. because it’s so rare for centres to be available.

He has zero goals on the season. His role has been reduced, Gino, but centres just don’t get dealt, so that’s why there’s still lots of attention on him.

REDA: Great point. Alright, that’s the early edition of IT.

The full version of Insider Trading with Pierre and C.J. is coming up on the early edition of SportsCentre.