It appears Team Canada will take as long as possible before making the decision on whether to replace Brayden Point on their Olympic roster.
The Tampa Bay Lightning forward has been listed as week-to-week after suffering an ugly lower-body injury when Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Cam York fell onto his leg earlier this week.
Point was one of the first six players named to Canada’s roster last summer, but has been outpaced by potential replacements Mark Scheifele, Wyatt Johnston and Connor Bedard in scoring this season.
“The most important takeaway here is that this is likely to go down to the wire,” TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston explained Thursday on Insider Trading. “No decisions have been made at this time, and I don’t think we’re going to get a decision next week, or maybe even the week after that, because everyone involved wants to give Point time to heal that right knee injury and see where he’s at as we get closer to the Milan Olympic Games.
“And so, Point himself, certainly not ruling himself out of the tournament. He feels like he’s been a fast healer in the past when he’s had injury issues, and obviously this is an important event. Team Canada’s brass is comfortable to wait, as well.
“If you’re any of those reserve players wondering, ‘Who might get the call?’, it’s very possible, first of all, that no one gets the call, but certainly that the call isn’t made until February, if it’s needed.”
Point has 11 goals and 30 points in 37 games this season after topping the 40-goal and 80-point marks in each of the past three campaigns. He had been heating up of late with eight points in his past five games and points in all but four games since Dec. 1 after a slow start to the campaign.
Chris Johnston said earlier this week that Canada’s general manager Doug Armstrong will look to make replacements based on the role of the player lost, which appears to be a spot in the top-six for point, making Scheifele, Johnston and Bedard more likely choices than surprise snub Sam Bennett.
Scheifele picked up four points in a win over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, improving his totals to 23 goals and 58 points in 46 games this season. The 32-year-old is a four-time 30-goal scorer and posted 42 goals during the 2022-23 campaign.
Wyatt Johnston, 22, has 25 goals and 53 points in 48 games with the Dallas Stars this season, on track to blow past the career-best 33 goals and 71 points he posted last season.
Bedard was forced to miss nearly a month of action with an upper-body injury sustained in December but still sits 24th in the NHL with 19 goals and 46 points in 34 games. The 20-year-old is on track to set career highs after a finishing an underwhelming sophomore campaign with 23 goals and 67 points last season.
Canada’s first game at the Olympics is set for Feb. 12 against the Czechia, with the tournament opening day earlier with Finland facing Slovakia and Italy taking on Sweden.