MacKinnon Maintenance, John Cooper's Lines

Nathan MacKinnon being held out of this morning's Team Canada practice put a brief scare into Canadian hockey fans, but thankfully the coaching staff dubbed this as a maintenance day for the Colorado Avalanche superstar. This came after MacKinnon appeared to tweak his right leg in the final minutes against France. The game itself was a one-sided affair, ending in a 10-2 Canadian victory filled with late-game antics. MacKinnon was seen skating and walking off the ice under his own power after the final whistle, so this is likely something he’ll be able to play through. After all, he and the other NHLers have waited 12 years for this tournament, it’s hard to believe this would keep him out.

The more important conversation to be had is what needs to change with head coach John Cooper's lines heading into the elimination games. It's no secret that the Hagel-MacKinnon-Suzuki line has been a weak link for Canada in this tournament so far. They've done well defensively, which was expected given the defensive prowess of the wingers, but they've failed to generate scoring at the rate that the other lines have. Meanwhile, the recently coined "McMacMack" line featuring Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Macklin Celebrini, looked absolutely dominant once assembled midway through the game against Switzerland, leaving fans questioning why John Cooper reverted back to the original lines for the France game. It's pretty clear that John Cooper is trying his hardest to create four balanced lines, but playing Selke favourite center Nick Suzuki on the wing is not the way to do it. Suzuki was projected by most to be the third-line center in this tournament, as his playmaking paired with his elite defensive play gives Canada a driver for a two-way shutdown line. That’s what makes this winger experiment so puzzling, especially since he hasn’t played there in six years.

With Brad Marchand likely to be inserted back into the lineup, Canadian hockey fans have been discussing who the odd-man-out will be, with many fans suggesting Suzuki to be that player, which would be a terrible idea given his strong defensive metrics and chance creation statistics, which rank 6th on the team per HockeyStats.com. Hagel and Suzuki are likely Canada's best penalty killing duo, and if Cooper bumps MacKinnon up to play on the top line, that would leave a hole at the center position. The more likely press box options are the two late adds to the team, in Sam Bennett and Seth Jarvis, who joined as injury replacements. If Team Canada wants to secure a gold medal in this tournament, it is imperative that they keep the "McMacMack" line intact, as the firepower on that unit is a challenge for any country to stop. Following that line up with the balanced two-way units of:

Stone-Crosby-Marner

Hagel-Suzuki-Reinhart

Marchand-Horvat-Wilson

(Bennett OR Jarvis)

Gives Canada a foolproof recipe for success, and the best possible chance at a gold medal, which the country has struggled to come by so far in these 2026 Olympic Games.