Brad Marchand is set to rejoin Canada's lineup in the quarterfinal. Although Seth Jarvis could become a healthy scratch again, Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki could be another option, but not because of his play.
Team Canada is rolling, finishing round-robin play with a perfect record, 20 goals-for and three against.
It's hard to find much to complain about in these three games. They've been receiving contributions from virtually everyone, and their best players are playing like their best players.
But as we always see with these tournaments and with teams as good as Canada's, a deserving player needs to sit. That player might be Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki, not because of his play but just the fit as Brad Marchand returns to the lineup.
Through three games, the 26-year-old has scored one goal, while primarily playing with Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel. MacKinnon has notched two goals and five points, and Hagel has recorded one goal, but the chemistry seems off on that line.
Although MacKinnon showed great chemistry with Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini in limited time against Switzerland, it's a line that coach Jon Cooper seems only wants to use when needed, as he'd rather spread around the wealth and throw McDavid, MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby on separate lines to maximize his depth. If that's what he wants to do, finding the best wingers for MacKinnon is a must.
McDavid has found his with Celebrini and Tom Wilson, and Crosby has his with Mitch Marner and Mark Stone, but MacKinnon hasn't thrived with Suzuki and Hagel.
Although Brad Marchand has missed the previous two games, Cooper said Marchand will play in the quarterfinal, meaning one player needs to exit the lineup.
That player could be Seth Jarvis, who started the tournament as a healthy scratch, but Jarvis has added a speed element that Canada may feel obligated to keep in their lineup.
After Jarvis, it's difficult to find another player who would make sense to leave the lineup.
Sam Reinhart has played limited minutes at 5-on-5, but he trots out onto the No. 1 power-play unit for Canada and doesn't look to be leaving that spot. Sam Bennett brings the physical element Canada needs, and Bo Horvat has the production and faceoff-winning abilities to remain in the lineup.
Which leads us to consider Suzuki.
Although he has been far from poor in this tournament, his potential exit from the lineup would be purely stylistic.
At his best, Suzuki is a two-way center who brings a playmaking element to his game. With Canada's roster construction, he's been forced to play on the wing and in an offensive role. It feels like harsh criticism or an unfair punishment to Suzuki, but given the nature of the tournament, it's a move the Canadian brass could make for the team's benefit.
If Cooper does want to use MacKinnon as a winger alongside McDavid, keeping Suzuki in the lineup makes sense, as he is the natural choice to shift to center ice as he did against Switzerland.
"Suzuki is a Swiss Army Knife," Cooper told reporters. "That kid can play anywhere. He can play goal if we asked him to."
Marchand is enjoying another banner offensive season and would be better suited to help MacKinnon flourish offensively at 5-on-5. They also have plenty of chemistry training together in the off-season.
Overall, one change that must occur is the makeup of the Nathan MacKinnon line. Now that each game is an elimination game, the stakes are much higher, and the Canadians can ill-afford to be without MacKinnon's 5-on-5 production and impact on the game.
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