Toronto Maple Leafs players and coach Craig Berube are rallying around defenceman Chris Tanev to be Alex Pietrangelo's replacement at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Despite only being with the Leafs for a little over half a season, Tanev has won the appreciation of his teammate and coach Craig Berube, who stressed that Tanev's knack for consistency is what makes him so good.
"He'd be a great fit. I mean, looking at their lineup and everything, and what Tanny brings, Petro brings a lot of that too. With the penalty killing and the shutdown stuff - Tanny, that's his baby. He's very good at that role, so it would probably be a good fit for him."
Teammate William Nylander noted Tanev's leadership and what it would bring to the 4 Nations Face-Off, while Mitch Marner, who would be Tanev's Team Canada teammate if he makes it, said it's hard to overstate his value.
"He means a lot to this team overall, just the calmness he brings on the ice with the puck and obviously what he does defensively, I mean, he plays against the best people every night, usually starts in the D zone, and is always up for the challenge," said Marner.
While Tanev himself isn't making any kind of public plea to be named to Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face-Off, he made it clear that he would absolutely go if he got the call.
The NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off gets underway on Feb. 12 with Canada vs Sweden, and USA vs Finland.