Insider reveals Team Canada's decision on picking Evan Bouchard to replace Alex Pietrangelo

The Vegas Golden Knights announced today that Alex Pietrangelo backed out of the tournament with an injury, causing Canada to look for a replacement.

According to a new report from Oilers reporter Mark Spector, Team Canada isn't likely to select Bouchard as the replacement for the 4 Nations Faceoff.

Unfortunately for Bouchard, he's had a rough season since the beginning of the year and hasn't been able turn around his game since initially not making the cut.

Bouchard has too often made some costly defensive gaffes that have earned some harsh criticism from fans, and his scoring is slightly down from his elite levels last year.

Last season Bouchard scored an incredible 18 goals and 82 points, while this year, his scoring has fallen to a pace for 62 points.

His passing, offensive awareness, and shot are unquestionably elite, but hockey Canada has significant questions about his defensive play that will steer them towards other candidates to replace Pietrangelo.

The top candidates to replace Pietrangelo will be Dougie Hamilton, Drew Doughty, and Mackenzie Weegar. According to Elliotte Friedman, Team Canada will have until February 11th to name their replacement. The 4 Nations Faceoff begins February 12.

It's unfortunate that Bouchard hasn't performed well enough to warrant a pick from Team Canada this season, but if his play improves, it could be in the cards for the Olympics. At the very least, he'll get some valuable time to rest in-season.