Who starts, who sits, who skated earlier today for Team Canada vs France

Elliotte Friedman reported all three skated today, but none will play in the prelim finale.

That “skated but didn’t dress” detail hits hard in a short tournament, because you do not get time to wait out bumps.

Canada can survive a rest day, but the bracket does not care why a player is missing. The next opponent only sees an opening.

Morrissey is the one that changes structure. He left the Czechia game with an undisclosed injury and did not return.

Seeing him on the ice still matters, because it suggests the problem is trending the right way. In Olympic hockey, “trending right” is half the battle.

Florida Panthers Brad Marchand being out is more than just a missing winger. It takes bite out of Canada’s top-six, especially when games get mean around the crease.

The big issue is timing. If a player misses a game now, the ramp-up for the quarterfinal starts to feel rushed.

Jordan Binnington gets the start, and that’s an important layer to this whole “manage the lineup” story. Binnington’s game is all about timing and compete, so this is a spot where Canada can lean on structure, limit second chances, and let him see straightforward looks

This matchup with France is exactly when teams like Canada want to manage minutes. The risk is you lose rhythm if too many guys are watching.

Hockey Canada’s own preview noted Canada already has its quarterfinal spot locked up, which makes today a perfect place to protect bodies.

Still, there is a cost. Special teams reps, defensive pair timing, and clean breakouts all take hits when key pieces sit.

The good news is simple. Skating is usually the step before returning, and Canada just wants these three trending toward the next game.

If Morrissey is back for the knockout round, the blue line settles, the exits get cleaner, and the forwards spend less time tracking back.

This is what short tournaments are really about. Talent wins you moments, but health wins you the week.