BROSSARD, Quebec -- Team Canada is battling more blueline drama at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The country's top defenseman Cale Makar missed Friday's practice with an illness, putting his status for Saturday's game against the USA in jeopardy.

Canada was already down to just six healthy defensemen after Shea Theodore was knocked out of the tournament with an upper-body injury sustained Wednesday against Sweden. Makar was a workhorse for Canada as the team had just five defenders on the bench for much of that game, finishing with a team-high 28:06 TOI.

Canada's coach Jon Cooper could only speculate on Friday what Makar's status would be by puck drop.

"Expect is a big word," Cooper said on whether he anticipated Makar being available. "But I'm confident. I'm confident he'll be there."

There is a contingency plan in place if Makar hasn't recovered. Sources told ESPN that the NHL and NHLPA agreed Friday that Canada's circumstance warranted bringing Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley to Montreal in case the team has only five healthy skaters for its backend by Saturday night.

Travis Sanheim was Canada's original seventh defenseman already elevated to replace Theodore. Harley -- who's expected to arrive in town by Friday night -- can be around the team but isn't allowed to participate in anything on the ice unless Makar is officially ruled out for the game.

While Canada waits to see how its backend comes together, Cooper is mulling another significant change to the team's goaltending. Cooper wouldn't commit to a starter for Saturday's matchup after Jordan Binnington got the nod in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win over Sweden. Binnington recorded 23 saves and an .885 SV% in the victory.

Adin Hill was Binnington's backup in that game; Sam Montembeault has been the country's extra goalie so far.

Cooper said he was going to talk to the goalies first before making a final decision.

One lineup change Cooper would cop to was inserting Sam Bennett for Travis Konecny. Bennett was a healthy scratch Wednesday against the speedy Swedes, but he'll add some needed physicality to Canada's group when it takes on the USA -- a team that levelled 32 hits on Finland in its 6-1 win over that country Thursday night.

Canada is preparing for the USA to invoke a similar strategy in Saturday's meeting, and Bennett will help balance the scales.

"I thought [Thursday's] game was maybe a little bit heavier than ours was against Sweden," Connor McDavid said. "They've got big bodies. But [Bennett] is big and strong. Plays with a little bit of an edge, as we know. I'd expect him to bring that, I expect him to bring his energy. He scores big goals and does all of it."

Having Bennett in the mix will pit him against Florida Panthers teammate Matthew Tkachuk. It was the gritty Tkachuk leading the U.S. to victory with three points in Thursday's game, and Cooper couldn't help wondering whether the two will find each other on the ice come Saturday.

"I'll be interesting if Sam and Matthew meet in a corner at some point," he said.

On the USA side, coach Mike Sullivan didn't say Friday if he'd make further adjustments after shuffling his own defense pairings early on against Finland. The USA didn't hold a practice following Thursday's win.