After years without top-level international competition for hockey fans, the NHL’s Four Nations Showdown will see top players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States compete in Montreal and Boston from February 12-20.
Every nation has He named six players All four teams are packed with talent, so for the first time in nearly a decade, fans will be able to see the world’s best players compete against each other on the international stage.
Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid skate for Canada. Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and the Tkachuk brothers skate for Team USA. The stacked blue line for Sweden and the two-way center depth for Finland.
Before the NHL season begins, here's our projection of what each of the four rosters will look like:
USA
The national team development program has done a fantastic job of developing American superstars. The current Rocket Richard, Norris and Vezina Trophy winners and the best goaltending depth in the tournament are a good start. The Americans are well-equipped at every position to succeed, while the other three teams have weaknesses at one position.
It doesn't really matter which center plays on the wing, but Matthews, Eichel and Dylan Larkin make the most sense as locks at center for a full game. The luxury of having a 40-goal player (Brock Boeser) as a backup — in case any of the U.S. forwards falter — is a big deal. The forwards will likely come down to who is in better shape when it comes to making decisions, as the U.S. could go with any of the following: Clayton Keller, Cole Caufield or Vincent Trocheck. The gap between those who are on the team and those who narrowly missed out is very small, and it's easy to imagine a scenario where any number of those players make the team due to performance or injury.
The defensemen were relatively easy to select, with Norris Trophy winners expected to lead the power play. Charlie McAvoy and Jaccob Slavin have a proven ability to contain opponents, which will be key in this tournament. Brock Faber was brilliant in his rookie season and should stick around if that performance continues in his second year. Zach Werenski may or may not be healthy, which could open the door for Noah Hanifin or John Carlson to step into the lineup.
The toughest decision was in goal, where the Americans are. loadedTo put that into perspective, one of the three — Jake Oettinger, Thatcher Demko or Jeremy Swayman — will be left off the team. Any one of those goalies would be better than any current Canadian option — the depth is tremendous. Demko is there now, but the mystery surrounding his injury may cause him to lose his spot to Oettinger or Swayman if he doesn’t get healthy and perform well. Regardless of which three the Americans choose, all three are capable of stealing games, including reigning Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck.
Canada
Canada has three players from previous generations up front: Crosby, McDavid and Connor Bedard. Bedard is not a sure bet for Hockey Canada, but he should be on the team if he starts well.
The toughest choice for the frontcourt was Nick Suzuki over Mark Stone, with Steven Stamkos the backup. Stone's injuries are a factor, and he'll be considered significantly if he's healthy. Suzuki brings a valuable two-way game, can play multiple roles, and should fit well in Canada's final sixth spot. Stamkos is the backup, but no one should be surprised if he takes a spot in the final sixth spot to boost the power play. Other players who will likely be considered for the frontcourt are Travis Konecny and Wyatt Johnston.
Things get complicated on the blue line, as Canada has quite a few elite defenders on the right side. Cale Makar and Devon Toews make sense as a natural top pairing. Noah Dobson had a fantastic 2023-24 season, is better defensively, and has flown under the radar. Shea Theodore and Josh Morrissey make sense on the left side, and Owen Power and Morgan Rielly are likely to be considered.
Evan Bouchard is the most interesting topic of discussion, given his rise to stardom last season. Having four members of the Oilers’ electric power play must be tempting, but Makar is likely to run the top unit. If Canada doesn’t see Bouchard running a power play, they may look to players like Alex Pietrangelo or Aaron Ekblad for their defensive game, with Bouchard as a backup. Shaping the defence will certainly be the most difficult for Canada’s brain trust, given the plethora of talent available.
The goaltending isn't… very good. While Canada has a surplus of talent in the skating class, it lacks goaltenders. Jordan Binnington, Stuart Skinner and Adin Hill have all shown they are capable of winning high-pressure games. However, all three have had moments or long stretches of games where they can't be relied upon. Canada can't afford to choose pedigree over which goalie is playing better, given who they'll be facing at this event. If Tristan Jarry and Joel Hofer play well to start the season, Canada will have no choice but to consider them here, as having a goalie in form is vital.
Sweden
Sweden have some interesting lineup choices to make. Elias Pettersson, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Mikael Backlund all represent solid two-way play with goalscoring ability. If Gabriel Landeskog returns without any issues, it's easy to see why Sweden would consider bringing him into the tournament. Rickard Rakell will be considered if he plays well early in the season and could take the place of Gustav Nyquist, Lucas Raymond, or Leo Carlsson.
Sweden has the option of either going for the youngsters or giving the veterans one last chance at international competition; a combination of both is probably the best option.
As for the blue line: Victor Hedman, Gustav Forsling, Erik Karlsson, and Rasmus Dahlin are a top four of sorts. Sweden’s defensemen are a who’s who of Norris Trophy conversations over the past decade. Behind that group, Mattias Ekholm has been consistently steady, and Hampus Lindholm plays a key role on a great team. His inclusion frees up Karlsson and Dahlin from the need to kill penalties, and should allow them to thrive offensively. Jonas Brodin will also be in the mix, and Rasmus Andersson and Adam Larsson are likely to be considered for bottom-pairing roles. Sweden’s depth on the blue line will be a huge strength.
If Jacob Markstrom plays as well as he can in New Jersey, he'll likely be Linus Ullmark's backup. Both goalies have been in the conversation for the Vezina in recent seasons, with Ullmark playing more consistently in recent seasons. Jesper Wallstedt is leaning toward Samuel Ersson, given that Sweden sees him as a key piece of their international picture going forward. If Ersson significantly outplays Wallstedt early in the season, he might get the nod, but it's unlikely either will see tournament action if Ullmark and Markstrom are healthy.
Finland
Finland's strength is on offense, where its center depth includes Aleksander Barkov, Sebastian Aho, Roope Hintz and Anton Lundell. Other nations have more scoring depth, but Finland has three centers who are elite two-way players, while Lundell is emerging as a two-way star.
Aside from Mikko Rantanen, Finland lacks elite players with scoring ability on the wings. If Patrik Laine can find his form in Montreal, he'll likely play higher up in the lineup and score. Eeli Tolvanen and Joel Armia are in a tight spot up front if players like Laine or Mattias Maccelli don't have a strong start to the season. Finland is expected to play a tight-marking game and rely on their elite two-way players to win low-scoring games. This is a country that has had significant success in recent international tournaments, so they shouldn't be overlooked despite that relative lack of firepower.
On the blue line, Finland is led by Miro Heiskanen, the only true star in the backcourt. He will play a lot of minutes, play in all situations and quarterback the power play. Olli Maatta and Juuso Valimaki could swap positions depending on their performance. Esa Lindell, Rasmus Ristolainen and Niko Mikkola are expected to be key in eliminating penalties and bring a physical element to the defensive zone.
Juuse Saros will be a big part of Finland's ability to compete at this tournament and is a surefire candidate to be the starter. Saros is likely to be backed up by either Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen or Kaapo Kahkonen, but is likely to remain Finland's starter throughout the tournament.
