The 4 Nations Face-Off rosters have been released, and now that the teams are public, it is time to compare them and finish with a power ranking for the four teams.
The tournament will begin Feb. 12, 2025, and teams will have until then to make any changes to their roster due to injuries. It has been a significant period of time since we have had the opportunity to watch best-on-best hockey, and while there are certainly some nations and stars missing, this is a great start.
Forward Group Comparison
Canada
Team Canada is always a powerhouse, especially when it comes to the forwards. There hasn’t been a time since 2005 that one of Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid wasn’t the unanimous best player in the NHL. Having them be the top two centers was a given, and following them in the lineup at center is Brayden Point, who could challenge for the Rocket Richard Trophy this season, and Anthony Cirelli, who will make for an excellent fourth-line shut-down center.
On the wings, there is an unreal amount of talent. Nathan MacKinnon, who naturally plays center, will likely be on the wing of Crosby and have Brad Marchand on the other side for an all-Nova Scotian line, with a great amount of skill and good two-way play.
Sam Reinhart, who currently leads the league in goals, Mark Stone, one of the best defensive forwards, and Mitch Marner, one of the best pure playmakers, will round out the top end of the forward group very well. Lower in the lineup, Sam Bennett, Brandon Hagel, Travis Konecny, and Seth Jarvis will fill in the bottom-six wings, and having depth like that on a forward group, even in a best-on-best tournament, is what wins games.
There are some forwards that could certainly have a case to be on the team, but each of these forwards is more than deserving, too.
USA
Team Canada’s biggest competition for the forward group has to be the USA. Offensive superstars Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Jake Guentzel, Matthew Tkachuk, Matt Boldy, and Kyle Connor will likely lead the way at the top of the forward group. There is no doubt that these players can score goals, and they have a great mix of speed, physicality, and two-way play to bring alongside the scoring threat.
Deeper…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…