THE In the NHL The regular season will take an interruption of almost two weeks to welcome the inaugural confrontation of the 4 nations. The round tournament will take place from February 12 to 20, sharing time between Boston and Montreal and featuring national teams from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.
Many of the best NHL stars will adapt to their respective countries for the first time in an international environment since the Hockey World Cup in 2016. Each team will participate in three games, and the first two countries will compete in the championship game.
With some of the best sports talents on display so that the world can see it, there are many players who will help decide the fate of the 4 nations confrontation. Here is an overview of some of the most impactful players who will take the front of the stage in a tournament of international proportions expected for a long time.
Auston Matthews (United States)
It was not a conclusive inevitable that Auston Matthews would play in the confrontation of the 4 nations after treating injuries earlier this season. However, Matthews seems to be a full blow in the round tournament, and he could be the most important piece for his country of origin. No NHL player has accumulated more goals (160) than Matthews in the last three NHL seasons, and he has completed this feat in just 226 games. Aside from Connor McDavid, there may not be a more deadly scorer than Matthews, who will serve as captain of the United States. The former San Jose Sharks star, Joe Pavelski, obtained the nickname “Captain America” ​​when he was one of the best stars in the league, but it will not be a huge surprise if we call Matthews “Captain America” ​​if he leads the United States to international glory.
Matthew Tkachuk (United States)
In the last two races of the Florida Stanley Cup, Matthew Tkachuk showed her ability to have an impact on the game in different ways. Tkachuk is a talented attacker with a talent to score goals in large places, but is also not afraid of providing some physics to the opposition. The panthers star can have heavy successes with the best of them and is not afraid to be an agitator. In fact, Tkachuk collected 46 points (17 goals, 29 assists) during each of the last two races in Florida, but also accumulated 105 minutes of penalty during this period. If the Americans need a spark, Tkachuk could be the type of player that coach Mike Sullivan could deploy to help shoot the trend at various times of the tournament.
Quinn Hughes (United States)
Quinn Hughes will help anchor a Blue Line from the Starry United States which also includes Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy and Zach Werenski. Regarding the best NHL defenders, it is probably a race too close to call and is only a preference question. Hughes has become an elite washer engine at the rear since its debut with the Vancouver cannucks in 2018. The American Blue-Lord recorded 227 league points (38 goals, 189 assists) during the last three Seasons, leading all NHL defenders on this section. Hughes is also about to break his career summit in goals (17) this season, because he has already collected 14 goals with 30 more games to play. It provides a large quantity of leadership, grain and offensive prowess on the American Blue Line, and could be one of the most essential actors in the success of the United States in the confrontation of the 4 nations.
Connor McDavid (Canada)
Perhaps the biggest advantage of Canada in this tournament is that he has the best player on the planet. Connor McDavid simply plays the hockey game at a different speed from everyone. Since the start of the 2016-2017 season, McDavid has led NHL in decisive assists (663) and points (1,004). The closest closest total point belongs to his teammate of Oilers Leon Draisaitl at 869. At his peak, McDavid has no peers, and this showed the last playoff series. During the EDMONTON race at the Stanley Cup final, McDavid broke Wayne Gretzky’s record for assist in a single qualifying series with 34. His 42 eliminatory points ranked fourth. This performance made McDavid the sixth player in history to win the Conn Smythe trophy despite the loss of the Stanley Cup. It will be the first time that McDavid has played on the international scene since the 2018 IIHF world championship, so fans are settling.
MAKAR CAP (Canada)
In addition to playing the best hockey player of this Spinning rock, Canada also has a case that the best defender in the world patrols his blue line. Before being 24 years old, Cale Makar had won a Norris trophy, an Conn Smythe trophy and a Stanley Cup. Since then, Makar has remained one of the highest electrifying players in the League, and he is the rare defender who can take over a match. This season, Makar ranks first among the defenders in goals (19) and second in points (58). In addition to that, Makar was his generally dominant self against five with a share of expected goals of 55.9%. He and his colleague Avalanche Devon Toews would have a great couple in this tournament.
Adin Hill (Canada)
The most flagrant weakness on Canada’s list is between pipes. If I had to guess, Hill probably gets the first crack on the awaiting goal, but none of the three Canadian goalkeepers has banners. Hill, who supported Vegas Golden Knights at a Stanley Cup in 2023, will have to return to this level to lead Canadians to a title of 4 nations. This season, Hill has granted 1.76 goals above average, by natural statistics tip. This ranks 56th of the league, and he will not do the work against the best shooters in the world. Hill is on this list because he seems to be the projected starter, but we will see how long this leash is. The entire situation of Canada’s goalkeepers will be something to keep an eye on the moment when the washer falls in Montreal.
Victor Hedman (Sweden)
Like the United States, Sweden has an abundance of talents in its defensive nucleus. The defender of Tampa Bay Lightning, Victor Hedman, will serve as captain of Sweden in the tournament and brings a ton of experience to the table. Hedman was an integral part of the Lightning teams who went to three consecutive Stanley cuts, in particular by winning all of this in 2020 and 2021. The 34 player brings the defensive sense necessary to close some of the best offensive threats in the world. Hedman is not afraid to put himself in front of the washer, because he has accumulated at least 100 shots blocked during eight of his last 11 professional seasons.
Jesper Bratt (Sweden)
The New Jersey Devils star, Jesper Bratt, could be the best playmaker on the Sweden list. Bratt is in the middle of a sensational season during which he gives his teammate Jack Hughes a race for his money for the head of the team. The winger Devils was a help machine during the regular season, and it is difficult to imagine that not to continue playing with talented Swedish attackers like Filip Forsberg, Adrian Kempe and Elias Pettersson. Bratt has a huge vision of the ice, which constantly allows him to find the option open. He could be one of the most underestimated players in the whole tournament.
Aleksander Barkov (Finland)
The injuries to Miro Heiskanen and Jani Hakanpaa weakened the Finnish blue line before the confrontation of the 4 nations even begins, which means that Aleksander Barkov will be supported even more to close the best weapons of the opponents. Fortunately for Finland, Barkov happens to be one of the best in the world to do exactly that. The double winner of the Selke Trophy has just guided the Florida Panthers at their first Stanley Cup with his two -lane match Elite, and that continued this season. The 58.2% of goals expected from Barkov to five against five are absurd, and he maintained a point per game rhythm while playing a responsible defensive game. There will probably be not many players who get more ice time than Barkov throughout the tournament, but he has proven that he can manage this workload.
JUURY SAROS (Finland)
Arriving in the season, Juus Saros would have been the Slam-Dunk starter in Finland in this tournament. Now he’s probably always the guy of choice, but a bad season with the predators of Nashville has put a doubt about his ability to lead the Finnish to a title. The generally reliable saros has displayed a percentage of stops of .901 and 1.64 goals authorized above the average, according to Natural Stat Trick. Can it shake this? It will be difficult when its three opponents can freeze four dangerous front lines. The positive side of this for Saros and Finland is that it has a story of being one of the best NHL guards. Since 2021-2024, Saros has classified fifth in goals saved above average (58.5) and has finished in the top five of the Vezina trophy voted for three consecutive years. If Finland obtains this version of Saros, it will be very difficult to beat.
