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4 Nations Face-Off: Who could play for Team USA at February tournament?
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- 4 Nations Face-Off: Who could play for Team USA at February tournament?
When the players for Team USA are announced next week for the 4 Nations Face-Off, there will automatically be a bunch of deserving players left off.
Not intentionally. It's just that the U.S. pool of NHL players is that deep and that impressive.
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Six players have already been named by the four participating countries. The rest will be named on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Sweden and Finland rosters will be announced at 2 p.m. ET. The USA and Canada will name their remaining players at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Here is a projection of who could be on Team USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off that will be played from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston (listed alphabetically, *-originally named to the team):
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel was one of the six players originally named to Team USA.
Forwards
Cole Caufield , Montreal Canadiens
Jack Eichel , Vegas Golden Knights *
Jake Guentzel , Tampa Bay Lightning
Jack Hughes , New Jersey Devils
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Clayton Keller , Utah Hockey Club
Dylan Larkin , Detroit Red Wings
Auston Matthews , Toronto Maple Leafs *
Jason Robertson , Dallas Stars
Tage Thompson , Buffalo Sabres
Brady Tkachuk , Ottawa Senators
Matthew Tkachuk , Florida Panthers *
Analysis:There's plenty to like and some caveats. There's strength down the middle and scoring throughout the group. Matthews is both a three-time goal-scoring leader and a Selke Trophy finalist. It will be fun having the gritty Tkachuk brothers and high-scoring Hughes brothers on the team. The caveats: Matthews and Thompson have missed time with injury, though they should be fine by February. Matthew Tkachuk's and Robertson's scoring numbers are off. Vancouver 's J.T. Miller would be a good addition, but he has taken a leave of absence.
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Other options:Miller; Brock Boeser , Vancouver Canucks ; Vincent Trocheck , New York Rangers ; Alex Tuch , Buffalo Sabres.
Defensemen
Brock Faber , Minnesota Wild
Adam Fox , New York Rangers*
Noah Hanifin , Vegas Golden Knights
Quinn Hughes , Vancouver Canucks*
Charlie McAvoy , Boston Bruins *
Jaccob Slavin , Carolina Hurricanes
Zach Werenski , Columbus Blue Jackets
Analysis:A strong blue line. Hughes and Fox are former Norris Trophy winners. Faber was runner-up for rookie of the year and Werenski had a recent five-point game. Hanifin and Slavin are solid two-way players and McAvoy, though his numbers are down, can drive offense. There are four left-handed shots to three righties, so there are opportunities to mix and match.
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Other options: John Carlson , Washington Capitals ; Neal Pionk , Winnipeg Jets.
Goaltenders
Connor Hellebuyck , Winnipeg Jets
Jake Oettinger , Dallas Stars
Jeremy Swayman , Boston Bruins
Analysis:Team USA will have the strongest goaltending of the tournament. Hellebuyck is a two-time Vezina Trophy winner and an early favorite for the award this season as the Jets have had their best start to a season. Oettinger took the Stars to the Western Conference final the past two seasons and is off to a strong start this season. Swayman has struggled at times this season after missing training during a contract dispute. But he had a .933 save percentage during the 2024 playoffs. Vancouver's Thatcher Demko would be in the mix if he weren't hurt.
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Other options: Joey Daccord , Seattle Kraken ; Anthony Stolarz , Toronto Maple Leafs; Demko.
4 Nations Face-Off schedule
(Times p.m. ET)
Wednesday, Feb. 12: Canada vs. Sweden at Montreal, 8, TNT
Thursday, Feb. 13: USA vs. Finland at Montreal, 8, ESPN
Saturday, Feb. 15: Finland vs. Sweden at Montreal, 1, ABC
Saturday, Feb. 15: USA vs. Canada at Montreal, 8, ABC
Monday, Feb. 17: Canada vs. Finland at Boston, 1, TNT
Monday, Feb. 17: Sweden vs. USA at Boston, 8, TNT
Thursday, Feb. 20: Championship game at Boston, 8, ESPN
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 4 Nations Face-Off Team USA projected roster
