4 Nations Face-Off Dark Horses: One potential unsung hero for each team
Can a best-on-best hockey tournament even have a darkhorse player?
It’s all relative. Virtually everyone competing at the 4 Nations Face-Off plays a major role on his NHL team and doesn’t fly under anyone’s radar. But best-on-best hockey sometimes forces star players to become role players, especially for the uber-deep Canada and USA. Heck, each country will have to send a few good players to the press box as healthy scratches.
Given that context: which players do we expect to become unsung heroes at the 4 Nations? We present one dark horse per team.
CANADA: Sam Bennett
Bennett isn’t guaranteed to crack Canada’s opening night lineup. It could depend a lot on how injuries shake up the depth chart in the next couple days. But Bennett will almost certainly be handed a checking role and a relatively small piece of the ice-time pie. That doesn’t mean he won’t make an impact, however. No player on Canada’s roster is meaner, simply put. Particularly when Canada faces USA and the Tkachuk brothers on Saturday night, a minimum level of sandpaper will be required. That’s where Bennett’s nasty physicality could prove crucial. Maybe all the pre-tourney excitement expressed by the players turns out to be a bluff and we get clean, safe hockey closer to what we’d see at an All-Star Game, but the guess here is that competitiveness takes over. When things get rough, Canada will benefit having Bennett as a tone setter and momentum changer, whether he finds the scoresheet or not. If you’re betting on the player most likely to pull a Pete Rose and raise the stakes by blowing somebody up, Bennett has to rank near the top of the list. – MATT LARKIN
FINLAND: Patrik Laine
Which Laine are we going to see? The one who can’t be stopped on the power play, or the one who disappears for games at a time? The Montreal Canadiens have been on a bit of a downturn in recent weeks, with Laine struggling to generate many shots right now. Almost all his goals have come on the man advantage, which has been his specialty throughout his career. Laine is best when he’s playing with quality passers, and if he skates alongside Aleksander Barkov, he can make that happen. But if Laine struggles and falls deeper down the lineup, it could get a bit ugly. The Finns don’t have a ton of dangerous shooters – at least, not compared to the other three teams – but if Laine is hot, the Finns might be tougher than anticipated. – STEVEN ELLIS
SWEDEN: Adrian Kempe
Kempe rarely gets the recognition he deserves. Over the past few years, he has carved out an important role for himself with the Los Angeles Kings, often playing alongside Anze Kopitar and contributing in all situations. He may not be the biggest name on the Swedish roster, but he could very well turn out to be a key component thanks to his blend of skill and an underrated mean streak. His versatility stands out, as does his ability to elevate his game in big moments. The Kings have been eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs for three straight years, but it hasn’t been for lack of effort from their Swedish stud. He has led the team in postseason scoring each time, tallying a total of 11 goals and 19 points in 18 games. – UFFE BODIN
USA: Kyle Connor
When Team USA released its roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off, some fans griped at the exclusion of snipers Tage Thompson and Cole Caufield. Those complaints are probably just 2016 PTSD, because this lineup has some real offensive dynamos, few more dangerous than Connor. The oft-overlooked Winnipeg Jet does one job, and he does it well; only seven players (and one American, Auston Matthews) have put the puck in the net more since his breakout season in 2017-18. In a short tournament like this, where laying an egg against one of the best goaltenders on the planet could spell the USA’s doom, he could be the Americans’ X-Factor. Connor is so good at picking his spots to turn on the burners and join the rush that he plays faster than he is. He catches defenders napping, bursts into the open space and lets his silky hands do the rest. With outlet passers like Adam Fox on the roster, that ability won’t go to waste. Connor’s lack of defense divides opinion, but if Bill Guerin expects goals from his top six, he took the right guy. – ANTHONY TRUDEAU
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