Projecting every 4 Nations Face-Off roster, one month before teams are finalized
One minute it’s Halloween. The next, holiday decorations are going up… and 2025 4 Nations Face-Off rosters are being finalized.
That crept up, didn’t it? It feels like yesterday that Canada, Finland, Sweden and USA named their ‘First Six’ players for the 4 Nations Face-Off during 2024 NHL Draft week. On Dec. 2, the management teams for each country will submit their full rosters of 20 skaters and three goaltenders for the tournament, which takes place Feb. 12-20, 2025 in Montreal and Boston in lieu of an All-Star Game this season.
Whom can we expect to make each team? It’s time for some updated roster projections. The team builders:
Canada – Matt Larkin
Finland – Steven Ellis
Sweden – Uffe Bodin
USA – Frank Seravalli
Players already named to the First Six and thus locked in are tabbed with asterisks. Let’s dive in.
TEAM CANADA – By Matt Larkin
Forwards
| Zach Hyman | Connor McDavid* | Nathan MacKinnon* |
| Alexis Lafreniere | Brayden Point* | Mitch Marner |
| Brad Marchand* | Sidney Crosby* | Sam Reinhart |
| Connor Bedard | Nick Suzuki | Mark Stone |
| Steven Stamkos |
I suspect Canada 4 Nations GM Don Sweeney and 2026 Olympic GM Doug Armstrong will be open to mixing some youth onto this roster because the 4 Nations will serve as somewhat of an audition for the Olympics. There may be some veterans who have accomplished more than, for instance, Bedard, Lafreniere and Suzuki, but the reasonably low stakes of February’s action provide an ideal opportunity to see how the next generation fits in. Forget Hyman’s slow start this season: we won’t mess with the chemistry he’s established already with Edmonton Oilers teammate McDavid. MacKinnon has already expressed openness to playing on the wing for the sake of loading up a line, so he flanks McDavid’s right on a dynamite unit. Adding Reinhart to the third line with Marchand and Crosby will make it a dominant two-way trio that can battle the other teams’ top lines. Stamkos is my 13th forward in case Canada’s power play fizzles and needs a boost with his one-timer threat.
Biggest flex: It may feel like recency bias placing Lafreniere so high in the lineup, but with Marner’s playmaking and Point’s goal-scoring, that line needed a digger to complete it.
Toughest cut: I was really tempted to put Quinton Byfield on this team given his unique blend of size and speed. He could win some sheltered matchups in a fourth-line role. But he’s off to a slow start this season. Suzuki is my checking center, but Ryan O’Reilly, who won a Stanley Cup with Armstrong as his GM with the St. Louis Blues, would make sense in that role. It always feels strange leaving Barzal out given his sublime natural skill. And we can’t sleep on Hagel given his Tampa Bay Lightning connection to Canada coach Jon Cooper.
Also considered: Quinton Byfield, Mathew Barzal, Mark Scheifele, Travis Konecny, Brandon Hagel, Bo Horvat, Ryan O’Reilly, John Tavares, Wyatt Johnston, Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Seth Jarvis, Carter Verhaeghe, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Defensemen
| Devon Toews | Cale Makar* |
| Noah Dobson | Evan Bouchard |
| Shea Theodore | Alex Pietrangelo |
| MacKenzie Weegar |
Canada has a history of using tandems who already have comfort playing together, such as Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer and Jay Bouwmeester and Pietrangelo. Colorado Avalanche teammates Toews and Makar are the clear choice for the top pair, while Theodore and Pietrangelo, while not actually paired together that often these days with the Vegas Golden Knights, do have experience together. Dobson and Bouchard make for a potentially dominant puck-moving duo.
Biggest flex: If Canada needs a bit more snarl, I love Weegar as the No. 7 because he can play the left or right side. That’s why I chose him over some flashier options.
Toughest cut: Morrissey deserves to make this team on his talent. Maybe I’m galaxy braining by picking Weegar over him, but I worried about skill set redundancy with all the other offense-first talent on this blueline.
Also considered: Josh Morrissey, Travis Sanheim, Kris Letang, Morgan Rielly, Darnell Nurse, Aaron Ekblad, Owen Power, Brandon Montour, Dougie Hamilton, Thomas Chabot, Thomas Harley
Goaltenders
| Jordan Binnington |
| Adin Hill |
| Logan Thompson |
Canada’s goaltending will be maligned as the tournament’s weakest. And yet, in Binnington and Hill, they’d have two of the past six Stanley Cup champion starting goaltenders. Binnington has the St. Louis link to Armstrong and is the most experienced of the realistic candidates, but Hill might have a higher ceiling when he’s hot. Even a few weeks ago, I was liking Sam Montembeault as Canada’s No. 3, but he has struggled of late. Did my colleague Steven Ellis jinx him with this column?
Biggest flex: I could’ve opted for a more experienced No. 3 than Thompson, but the guy has been nothing but good since he debuted in the NHL a few years ago.
Toughest cut: I know Stuart Skinner got to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season, but his inconsistency is a problem, so I couldn’t pick him. Since we have no All-Star Game this season, it could be a nice career sendoff to bring along soon-to-retire Marc-Andre Fleury as a No. 3 and dressing room guy. Then again, if you know he won’t be on the Olympic team and need to use the tourney for evaluation, we can’t burn that spot. We still love you, Flower.
Also considered: Sam Montembeault, Stuart Skinner, Connor Ingram, Darcy Kuemper, Marc-Andre Fleury
TEAM FINLAND – By Steven Ellis
Forwards
| Artturi Lehkonen | Aleksander Barkov* | Mikko Rantanen* |
| Mikael Granlund | Roope Hintz | Teuvo Teräväinen |
| Erik Haula | Sebastian Aho* | Patrik Laine |
| Matias Maccelli | Anton Lundell | Kaapo Kakko |
| Eetu Luostarinen |
Finland has been everywhere near the top of the NHL’s scoring charts as of late. Even with Barkov missing most of the season to date, Rantanen has been outstanding, Lundell is off to the best start of his career, Granlund is one of the few San Jose Sharks’ players making noise this year and Haula, Teräväinen, Luostarinen are shining bright, too. Finland’s offensive crop might be nowhere as deep as Canada’s, but they’ve got plenty of great options.
Biggest flex: It’s easy to love the center depth on this group – especially with how well Lundell has played. If, let’s say, Laine (knee sprain) isn’t ready, or isn’t up to full speed, you could throw Lundell on the wing and use Luostarinen, or even give Oliver Kapanen a shot.
Toughest cut: At his best, Eeli Tolvanen can be one heck of an offensive unit. But that “best” just isn’t there consistently enough to guarantee a spot on this team. If Finland’s coaching staff believes they need a power-play specialist, there’s an argument to be made for Tolvanen. But Kakko’s recent success just makes that a difficult one to argue.
Also considered: Eeli Tolvanen, Jesse Puljujärvi, Joel Armia, Oliver Kapanen, Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Defensemen
| Esa Lindell* | Miro Heiskanen* |
| Juuso Valimaki | Rasmus Ristolainen |
| Niko Mikkola | Henri Jokiharju |
| Olli Määttä |
This group is versatile and should be hard to play against. It lacks pure star power behind Heiskanen, but they’ll be great on the penalty kill and can shut down some quality players. This group doesn’t match the level of the other three teams in this tournament – but if we’ve learned anything from other international competitions, it’s that the Finns make you pay when you doubt them.
Biggest flex: With just seven defensemen playing full time this year, this wasn’t a difficult one to parse together. If anything, I like the idea of pairing the two Dallas Stars defenders together, even if they both already play on the left side. Heiskanen has plenty of experience on the right.
Toughest cut: With so few actual defensemen to choose from, there wasn’t really one this time around. Ristolainen can be a divisive figure based on his defensive play, but he’s not being cut in favor of someone in the AHL. Jani Hakanpaa hasn’t played a game yet this year, so it’s hard to give him serious consideration.
Also considered: Urho Vaakanainen, Christoffer Sedoff, Topi Niemela
Goaltenders
| Juuse Saros* |
| Kevin Lankinen |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen |
All three of Finland’s goalies have proven they can get hot and cold – but when they’re hot, they’re really hot. Saros is the clear No. 1 here, but Luukkonen and Lankinen are capable of monster performances. Given the nature of the short tournament, Finland hopefully won’t have to worry about steering clear of the status quo, but they’ve got decent options to lean on.
Biggest flex: I’ve been a Lankinen believer since the 2019 World Championship, and I still can’t believe it took as long as it did for him to sign an NHL deal this year. With the way he’s playing, I’d feel comfortable with him getting a start at some point. Luukkonen needs to step it up as a whole this year, but at least recent results have been a bit better.
Toughest cut: Again, nothing too crazy here. Joonas Korpisalo simply isn’t good enough for this group, Ville Husso is in the AHL, and Finland’s other top options are young guns still fighting for playing time.
Also considered: Joel Blomqvist, Justus Annunen
TEAM SWEDEN – by Uffe Bodin
Forwards
| Filip Forsberg* | Elias Pettersson | William Nylander* |
| Jesper Bratt | Mika Zibanejad* | Lucas Raymond |
| Adrian Kempe | William Karlsson | Elias Lindholm |
| Nils Höglander | Joel Eriksson Ek | Fabian Zetterlund |
| Leo Carlsson |
With 10 players essentially locked into the top nine and Joel Eriksson Ek as a key piece, the focus shifts to rounding out the roster effectively. Previously, I considered players like Jesper Fast, Gabriel Landeskog, and Mikael Backlund for these spots. Fast will likely miss the entire year due to a neck injury he suffered in the last regular season game, while Landeskog’s status remains uncertain. Even if the Colorado Avalanche captain makes a comeback before the tournament, I believe it wouldn’t be in his or the Swedish team’s best interest to play, given the challenging road ahead regardless of a return. Backlund is edged out due to the depth of Swedish centers available, while Leo Carlsson’s exciting potential makes him a fitting choice for a complementary role.
Biggest flex: Höglander and Zetterlund may not be household names, but they bring scoring ability and, more importantly, an edge as both are challenging to play against. With Eriksson Ek centering, this line could create some chaos in their limited 5v5 minutes.
Toughest cut: With Landeskog’s future uncertain, Backlund’s exclusion stings the most. At 35, the Calgary Flames captain remains a valuable two-way center who could benefit any team in the league. But with younger, exciting options, competition is fierce. Rickard Rakell has had a strong season start but is squeezed out by the depth of viable right-shooting forwards.
Also considered: Mikael Backlund, Rickard Rakell, William Eklund, Gustav Nyquist
Defensemen
| Victor Hedman* | Erik Karlsson* |
| Rasmus Dahlin | Gustav Forsling* |
| Mattias Ekholm | Rasmus Andersson |
| Hampus Lindholm |
Sweden boasts an impressive top four on defense. Victor Hedman may turn 34 this season, but he’s still the best Swedish defenseman in the NHL. Rasmus Dahlin hasn’t yet dethroned him, in my view. Hedman and Erik Karlsson joined forces for the World Championships in Czechia in May and looked very comfortable together. Although the Tampa captain might not be able to fully capitalize on his offensive strengths alongside Karlsson, he’s dependable in his own end, and Sweden has other offensive threats, so it’s not a major sacrifice. Pairing with a steady player like Forsling gives Dahlin the freedom to join the rush frequently. Ekholm and Lindholm bring physicality and size, while Andersson adds valuable offensive skills.
Biggest flex: It’s pretty crazy that Andersson hasn’t donned a Tre Kronor jersey since his junior days, considering how good he has been for the Flames for the past several years. So it’s about time he gets a shot at representing the national team. The way he has started the season certainly underlines that.
Toughest cut: The abundance of skilled Swedish defensemen is especially clear when a top-tier player like Jonas Brodin doesn’t make the cut. Brodin’s defensive awareness is among the best in the NHL, but I feel both Ekholm and Lindholm offer greater versatility and physicality. Philip Broberg has also made a name for himself with the Blues, but he’s not yet at a level to compete for a roster spot on a team with such depth in left-shooting defensemen.
Also considered: Jonas Brodin, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Adam Larsson, Philip Broberg
Goaltenders
| Linus Ullmark |
| Jacob Markstrom |
| Filip Gustavsson |
These three goalies are nearly set in stone, barring any injuries. The main question is who will start, as cases could be made for all three. Ullmark probably has the highest ceiling, Markström brings national team experience and respect, and Gustavsson has had the best season start. It’ll be an interesting competition.
Biggest flex: Hard to find one. Sam Ersson and Anton Forsberg are a bit behind, and neither Jesper Wallstedt nor Dennis Hildeby has yet established himself in the NHL.
Toughest cut: Many of us expected Wallstedt to be in the NHL by now. Though he’s young and his development is on track, it’s tough to consider him when he hasn’t cracked Minnesota Wild’s roster permanently. Gustavsson’s strong early-season performance further narrows Wallstedt’s path to the NHL as well as the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Also considered: Samuel Ersson, Jesper Wallstedt, Anton Forsberg
TEAM USA – By Frank Seravalli
Forwards
| J.T. Miller | Auston Matthews* | Matthew Tkachuk* |
| Kyle Connor | Jack Eichel* | Brady Tkachuk |
| Chris Kreider | Jack Hughes | Jason Robertson |
| Jake Guentzel | Dylan Larkin | Matt Boldy |
| Vincent Trocheck |
There’s no need to galaxy brain this one. If you think about it, while it may not be as top heavy as Team Canada, the selection process for the 13 Team USA forwards is relatively straightforward. There are maybe five, seven at the most, total open roster spots for the American side because so many of them are logically spoken for already. That leaves maybe the last three to spots at forward, and USA Hockey’s management team has conducted a bunch of meetings and is already pretty far down the track on selections. One additional month of hockey in November isn’t likely to change much unless someone cannot be denied. Their goal is to select the best players available and to ask them to accept perhaps a different role than normal, or to maybe see less ice time but make an equally big impact. You won’t see Team USA hunting for bottom-six, specialty role players in this case. That’s why you’re much more likely to see a versatile player like Trocheck or Larkin as opposed to a pure shooter in Cole Caufield or disher in Clayton Keller. When in doubt, bet on the players who have a connection to the management staff, such as Trocheck and Kreider with assistant GM Chris Drury, or Boldy with GM Bill Guerin.
Biggest flex: It’s a literal flex. Between the Tkachuk brothers, Miller’s relentlessness and Kreider as the game’s current best net-front presence, it’s undeniable that Team USA’s forward group has an edge to their game. They won’t be pushed around and they won’t be intimidated.
Toughest cut: Tage Thompson has size, a wicked shot, the ability to play center and a goal-scoring touch that makes him such an incredibly attractive add to the team. He’s also been inconsistent at times, and the U.S. can’t really afford to have passengers in a short tournament. Boeser and Caufield have scored at impressive paces, but the Americans shouldn’t lack for goals, and when those two aren’t scoring it’s fair to ask what they bring to the table.
Also considered: Brock Boeser, Cole Caufield, Clayton Keller, Tage Thompson, Patrick Kane, Conor Garland, Casey Mittelstadt, Alex DeBrincat, Josh Norris, Troy Terry, Trevor Zegras
Defensemen
| Quinn Hughes* | Charlie McAvoy* |
| Jaccob Slavin | Adam Fox* |
| Jake Sanderson | Brock Faber |
| Brett Pesce |
The American defense corps is mobile, young and highly skilled. What they might lack in relative size, they make up for in skating ability. You aren’t going to outskate these blueliners; they’ll be able to go stride-for-stride with the best in the world. The key decision facing the USA Hockey management team is diversifying skillsets, since Hughes and Fox are likely to chew up most of the available power play time in the tournament. You have to bring something else to the table besides quarterbacking a power play if you want to make this team. That’s where Slavin’s defensive ability and Faber’s versatility and penalty killing will come in. Sanderson has emerged as an impressive, all-around choice on the back end with a game not all that different than McAvoy, who is also coach Mike Sullivan’s son-in-law.
Biggest flex: Processing power. You could make the argument that Team USA has the highest hockey IQ on defense from top to bottom. All seven blueliners think the game nearly in unison with how quickly they move their feet.
Toughest cut: Zach Werenski. To be fair, the seventh defenseman spot is still up for grabs, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see Werenski make the cut over Pesce – but I’m betting on USA assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald’s influence on the roster. Werenski has been a decorated American contributor, he captained the U.S. at the 2016 World Juniors and he was just south of a point-per-game at last spring’s Worlds. In my mind, Sanderson is already a step ahead, and so might come down to whether the U.S. wants the extra guy to be left or right shooting.
Also considered: Zach Werenski, Neal Pionk, John Carlson, Mikey Anderson, Noah Hanifin, Brady Skjei, Jacob Trouba, K’Andre Miller, Brandon Carlo
Goaltenders
| Connor Hellebuyck |
| Jake Oettinger |
| Jeremy Swayman |
Barring injury, I believe these will be the three goalies selected – and in their likely order on the American depth chart. This is the absolute strength of Team USA, a trio of rock-solid goaltenders who have true tournament-stealing ability.
Biggest flex: The average age of this trio is just 28. Despite the fickle nature of the position, it’s entirely possible that the backbone of the U.S. team is intact for two full Olympic cycles to come in 2026 and 2030, as Hellebuyck will still only be 36 then. That is, unless another young netminder from the U.S. pipeline knocks one of them off the perch, which would be a hell of a problem considering Canada’s development woes.
Toughest cut: Demko was likely on track to back up Hellebuyck prior to this confounding injury to the popliteus muscle behind his knee that has kept him out to start the season. It’s a shame because Demko was playing at a Vezina Trophy level before he went down in the playoffs. If he returns in the next two to three weeks, he has an outside shot to play his way onto the team – but the USA Hockey management team would need to see something incredible to pass up on a healthier and still impressive Swayman.
Also considered: Thatcher Demko
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