4 Nations Face-Off: Five NHL Players With The Most To Gain

At the 4 Nations Face-Off, players will face new challenges and opportunities. Who will gain the most from this experience?

The 4 Nations Face-Off starts Wednesday and features all-star talent while the NHL takes a two-week break. The tournament will showcase some of the best players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the USA.

Those who feature in this tournament will be around different players, coaches, and environments than they would be with their respective clubs.

There's a new opportunity, and five players have much to gain from this best-on-best competition.

It's been a dramatic season for the Vancouver Canucks and Elias Pettersson, given the ongoing rumored rift he had with J.T. Miller. Eventually, the Canucks traded Miller to the New York Rangers in an effort to improve chemistry.

Despite Miller being traded away, the 26-year-old Pettersson has two assists in his last five games, and the pressure is still on him to improve.

The upcoming 4 Nations tournament should allow Pettersson to block out the noise at the club level. He's projected to play with Filip Forsberg and Adrian Kempe, who each have more than 45 points this season. Playing with elite players could boost Pettersson's production and confidence while giving him a chance to reset.

The Swedish center also came off an underwhelming playoff campaign last season. In 13 games, he scored just one goal and provided five helpers. Ultimately, the Edmonton Oilers eliminated Vancouver in the second round.

Pettersson can rewrite the narrative at the 4 Nations Face-Off. If he struggles, the noise and trade speculation continue. If he plays well, and it carries over to his results with the Canucks, he'll have an easier time focusing on his game.

In January, Mikko Rantanen went to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a blockbuster trade. But Rantanen is a pending UFA who hasn't signed a contract extension yet. He'd be one of the biggest free agents this summer if he doesn't re-sign beforehand.

Since his move to Carolina, the 28-year-old hasn't performed to his standard. He recorded one goal and one assist in his first six games.

However, in the right situation, he could help push Finland to some upset wins at the 4 Nations Face-Off. If he does, his value could increase even more, as high as it is already.

Rantanen's current cap hit is $9.25 million, and he's projected to get a massive pay raise on his next contract.

Edmonton Oilers Leon Draisaitl's $14-million cap hit begins next season and will be the NHL's highest unless another pending UFA, such as Rantanen, signs for more.

Goaltending in Canada seems to be declining, given the talent that GM Don Sweeney had to choose from. The days of Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, Carey Price and Marc-Andre Fleury are over.

However, there is an opportunity for Jordan Binnington at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Binnington is a Stanley Cup champion with the St. Louis Blues and could try to take advantage of that experience in high-pressure situations.

When the Blues won the Cup in 2018-19, Binnington won 16 of 26 games and was the team's backbone. In those playoffs, he recorded a 2.46 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.

His last playoff campaign, 2021-22, was even better in terms of statistics before he suffered a knee injury. In six games, the 31-year-old posted a 1.72 GAA and .949 SP.

After a decent 2023-24 campaign with a 2.84 GAA and .913 SP, Binnington's stats are a subpar 2.81 GAA and .885 SP this year.

Binnington also had a 2.81 GAA and .885 SP at last year's World Championship. But he has top talent in front of him. Even if other goalies, such as Logan Thompson and Mackenzie Blackwood, have better numbers this season but were snubbed, Binnington can help prove Canada made the right choices in net and show he can be an effective goalie under the bright lights.

If Binnington doesn't impress, then he probably won't make the 2026 Olympics squad. But if he does, he's a near lock to make it. That's a lot to gain.

Charlie McAvoy hasn't been the top defenseman the Boston Bruins have needed this season, specifically in offensive production. In 50 games played this season, McAvoy has scored seven goals and 23 points.

His scoring rate this season is among the lowest of his eight-year career, including the season shortened by COVID-19.

On Team USA, McAvoy joins a D-corps with Zach Werenski, Jaccob Slavin, Adam Fox and more. 

Werenski, McAvoy's linemate in practice, has 59 points in 55 games and is a Norris Trophy contender. That should help McAvoy's production and build some momentum he can take back to his club to help them solidify a playoff spot.

Kyle Connor is a player who goes under the radar and isn't highlighted a lot around the NHL. However, he's one of the most important pieces to the league-leading Winnipeg Jets this season.

As the team leads the NHL, Connor has 30 goals and a team-leading 69 points going into the 4 Nations break. He's also sixth in the NHL in goals and points.

The 28-year-old is on pace to secure his first career 100-point season. The closest he's come to that was in the 2021-22 season when he scored 47 goals and 93 points. He finished fifth in the NHL for goals.

Fans across the continent and in Europe will watch this tournament, and those who have never watched Connor play will be surprised by his talent level. Connor last represented Team USA at the 2016 World Championship.

Projected to play with Jack Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk based on the team's first practice, he'll get lots of ice time and a chance to prove he's one of the best forwards in the NHL. 

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