Predicting USA's First Six Players for the 4 Nations Face-Off

The 4 Nations Face-Off will be taking place in February and as fans await team roster announcements, six American players seem more likely than the rest to represent their homeland.

The NHL and NHL Players Association’s 4 Nations Face-Off will take place in February, but there’s immediate intrigue surrounding the closest thing hockey has to a best-on-best tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. The four participating countries – Canada, America, Sweden and Finland – will unveil their choices on June 28 for the first six players each team will be employing for the tourney. The remainder of the roster will be revealed by the end of the calendar year.

With video help from Michael Traikos and Jacob Stoller, we’re predicting the four NHL stars who each are guaranteed to represent their homeland, as well as picking out two additional very-likely roster possibilities for each team. (This writer’s picks might not be the same as the choices of Traikos and Stoller, but that disagreement makes for fun debate and discussion).

With predictions for Canada, Finland and Sweden already done, we're winding things up with a breakdown of the United States team. Let’s get right to it:

- Auston Matthews, C, Toronto Maple Leafs

- Matthew Tkachuk, RW, Florida Panthers

- Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets

- Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver Canucks

We put together an educated guess in regard to the U.S. roster in a best-on-best series, and more than a few players are going to be guaranteed to represent the Red, White and Blue. 

The list begins with the game’s best scorer – Toronto’s Matthews – and continues with the hard-nosed, physical Tkachuk of the Panthers. Additionally, Winnipeg’s Hellebuyck might not wind up getting the starting role in net for the Americans – Boston’s Jeremy Swayman or Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko could earn the top spot in net – but Hellebuyck has earned the confidence of the hockey world, and he’s very likely to play a prominent role for the Americans. Finally, Vancouver’s Hughes is America’s best blueliner, and he’s assured a roster spot for this tournament. Team USA is this writer’s pick to win the 4 Nations Face-Off, as there’s no question they’ve got the talent and depth to emerge as the top hockey nation on the planet.

Devils star Hughes has had some health issues to deal with, but when he’s 100 percent, Hughes is a dominant force. He’s going to be America’s No. 2 center behind Matthews, but his creativity and ability to make teammates better is the reason why Hughes will have a roster spot at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The 23-year-old is still developing his game, but Hughes is going to be an integral part of the United States’ blueprint for success on the international stage for many years to come. Bill Guerin, America’s GM for the 4 Nations Face-Off, would be laughed out of the industry if he doesn’t include Hughes on his roster, but that’s not going to happen. Hughes will participate in the tournament, and he could very well be one of the reasons the Americans win it all.

Fox struggled in the Eastern Conference final against Florida, but don’t kid yourself – this defenseman is a lock for the United States. The 26-year-old Blueshirts blueliner is still regarded as an elite defenseman who can generate a good deal of offense while not being a problem in his own zone. Fox will be in America’s top-six defense corps, and he’s likely to thrive in the spotlight. Fox has a good deal of international hockey experience, winning an IIHF World Junior championship in 2017. He’s in his prime, and the Americans are going to benefit from Fox’s talents. Fox is a shoo-in to be on the U.S.A's squad at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and he’s going to be a fixture on the back end for his homeland for the foreseeable future.

Who do you think should make the team? Let us know at our forum or in the comments. Here's what Michael and Jacob had to say: