Pure Skill Or Role Players: What Is The Best Way To Pick A Roster For 4 Nations Face-Off?

As the NHL and NHL Players’ Association’s 4 Nations Face-Off is coming up in February, there’s an ongoing debate about the makeup of the tournament’s teams. In particular, there are people in the hockey world who wonder if talent-rich teams like Canada and the United States are going to simply stock their roster with the very best talent at each position, or whether team management will take a different tact and utilize some players who would be there to fill a specific need.

That latter method has been used to great success by best-on-best teams in the past. Remember Rob Zamuner? He was far from a superstar when he was named to Team Canada for the 1998 Olympic Games, but he served as a role player due to his stellar defensive ability and prowess in the faceoff circle. Of course, Canada finished fourth in the Olympics with that roster, but that was hardly Zamuner’s fault.

Similarly, Team Canada could opt for several role-specific roster spots for the 4 Nations Face-Off. For instance, would Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli be in the top 20-25 spots based solely on his all-around talent? Probably not, right? But Cirelli might make the 4 Nations roster specifically because he’s one of the sport’s better penalty-killers and face-off men.

That said, who would you leave off Canada’s team so that there’s room for Cirelli? Steven Stamkos? Nick Suzuki? Regardless, you’re going to hear and feel a backlash from fans of anyone who doesn’t make the cut. And the only thing that will shut those critics up is a first-place finish.

In addition, look at Team U.S.A.’s projected roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off. We picked four stars to play center for the Americans – Toronto’s Auston Matthews, New Jersey’s Jack Hughes, Vegas’ Jack Eichel and Buffalo’s Tage Thompson. But that would leave off a veteran like Vancouver’s J.T. Miller. What would change if you left Thompson off the roster and used Miller instead? Miller has penalty-killing experience, and Thompson doesn’t. So if you put Miller on the fourth line and didn’t pick Thompson for the team, how much more well-rounded of a team would you get? You can see where we’re going with this, right?

Certainly, some 4 Nations Face-Off teams don’t have the luxury of being picky when it comes to their roster composition. Finland and Sweden almost assuredly will be picking strictly based on elite talent. But the Americans and Canadians have much deeper pools of skill to draw from, and that means there will be plenty of opportunity for second-guessing. Canadian GM Don Sweeney and U.S. counterpart Bill Guerin have their work cut out for them, and their competitive strategies in terms of team makeup will have no shortage of critics, no matter which route they choose.

It’s relatively easy for teams to go first and foremost with pure talent. But there’s a history in the game of being more selective with the types of players teams utilize, and we may see that more nuanced approach in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Canada and America are fortunate to have so many options for the tournament, but that can be a double-edged sword. And if things don’t go as planned, those roster decisions will linger and haunt those involved for the rest of their lives.

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