Strengths And Weaknesses For Canada And USA Ahead Of 4 Nations Face-Off

The 4 Nations Face-Off is nearly upon us. And Adam Proteau is here to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the American and Canadian squads at the tournament.

The NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off is nearly here, and it’s time to look at the rosters of Canada, the USA, Finland and Sweden and point out each team's strengths and weaknesses.

In part one of a two-part series, we’ll be starting the process with an examination of the Canadian and American lineups, and identifying their strengths and flaws:

The Canadian team is teeming with Grade-A skill up front and on defense, with stars including forwards Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Brad Marchand and Mitch Marner, and defensemen Cale Makar, Josh Morrissey and now Drew Doughty who was just added to the roster Sunday. But it’s their depth beyond those players that makes Canada so dangerous. Above-average players on the Canadian roster include D-men Devon Toews, Shea Theodore and Colton Parayko, and forwards Brayden Point, Mark Stone, Seth Jarvis, Anthony Cirelli, Sam Bennett, Brandon Hagel and Travis Konecny. It’s a cavalcade of top talent, to a degree the Swedes and Finns simply don’t have.

All in all, Canada’s roster can hurt you in all kinds of ways. Marchand, Stone and Parayko will provide a robust physical game, while McDavid, MacKinnon, Makar and Morrissey can pile up points no matter what defensive strategy is employed to try and limit their impact. If injuries prove to be a problem, the Canadians can lean on any number of stars. And if they’re all healthy, look out, because they’re going to come at opponents in waves.

Gone are the days when a Canadian team at a best-on-best tournament could rely on workhorse stars such as Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo. And that could be a major problem for Canada at the 4 Nations. Adin Hill and Jordan Binnington do have Stanley Cups on their resumes, but it would be a stretch to suggest they can dominate this tournament. And if it comes to pass that Sam Montembeault has to come in and play, something has gone horribly wrong for the Canadians.

Canada does have elite puck-possession defensemen that can make life easier for the team’s goaltending. But compared to the elite netminding stars that will be competing for the American, Finnish and Swedish teams, Canada’s goaltending could be their Achilles heel. It’s not out of the question that Binnington or Hill steps up and has a good tournament, but if Canada doesn’t win gold at the 4 Nations Face-Off, its netminding will almost certainly be the culprit for its defeat.

The reason why many observers – this writer included – have the Americans as the odds-on favorite to win the 4 Nations Face-Off is their all-around elite depth. At forward, stars Auston Matthews, the Tkachuk brothers, Jack Hughes, Jack Eichel, Jake Guentzel and Matt Boldy all have speed and skill to spare. And on defense, stars Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox, Zach Werenski, Brock Faber and Charlie McAvoy can produce lots of offense while also keeping puck possession in their favor.

However, the USA’s biggest strength is its depth in net. Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman would probably be the starters for each of the other three 4 Nations Face-Off teams, but on the American roster, they’re all capable of carrying the load and stealing games. We’re projecting that Hellebuyck will get the first kick at the can for America, but if he’s hurt or not performing well, Oettinger and Swayman (in that order) will gladly step in. The overall depth of the American roster at this tournament is highly impressive, and if Team USA wins gold here, it will be because they had more depth, in all positions, than any other squad.

No U.S. player on the 4 Nations Face-Off roster was part of the American team at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. That said, Matthews, J.T. Miller, Hellebuyck, Eichel, Dylan Larkin and Vincent Trocheck were on Team North America at the World Cup, but this 2025 American team isn’t nearly as accomplished on the international stage as their Canadian rivals. That doesn’t mean the Americans can’t or won’t win the 4 Nations Face-Off, but it does mean that Team Canada will be able to lean on their experience in a way that Team USA cannot.

Otherwise, the U.S.’s lineup for the 4 Nations is as intimidating as it gets. There are no holes or deficits at forward or on defense, and their netminding could turn out to be the key storyline of the entire tournament. And if the goal for the Americans is to ultimately provide an experience that they can draw on at the 2026 Olympic Games, they’ve got all the inspiration in the world to win the 4 Nations Face-Off and assert themselves as the most dominant hockey power on the planet.

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