Brady Tkachuk (Winslow Townson-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/be939a37-eac1-4715-95c5-7633b793ca27.jpeg] Brady Tkachuk (Winslow Townson-Imagn Images) After an incredible finish to the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, it’s time for everyone to go back to their clubs. NHL action returns on Saturday as teams prepare for the final stretch before the playoffs. Some players who competed in this tournament will be joining their teams with a new swing of momentum, while others will be returning off of a less-than-impressive performance. Without naming the obvious suspects, here are a handful of players with rising and falling stock going into the remainder of the season. Who was the biggest surprise overachiever at the 4 Nations Face-Off? RISING STOCK BRADY TKACHUK, LW, OTTAWA SENATORS Brady Tkachuk finished this tournament not only as one of the best players on the Team USA roster but in the entire competition. He had his imprint on every game he played in. In Team USA’s opening game, Tkachuk scored two goals and threw eight hits against Team Finland in a 6-1 victory for the U.S. The left winger went on to finish the tournament with 22 hits in the four games he featured in. Tkachuk ended the competition with three goals, a four-way tie for the second-most goals in the tournament. Also, he scored an important equalizer for the Americans in the championship game against Team Canada. JACCOB SLAVIN, D, CAROLINA HURRICANES Jaccob Slavin made a statement in this tournament and set a narrative to be considered the best D-man in the NHL. USA head coach Mike Sullivan attested to that after their defeat against Canada in the final. “Jaccob Slavin might be one of the best defending defensemen in the league, bar none," Sullivan said. While he was solid all tournament long, he really showcased himself in the final game where he and his D-partner, Brock Faber, led the game in ice time, with Slavin playing 28:32. He played a huge role in stopping Canada’s stars such as Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. The 30-year-old blocked shots and had his stick in the right place all the time. One example is the crucial block he made on Sidney Crosby, where he had an essentially empty net to score on. MIKAEL GRANLUND, C, DALLAS STARS The Dallas Stars will be pleased with the performance of their newly acquired center Mikael Granlund. He was one of Finland’s few bright spots throughout the tournament. In three games, he scored three goals and provided one assist. Furthermore, he was one of just two players – the other being the Red Wings' Lucas Raymond – not from Canada or the USA to finish in the top 10 in points, sitting tied for third. Granlund is on pace to reach a new career-high in points this season, including four points in his first four games with the Stars before the tournament. His momentum coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off certainly won’t hurt him or Dallas. Honorable Mentions: Zach Werenski, Thomas Harley, Mitch Marner, Jake Guentzel, Lucas Raymond. The Hockey News - 4 Nations Face-Off MVPs, Overachievers, Disappointments, Takeaways And More [https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/deweb-519a7.appspot.com/o/posts%2FTHNHOME%2Fcontent-images%2F7d1ad895-40d2-402e-ae96-8d1c460a71ae.jpeg?alt=media] The Hockey News - 4 Nations Face-Off MVPs, Overachievers, Disappointments, Takeaways And More <i>The Hockey News Big Show</i> is back to recap a thrilling finish to the 4 Nations Face-Off as the NHL regular season is about to return. [https://thehockeynews.com/shortUrl/p2XrFtx] FALLING STOCK JACK HUGHES, C, NEW JERSEY DEVILS Jack Hughes is an excellent player at club level and he currently sits at 10th in the league for points. However, he seemed almost ineffective at this tournament for the U.S. In the championship game against Canada, Hughes recorded a minus-two rating and had 16:20 of ice time, the fourth lowest on the team. Despite having 24 goals and 41 assists in 57 games for the New Jersey Devils, he had just one secondary assist in the competition, which came on a Jake Guentzel goal to make it 4-1 against Finland. Hughes also took a toll physically as he was on the wrong end of multiple bumps and hits, specifically in the final. ELIAS PETTERSSON, C, VANCOUVER CANUCKS This tournament was a great opportunity for Elias Pettersson to put aside all the drama that’s been going on with the Vancouver Canucks. He hasn’t played to his standards during the season and, unfortunately, that continued in this tournament. The 26-year-old finished the tournament with zero points, despite the rest of Team Sweden’s top four getting on the scoresheet. Including the games in this tournament, Pettersson has just one point in his last seven games and hasn’t scored a goal in his last 12 appearances. The Hockey News - Four NHL Teams Needing A Solid Start Following 4 Nations Face-Off Break [https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/deweb-519a7.appspot.com/o/posts%2FTHNHOME%2Fcontent-images%2Ff6774a15-413e-4016-870d-1ecdab40dbf8.jpeg?alt=media] The Hockey News - Four NHL Teams Needing A Solid Start Following 4 Nations Face-Off Break The NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off break is nearly over, and the focus will shift from Team Canada and Team USA Thursday night to the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoff race. And with about one-third of the regular season yet to play, there are going to be some teams that need a very good start coming out of the break. [https://thehockeynews.com/shortUrl/JxsLv5B] JUUSE SAROS, G, NASHVILLE PREDATORS Throughout Juuse Saros’ career, he’s been heavily relied on. Over the past three NHL seasons with the Nashville Predators, he’s faced the most shots (5,080 since 2022-23) in the league. Despite that, Saros has been able to hold an impressive .910 save percentage in that span. In this tournament, he was not the dependable goaltender Finland needed to go on a deep run. In his two appearances, he posted a 3.96 goals-against average and a .870 save percentage, and couldn’t string a win for the Finns. In addition, he didn’t start for Finland against Canada after allowing six goals in their opening game to the Americans. Honorable Mentions: Adam Fox, Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz.
