What the 4 Nations Face-Off could have in store for Elias Pettersson, Kevin Lankinen, and Rick Tocchet.

Running from February 12 to 20, three members of the Vancouver Canucks will be taking part in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Fans will get to watch Elias Pettersson and Kevin Lankinen play against some of the best players in the NHL. Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet will be on the bench alongside some of the best coaches in the league in Bruce Cassidy and Peter DeBoer. Let’s take a look at how this tournament could go for each of the Canucks’ representatives.

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Elias Pettersson

Fresh off a highly-anticipated Canucks roster change bringing in Marcus Pettersson, Filip Chytil, Drew O’Connor, and Victor Mancini, Elias Pettersson has become the player with the most pressure on them to perform up to standards. The 4 Nations Face-Off is arguably the best opportunity for him to show doubters that he can still compete to the level that fans know he is capable of. Slated to play on a line with Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators and Lucas Raymond of the Detroit Red Wings, don’t be surprised if Pettersson ends up being one of Team Sweden’s most offensively productive players.

Pettersson’s first matchup will be against a top-heavy Team Canada that boasts Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, and Connor McDavid — all on the same power play unit. To combat this, Sweden will need virtually every member of their team to be dialed in defensively, which is something fans know that Pettersson can excel at. One thing to keep in mind about this particular game is that he’ll be facing off against his current head coach, so effectively locking down a McDavid-driven line could prove to his coach that he is ready for tougher matchups during the regular season.

Realistic: Pettersson has chemistry with Forsberg and produces impressively, but ultimately doesn’t finish the tournament as his team’s leading scorer.

Unrealistic: Pettersson scores nine goals in one game.

Kevin Lankinen

Lankinen is currently the Canucks’ starting goaltender as fans await the news of what’s going on with Thatcher Demko. A newcomer to Vancouver, Lankinen has made a name for himself in setting new NHL records and stealing games for the Canucks. He joins Nashville’s Juuse Saros and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from the Buffalo Sabres on Team Finland’s goaltending squad, and could even start for his team. The 4 Nations Face-Off could be a great place for him to pad his résumé in eventual contract negotiations, whether that’s with the Canucks or another team in free-agency.

In the event that Lankinen starts his team’s first game, he’ll be faced with the tough task of guarding shots from a Team USA that looks strong all throughout their lineup. The crease across from him will host one of Jake Oettinger, Jeremy Swayman, or Connor Hellebuyck — and all three are likely to give Finland a tough time at scoring goals. Lankinen will have to match the opposing team’s play in order to give his team a chance to advance in the competition.

Realistic: Lankinen starts one of Finland’s three guaranteed games, putting up an impressive performance of two goals against.

Unrealistic: Lankinen posts a shutout in all of Finland’s games, and his team goes on to win the entire tournament.

Rick Tocchet

As one of Team Canada’s assistant coaches, Tocchet will be tasked with helping Canada’s star-studded offense dominate the tournament. Having spent three seasons of his coaching career with the Pittsburgh Penguins as an assistant coach, he has worked with some of Canada’s biggest stars, namely Crosby. While USA is poised to be the tournament’s overall favourite, Canada’s offense can’t be overlooked. Tocchet’s more defensively-minded coaching style will serve as a compliment to whichever direction head coach Jon Cooper decides to lead his team into.

Like the two players on this list, Tocchet also has a point to make this season. He is currently in the last year of his contract, with an optional season possible based on a decision conducted by the Canucks organization. Any results Team Canada produces during the tournament ultimately won’t matter as much as how the Canucks do, but Tocchet’s performances during the 4 Nations will still be important to consider come contract extension time.

Realistic: Tocchet and Team Canada make the championship game.

Unrealistic: Tocchet and Team Canada lose a bunch of players due to injury, and all the coaches are forced to suit up for a game.

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