Updated Team USA Predictions for 2025 Four Nations Face Off
The days until the Four Nations Face-Off in February are ticking down rapidly, and now we know when the rosters have to be set. The management groups for Team USA, Canada, Sweden and Finland need the rosters set by December 4, which means we're running out of time to prognosticate just who will make the cut.
We've gone over our ideas a couple of times over the past few months for the United States and Canada, and today we're zeroed in on what the U.S. will do. Team USA GM Bill Guerin has a lot of tough decisions to make and a lot of very talented players to choose from.
This time around, we've got an early-season sample of how guys are performing this season to help make or break some cases. In previous iterations, we've used past performances to shake things out, but now we're going to work with a bit more of the "what have you done for me lately" view in mind.
Most of the names will be the same and some of the line ideas will be as well, but some players have made it really tough to ignore them based on the way they're playing right now. We'll do our best to keep positional integrity here, but if we have to slide a center or two to the wing, you're going to have to go along for the ride with us.
We know you'll have opinions about our picks, so feel free to let us hear it in the comments.
First-Forward Line
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Matthew Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes
We warned you about bending things to our will when it came to positional integrity for a reason.
Our idea for a killer top line for Team USA features an all-around pain-in-the-butt power forward in Tkachuk on the left with, arguably, the best current American player in Matthews up the middle and a superstar center sliding over to the right side in Jack Hughes.
The idea for how these three work together is a bit of a thunder-and-lightning approach. Tkachuk provides the thunder (and heaps of annoyance) while Matthews and Hughes provide 1.21 gigawatts of electricity to charge the attack. Their speed and skill mixed with Tkachuk's tenacity, physical play and skill would make them highly difficult to defend for any of the other three countries in the tournament.
Keep in mind, we could put together just about any three forwards to form a dangerous line capable of swinging the momentum in a game in just one shift. But that's easy and we're idea people here, so there you go. As far as top lines go, this one would be a lot of fun.
Second-Forward Line
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Brady Tkachuk, Jack Eichel, Kyle Connor
When assembling lines, we do like to put some sense of care into it, and for all the dynamic offense Jack Eichel and Kyle Connor produce, they could stand to have a physical winger with them to mix things up, drive the net and keep opponents honest. This is where Brady Tkachuk comes in.
Tkachuk's big body, physical play and wicked temperament at times make him the ideal candidate to ride shotgun with Eichel and Connor.
Both Eichel and Connor are off to scorching starts this season and are among the league leaders in points. Eichel has racked up assists like mad, while Connor is scoring goals and making plays, similar to how Tkachuk is performing. While Brady plays tough, he's still a fantastic point producer as well. But make no mistake, his presence on this line is to help keep opponents on their toes lest they get trucked.
If you get Tkachuk parked in front of the net, Eichel and Connor can take advantage of it by either shooting around him as a screen or they can let Tkachuk tip pucks to beat the goalie.
Third-Forward Line
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Jason Robertson, J.T. Miller, Tage Thompson
Once again, we're looking past positions to put something together that would be fascinating and fun.
A trio with Robertson, Miller and Thompson packs a massive offensive punch but has a fair bit of defensive responsibility with Robertson and Miller and a power-play weapon to the nth degree in Thompson.
While Robertson and Miller are much more renowned for their point-scoring abilities, Robertson is an accomplished defensive forward. Miller's early years in the league with the Rangers and Lightning were highlighted by his ability to match up with opposing top scorers while also working them over defensively. Since landing in Vancouver, however, Miller's been a points machine, and with all the talent the U.S. has, a third line won't be a traditional one.
Thompson gets the call for the roster this time around because he's been out of his gourd good for the Sabres. He's piled up goals, he's shown again how dangerous he is on the power play, and his set of skills with his size makes him uniquely difficult for anyone to defend.
However, Thompson was injured in Monday's game against the Canadiens, and if that's a long-term issue, this would be a great spot for Cole Caufield and his shot, speed and power-play finesse to slot in.
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Fourth-Forward Line
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Jake Guentzel, Dylan Larkin, Clayton Keller
Our fourth line feels a little awkward if you look at it in a traditional fourth-line way. But if you look at it as the fourth line of an all-star team that can do it all, suddenly it looks a lot more exciting.
Guentzel's abilities around the net and throughout the offensive zone have been on display in Tampa Bay and all throughout his career. His veteran knowledge and history of playing and coming up huge in big games should make him a lock for the team despite where we're putting him on our line chart.
Larkin is a gamer, and he plays a heady game in which he's so good at both ends of the ice it makes him beyond valuable. He can be a threat on the power play, he can win faceoffs, he can score and make plays.
Keller may be playing in Utah and he's probably not at the front of anyone's mind when it comes to picking a team like this, but there's no doubt U.S. management is locked in on him. He's so good all-around and plays with a ton of skill and tenacity, he's a great fit on a line like this that would wear opponents out by outworking them every shift.
We know there are a few players that missed the cut for the lines for us, but there's room for extras, and that's where guys like Cole Caufield, Brock Boeser (injured), Matt Boldy, Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Tuch enter the discussion.
First-Defense Pairing
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Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy
The depth on defense for the U.S. is pretty special, and when it means you can put together a pairing that includes last year's Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes with an all-around star defenseman like Charlie McAvoy, that's just luxury personified.
Hughes is a dominant scorer and puck-mover, and with the way he's gotten better year after year, it's no wonder the Canucks pile up goals night after night. Bag on his size if you want to, but his ability is unquestionably great, and he'll be the guy to run the show on the blue line in the tournament.
McAvoy also possesses great skill, and his puck-moving and puck possession are elite. That he hasn't won a Norris yet is more about how many great defensemen there are in the NHL and certainly not a knock on his play. He's also unafraid to be physical and can catch opponents napping if they underestimate his ability there.
Second-Defense Pairing
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Zach Werenski and Adam Fox
Whether we put Adam Fox on the first or second pair is more a matter of personal arrangement than it is judgment on his ability and where he ranks compared to others.
Fox is an elite point-producer and puck-mover, and the headiness with which he plays the game gives him a leg up on the majority of other blueliners in the league. Having all of that ability while having a great mind for the game is what helped make Fox a Norris winner in 2021. If anything, the only reason we have him on our second pair is because putting him with Quinn Hughes would be overkill for an entire game.
Werenski's play on defense is something we've consistently gone to bat for, and now we've got him on the second pairing because he's earned that respect. His all-around play and capability at both ends of the ice make him an ideal complementary player to Fox. Considering how surprising the Blue Jackets have been early on this season, it should help bring more eyes to Werenski's game.
Third-Defense Pairing
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Jaccob Slavin and John Carlson
We've flip-flopped on a handful of names for the third pair over the past few months, and we're doing it again now in an effort to bring a little extra defensive strength.
Carolina's Jaccob Slavin gets back into our starting lineup because he's so steady and so sound on the defensive end of the ice as well as being sound offensively. We've got to have him out there. The Hurricanes continue to play great hockey, and a lot of that starts from the blue line with Slavin leading the way, which helped us make our call to get him back out there for our version of the squad.
John Carlson leading the Capitals on the blue line isn't a surprise despite how stunningly good Washington has been to open the year. But all Carlson does is play great all-around hockey with a stronger lean toward the offensive end. That's what makes him a great complement to Slavin, because they can bring the best out of one another.
Just like at forward, there's a boatload of defensemen who could get the call here, and it pained us to leave certain names out. Brock Faber, Noah Hanifin, Shayne Gostisbehere, Seth Jones and Neal Pionk are all having great starts to the year and have past performances to make a stronger case for them as well. Even if we picked eight defensemen, we'd still be leaving off a few excellent players.
Goaltenders
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Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Jeremy Swayman
With Thatcher Demko still working his way back from injury, the goaltending trio is all but set in stone.
Hellebuyck will be the No. 1 guy for the U.S. barring some kind of catastrophic run leading up to the tournament. He's the best goalie in the league right now, he's on the best team in the NHL and he's the reigning Vezina Trophy winner to boot.
Oettinger has had a strong start to the season himself, but like his team the Dallas Stars, he's behind Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets in this race. Don't worry, Jets fans let him hear about that fact during their recent matchup in Winnipeg by chanting "U.S. backup" at him. Is that even rude? It's a tough battle to even be a goalie on the team for the U.S. Canada fans wish they had such problems in goal.
Swayman has gotten out of the gate slowly this season, but his record over the past couple seasons speaks for itself. Without Demko to compete against and make this a really fascinating debate, Swayman gets the nod.
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