2025 4 Nations Face-Off: B/R Staff Predictions

Finally, best-on-best hockey at an international level has returned.

Four of the world's best hockey-playing nations—the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland—take to the ice to find out which nation will take the bragging rights and early momentum ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Will the Canadians defend their spot as the best hockey nation? Can the United States upset their neighbors to the North. Or will Sweden and Finland find a way to spring a surprise?

The B/R NHL staff came together to provide their predictions for the inaugural tournament.

Disagree with our experts? Submit your thoughts on the tourney now in the comments section of the B/R app!

It's Canada's Tournament to Lose

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Sidney Crosby

Since 2002, Canada has fared well in international tournaments featuring NHL stars. They won Olympic gold in 2002, 2010 and 2014 and the World Cup of Hockey in 2004 and 2016.  

The 4 Nations Face-Off will be a good test to measure Canada's readiness for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.  

Canada's best weapon will be its scoring punch among its forward lines. They possess elite superstars such as Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Mitch Marner, Sam Reinhart and team captain Sidney Crosby, assuming the latter has recovered from his recent upper-body injury.  

The Canadians also carry some of the league's top two-way forwards in Mark Stone, Brayden Point, and Anthony Cirelli. They've also brought pesky talent like Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett and Travis Konecny to drive opponents to distraction.  

Canada has emphasized puck-moving ability among their defensemen. Superstar Cale Makar anchors the blue line, providing additional scoring punch. They also feature Devon Toews, Makar's defense partner on the Colorado Avalanche. Josh Morrissey, Shea Theodore, and Drew Doughty are also among their defense corps.  

Goaltending could be Canada's Achilles heel in this tournament. Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill and Samuel Montembeault are good goalies but pale in comparison to the other three teams.  

Despite the goalie concerns, the Canadians possess sufficient firepower, speed and puck-possession ability to win this tournament. 

- Lyle Richardson

USA Edge in Goal Will Carry Americans

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Connor Hellebuyck

In a tournament where each team will play three or four games, anyone can win. Four good teams with thin margins defining success and failure is a dynamic that can account for practically any outcome, particularly when all four teams have rosters that would be playoff-caliber by NHL standards.

At face value, the U.S. and Canada outweigh the Scandinavian countries both in terms of high-end talent and depth.

We could go player-by-player on each roster and debate forever which combinations one would prefer; Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby or Auston Matthews and Jack Hughes? Cale Makar may be the best defenseman in the tournament, but does USA’s depth behind Adam Fox push the needle back in their direction?

There’s one area of roster construction that undeniably favors Team USA. Connor Hellebuyck is arguably the best goaltender in the NHL. Meanwhile Canada is debating between three goaltenders who wouldn’t have even been on Team USA’s radar. Whatever nuanced advantages Team Canada may have come at a drastic cost in net. The U.S. will feel emboldened by having a moniker for consistency to hold out Canada’s firepower in the most pressure-filled moments.

- Adam Herman

Don't Count Out the Finns

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Joel Armia

Team Finland has had some brutal injury news—especially on its backend with Miro Heiskanen and Rasmus Ristolainen ruled out. But every team has dealt with crushing injury news for crucial roster spots. This forward group is absolutely packed to the brim with skill in league stars like Mikko Rantanen and Sebastian Aho who now play together and have established some sweet chemistry.

And let's not forget they have the reigning Selke Award winner in Aleksander Barkov, someone who's adept at shutting down the opposing team's best center. Just ask Connor McDavid and Mika Zibanejad about the playoffs last season.

Perhaps most importantly, the goaltending situation is one of the strongest out of any of the rosters. Finland's working with Juuse Saros (who is eager to, uh, win something), Kevin Lankinen, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. 

Finland's got the longest odds to win the tournament, but if forward chemistry and goaltending depth live up to potential, you shouldn't count Suomi out. You know this team is eager to create some new magic and expand on its rich international play history.

- Sara Civian

Canada Has Too Much Firepower

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Brad Marchand With the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.

There are reasons to go various ways with 4 Nations predictions.

But in the end, it all comes back to Canada.

Oh sure, the United States has more players among our pre-tournament top 25 rankings, and it can be argued that Canada's goaltending is neither the best nor even the second-best among the teams at the event.

But it still comes back to Canada, particularly when it comes to those rankings and the players occupying several of the highest positions.

You might have heard of them.

Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar. And, of yeah, some old guy named Crosby, too.

The top-line talent is overwhelming to the point of almost being unfair.

Would it be negated if the format were three-of-five or four-of-seven in nature? Maybe.

But in a series of one-game encounters, there's simply no team that can compete.

- Lyle Fitzsimmons

The USA's Depth Is What Separates Them from the Rest

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Jack Hughes, Adam Fox and Chris Kreider

This might be one of the deepest USA rosters we have ever seen at an international tournament, and it's hard to find a weakness.

They may not have anybody quite on the level of Connor McDavid, but with Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, and Jack Hughes at the top of the lineup and a defense led by a Norris Trophy winner in Adam Fox, they are an insanely talented group.

But it's not just the star power and the lack of a weakness that makes the U.S. my pick.

It is all of that, combined with the fact they might have the greatest strength in the tournament—their goalies. Not only is Connor Hellebuyck a game-changer and arguably the best goalie in the world right now, but Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman make for a ridiculously deep roster in net. Anytime you have elite goaltending in a short tournament or short series you are going to have a chance, and the United States has that. The goalies, more than anything, will drive this group to a title.

- Adam Gretz

Why Sweden Will Win It All

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Victor Hedman

Whatever you know about hockey, always keep this in mind when it comes to international play: the Swedes will be competitive.

Yeah, you got big stars like Crosby, McDavid, Matthews and Barkov on the other teams. Nevertheless, the Swedes still pack a punch offensively. Any team that has William Nylander, Filip Forsberg, Elias Petersson and Jesper Bratt at forward is always going to be a tough matchup.

But where the Swedes may have the upper hand is something fans and critics don't consider in international tournaments: chemistry. The core of this team, led by captain Victor Hedman won bronze at last year's 2024 IIHF World Championships. Look for Rasmus Dahlin to be a breakout star in this tournament and get a chance to display why he was a No. 1 pick overall in 2018.

With a Vezina-winning goaltender like Linus Ullmark in net and savvy veterans that have played in the biggest games across the globe, it wouldn't be any shock if the Swedes came away winning it all, especially in a tournament with such a short format.

- Lucky Ngamwajasat