Ranking every player in the 4 Nations Face-Off: Where do Hellebuyck, Makar and Barkov land?
The 4 Nations Face-Off is less than a week away, with Canada and Sweden meeting in the first matchup on Feb. 12. The United States and Finland follow up on Feb. 13 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/E+), with the championship game set for Feb. 20 in Boston (8 p.m. ET, ABC/E+).
There will be 92 players representing the four countries in the inaugural tournament. How do all the players stack up with each other? (Note: There are currently only 91 players because Canada hasn’t replaced Alex Pietrangelo.)
We asked a panel of more than 50 ESPN broadcasters, analysts, reporters and editors to rate players based on how good they will be in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Write-ups for the top 40 in the rankings are courtesy of ESPN reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski.
His partnership with Cale Makar has led to them not only being one of the NHL’s best pairings, but also one who can play in every scenario. — Clark
Preseason rank: 41
McAvoy can match up with any teammate — and across from any opponent — to be one of Team USA’s brightest stars on defense. His transition game is elite and McAvoy will open up space for Team USA’s forwards while also providing his own offense. — Shilton
Preseason rank: NR 41
The Wild goalie has put up strong numbers as the team’s primary starter, ranking in the top 15 in goals saved above replacement. Plus, if the Swedes need more offense, Gus is their guy, with a goal and an assist this season for Minnesota. — Wyshynski
Preseason rank: 36
Even though the Predators have struggled, Saros has remained a constant as he’s played in all but 11 of their games. — Clark
Preseason rank: 24
While this season has proven challenging, Pettersson has had moments when he’s looked close to the player who scored 102 points two seasons ago. That version of Pettersson could determine how far Sweden goes in the 4 Nations Face-Off. — Clark
Preseason rank: 37
Dahlin is second to Erik Karlsson for scoring by a Swedish defenseman over the last three seasons. — Wyshynski
Preseason rank: 53
Whether it’s in 5-on-5, the power play or the penalty kill, Faber has proven he can be trusted to play heavy minutes in all scenarios. — Clark
Preseason rank: 49
The speedy center had heated up as the Red Wings have climbed back into the playoff race in the East, with 9 goals in 14 games during January. — Wyshynski
Preseason rank: 43
Morrissey combines high-end defensive skills with a strong offensive upside and that’s what will help drive Canada’s contributions from the backend in this tourrnament. He’s quick, smart and super competitive. — Shilton
Preseason rank: 43
The Golden Knights defenseman is on pace to shatter his career high in points, with 45 in his first 53 games, making him a top-three scorer for Vegas this season. — Wyshynski
Preseason rank: 39
Hintz is one of the most underrated goal-scorers in the NHL, with three straight 30-goal seasons and on his way to a fourth with 22 goals in his first 48 games. — Wyshynski
Preseason rank: 86
Raymond is a highly-skilled winger who has followed up a breakout 31-goal season with another strong offensive campaign for the Red Wings. — Wyshynski
Preseason rank: 85
Kempe has been a top-line goal-scoring winger for the Los Angeles Kings over the last four seasons thanks to his swift skating. — Wyshynski
Preseason rank: 18
Guentzel is opportunistic and a brilliant finisher with the puck. It’s no wonder then he can easily average over a point per game and pairs relatively well with just about anyone. The ability to form quick chemistry will be imperative now and Team USA will be counting on Guentzel to make that magic happen. — Shilton
Preseason rank: 29
Canada boasts one of the game’s best two-way forwards in Stone to anchor its bottom-six forward group. The veteran is also an excellent playmaker who can frustrate opponents in the corners and break up plays in transition. — Shilton
Preseason rank: 28
Miller won’t be sweating any trade rumors now and is free to be the versatile asset Team USA needs. He can play center or on the wing, and combines good speed with a heavy shot and physical presence. Whatever the USA has to dial up, count on Miller to be a significant factor in the team’s offensive success. — Shilton
24. Adam Fox, D, United States
Preseason rank: 38
Fox has three straight 70-plus point seasons, playing in all situations for the Rangers. — Wyshynski
Preseason rank: 34
Forsberg’s offensive prowess has him on pace for his third season of more than 80 points in the last four years. — Clark
Preseason rank: 79
Bratt is one of the NHL’s most explosive stickhandling wingers, playing at nearly a point-per-game pace over his last three seasons. — Wyshynski
Preseason rank: 19
Aho is an elite two-way center on a Finland team that already boasts another such rarity in Aleksander Barkov. So watch out. Aho is a premier scorer and playmaker who handles every responsibility with apparent ease. His penalty killing isn’t bad either. This may be the flashiest Fin of them all — Shilton
Preseason rank: 58
Now that Connor is fully healthy, he’s on pace for his first 100-point season as the Jets remain in contention for the NHL’s top record. — Clark
Preseason rank: 32
Nylander is crafting a career year offensively in Toronto while continuing to show his growth at both ends of the ice — which has only made the Swede more dangerous. He’s also been a cunning threat and his penchant this season especially for creating — and capitalizing on — breakaway goals should have the other three teams on high alert. — Shilton
Preseason rank: 74
Werenski has been the Columbus Blue Jackets’ MVP this season, leading his team in scoring as a defenseman and logging nearly 27 minutes per game. — Wyshynski
Preseason rank: 25
Ottawa’s captain is known for his passion and typical Tkachukian grit. But Tkachuk is more than just a younger Matthew — he’s a tenacious skater who can drive any line and elevate teammates. When Team USA players needs a sparkplug, they’ll have it every shift doled out to Tkachuk. — Shilton
Preseason rank: 21
Canada coach Jon Cooper knows exactly what he’ll get from Point — and it’s a top-tier performance. Point is versatile and determined, strategic and quick on pucks, and always (seemingly) one step ahead of an opponent’s defense. It’s what helps drive the Lightning’s offense and could be a game changer for Canada. — Shilton
Preseason rank: 30
It’s hardly overreaching to say Reinhart has become one of the best fowards in the game. He’s coming off a 94-point season and is on pace to hit terrific numbers again as a savvy, high-octane scorer who doesn’t skimp on the defensive side, either. Reinhart is one of Canada’s most well-rounded skaters. — Shilton
Preseason rank: 23
Several items have come to define Hedman throughout his illustrious career. Consistency is among them. That consistency has allowed the Lightning to remain an Eastern Conference challenger and could give Sweden a path to the championship game. — Clark
Preseason rank: 8
Rantanen’s recent trade to the Carolina Hurricanes means he’s now going to be the primary focal point. It’ll be the same way for Finland too. The hulking winger has established himself as one of the game’s strongest facilitators while consistently proving that he can score just as many goals as he creates. — Clark
Preseason rank: 16
It’s never been a question of talent for Eichel. It’s been more of a conversation about what he could do with that talent. What he’s done for the Golden Knights is emerge as a top-line center who can be trusted in every situation in a way that makes him a factor each time he steps on to the ice. It’s also another reason why he’s in the running for the Hart Trophy. — Clark
Preseason rank: 5
Tkachuk can (and does) do it all on the ice and that will continue to be his superpower in this tournament. Whether it’s channeling his physicality around the net, terrorizing the defense with his scoring skills or separating himself as a playmaker, Tkachuk’s teammates know they’ll get a determined effort from him in every game. — Shilton
Preseason rank: 15
Hughes is a dominant passer who will push the pace for the U.S. up front and create his own chances along the way. New Jersey’s star skater is dangerous in all three zones and should pad his team’s transition game with a top-end level of speed. Somehow, Hughes makes it all look effortless. — Shilton
Preseason rank: 14
Marner won’t be taking a back seat to anyone on Canada’s roster given the level of skill and talent he’s bringing. The winger is a powerhouse at even strength and on the power play. He can eat up shorthanded minutes. And did we mention the playmaking? It’s second to none in the league — and this tournament. — Shilton
Preseason rank: 13
If Crosby’s done anything this year it’s show why he can never be counted out. In a horrific year for Pittsburgh at large, Crosby has kept producing and continuously wills his team into the fight. It’s that latter leadership ability that could benefit Canada most and is a key reason why, whether Crosby falls into a top-six or more complementary role, he’s an indispensable piece of the lineup. — Shilton
Preseason rank: 10
Barkov is doing what Barkov does best this season. He’s averaging a point per game while still operating as one the game’s strongest two-way forwards. Knowing that Finland could have Barkov anchoring a line with Rantanen is the sort of combination that could see them go far in the tournament. — Clark
Preseason rank: 12
For all the challenges facing the Canucks, Hughes’s performance this season hasn’t been one of them. The reigning Norris Trophy winner looks like he could collect the award again as he’s on pace for a second straight 90-point season while keeping the Canucks in the race for a playoff spot. — Clark
Preseason rank: 6
Matthews was tapped as Team USA’s captain for a reason — he’s made the most of this injury-plagued NHL campaign as a point-per-game skater who, as ever, can tilt the ice in his team’s favor. And that shot? It’s lethal as ever — just like Matthews is proving to be. — Shilton
Preseason rank: 3
The reigning Hart Trophy winner for the NHL’s MVP, MacKinnon is having the sort of season that could see him repeat that feat. He leads the NHL in points and his all-around play could help Canada challenge for a 4 Nations title. — Clark
Preseason rank: 31
What he did last season saw Hellebuyck win his second Vezina Trophy. What he’s done this year has allowed him to have what might be the best season of his career and could see him win more than just a third Vezina. — Clark
Preseason rank: 4
Makar’s ability to impact several facets of the game is what makes him one of the NHL’s best players at any position. Already teammates with MacKinnon, having those two on the ice along with McDavid for a power play could cause quite a few problems. — Clark
Preseason rank: 1
His status as the game’s best player has been consistently cemented by the fact he’s finished with more than 100 points seven times in his career. McDavid is on pace for a fifth straight season of more than 100 points, which only adds to the intrigue of what he could achieve at the 4 Nations Face-Off. — Clark
PITTSBURGH — Matthew Schaefer jumped onto the darkened ice at PPG Paints Arena and, along with New York Islanders teammate Maxim Shabanov, took the traditional solo lap every player makes before his NHL debut.
It’s the only time the 18-year-old Schaefer looked like a rookie all night during New York’s 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh.
Confident and poised from the opening faceoff, the top pick in the June draft wasted little time showcasing why the Islanders coveted him after the balls bounced their way during the draft lottery.
Schaefer needed all of 12 minutes to collect the first point of his career, making a deft pass from the half wall to Jonathan Drouin in the slot. Drouin’s knuckler fluttered by Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry to pull New York even.
“Our team is so easy to make plays with, everyone is in the right spot,” Schaefer said with a shrug. “I found [Drouin] there, and it was an easy pass to him and of course he puts it in the back of the net.”
Islanders coach Patrick Roy didn’t hesitate to go to Schaefer, who played more than seven minutes in the opening period alone. Schaefer finished with 17:15 of ice time in all, including some with the New York net empty late as the Islanders tried to tie it.
“I thought he was really good,” Roy said of Schaefer. “He was good at the end. Throwing pucks at the net. I thought that he seemed very comfortable, very confident out there. So I’m very pleased with him.”
Schaefer, who had around 30 friends and family in attendance, admitted there were some jitters during his first couple of shifts, but he didn’t exactly genuflect in the direction of Penguins icons Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The club’s big three are entering their 20th season playing alongside each other, a run that began before Schaefer was born.
Although Schaefer isn’t entering the league with the same external expectations that followed Crosby two decades ago — when Crosby himself arrived in the league at 18 as the top pick in the draft — Schaefer understands how important his arrival and development are for a team that hasn’t won a Stanley Cup in more than 40 years.
Yes, it’s cool that he made the club out of training camp barely a month after turning 18. He’s not here to sell tickets and generate interest, but to help the Islanders take a step forward in the competitive Metropolitan Division sooner rather than later.
Near breathless as he talked after becoming the second-youngest NHL defenseman to make his debut in 70 years, Schaefer wasn’t as interested in trying to put the moment in perspective as he was regretting the result.
The Islanders controlled the game for extended stretches and threw 38 shots at Jarry. Save for a couple of costly breakdowns in front of their own net — which allowed Malkin and Crosby to work their magic — the Islanders played with speed and purpose, which they hope offers a blueprint for what’s to come, the new kid included.
“I thought we brought it tonight,” Schaefer said. “Wish we could have got the win. Hate losing. Now we know and we’re going to learn from it and focus on our next game. But I thought it was a great first game for us. I just wish we got the win.”
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Mike Sullivan has another souvenir to add to an already large personal hockey collection after being presented the game puck following his first victory as coach of the New York Rangers.
It might not match the two Stanley Cup titles he won during his 10-year tenure as the Pittsburgh Penguins coach, but the significance of the 4-0 victory over Buffalo wasn’t lost on Sullivan on Thursday night.
“It’s humbling,” said Sullivan, who is from Massachusetts and the only U.S.-born coach to win at least two Cups.
“I’ve said this on a number of occasions since I got the job that it’s an incredible honor to be the head coach of the New York Rangers, a franchise that has such history to it,” Sullivan added. “It’s just a privilege that I don’t take for granted.”
The victory was the 480th of Sullivan’s career and came two days after the Rangers opened with a 3-0 home loss to the Penguins. Sullivan was fired by Pittsburgh after missing the playoffs for a third straight season, before almost immediately landing in New York after the Rangers fired Peter Laviolette.
For Sullivan, he’s getting a fresh start in a familiar place after spending four seasons as a Rangers assistant under John Tortorella. And he’s tasked with the responsibility of providing structure and discipline to a team that unraveled both on off the ice in missing the playoffs last year.
The win over Buffalo was but a start for Sullivan, who got in a laugh recounting how newly appointed captain J.T. Miller presented him the puck.
“[Miller] made a joke about how long our video meetings are,” Sullivan said. “But they’ll continue to be long until we get on the same page.”
Though there’s still much to work on, Sullivan was impressed by his team’s response after a lackadaisical outing against Pittsburgh, which was sealed by two empty-net goals.
On Thursday, the Rangers outplayed the Sabres through much of the first period in building a 1-0 lead on Alex Lafreniere’s goal 11:43 in. Coupled with Igor Shersterkin’s 37-save outing, the Rangers closed strong with three goals in the final five minutes.
“I’m excited about the group of players that we have here. I think there’s a certain enthusiasm around the team right now since Day 1 of training camp,” Sullivan said. “It’s tangible, we can feel it. And I think we’re building a relationship with the players right now that will be meaningful moving forward.”
RALEIGH, N.C. — K’Andre Miller didn’t need preseason game action to get a fast start with his new Carolina Hurricanes teammates.
The defenseman twice found the net in Carolina’s 6-3 season-opening win against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night, showing a glimpse of the potential that enticed the Hurricanes to acquire him from the New York Rangers and sign him to a long-term deal.
“It was amazing, I loved it,” Miller said.
The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Miller spent much of preseason wearing a yellow noncontact jersey in what coach Rod Brind’Amour called a precautionary move before he shed that to ramp up in the final week or so of camp. He was in a pairing with Jalen Chatfield, working 19-plus minutes of ice time with a team-high 31 shifts.
“I thought he was exceptional,” Brind’Amour said. “Take the goals away, even — just impactful.
The Hurricanes saw the 25-year-old former first-round pick as an ideal fit for their aggressive system with his size and skating ability. He had shown flashes of his potential with the Metropolitan Division foe Rangers, including posting 17 goals and 56 assists for 73 points over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
But his play fell off last season as he went from building block to expendable in a rough finish to his time in New York. So the Hurricanes made the trade on the first day of free agency, then gave him an eight-year contract paying an average annual value of $7.5 million through the 2032-33 season.
Carolina has won a series in seven straight postseasons, including reaching the Eastern Conference final twice in the past three seasons before falling to two-time reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida each time.
The Hurricanes looked to Miller and the signing of free agent Nikolaj Ehlers as part of their next steps to playing for the Cup. And they are looking for Miller in particular to bolster a system that relies on an aggressive forecheck to pressure opponents, get control of the puck and keep it to maintain pressure in the offensive zone.
He just decided to bring the offense to his Carolina debut, too, on a night when the Hurricanes repeatedly rang the post against Jacob Markstrom.
His first goal was unexpected. He took a puck from William Carrier along the boards and flicked it toward Markstrom from the slot. The puck appeared to deflect off Devils forward Nico Hischier, then slip past Markstrom as a hopper for a 2-1 lead midway through the second.
His third-period goal was far different: a powerful blast from near the left circle that sent the puck slamming off Markstrom’s glove, skittering off his arm and behind him into the net.
“Two quite different goals there,” said forward Seth Jarvis, who had the go-ahead deflection late in the third followed by an empty-netter from beyond the blue line. “But you could tell from the first time he stepped on the ice in practice at training camp that he’s a special player. And he’s still young, so I can only imagine what level he’s going to get to.”
Miller’s second goal sent the Hurricanes home crowd into a roar, with Miller kicking up his leg and yelling in celebration then motioning for more noise from the crowd before heading to the bench.
“I think that was one of the biggest things, just making a good first impression,” Miller said of his debut. “I think the guys have done an amazing job of getting me caught up to speed. And this adjustment period has been honestly very simple. Very easy, and all the guys are pushing me in the right direction.”
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