During last weekend’s NHL All-Star festivities the league and NHLPA joined to announce a replacement even for next year. This event is being called the “NHL Four Nations Face-Off.”
For quite some time now fans have been clamoring for the NHL to bring back the World Cup of Hockey which was played all the way back in the fall of 2016. While this is not that it is in a similar vein.
The tournament will consist of, well, four nations: Canada, the United States, Finland, and Sweden. Arguably, excluding Russia, the top four hockey countries in the world right now will have the chance to prove who’s on top as almost a precursor to the next year’s Olympic games.
With all that being said though I’m sure many Devils fans are wondering which players on the team will be heading up to Boston and Montreal next February. Let’s look at a variety of Devils players who could be attending this mini-tournament next winter. From the locks, to the maybes, let’s dive into which Devils we could see at the Four Nations Face-Off.
Locks
Jack Hughes – Team USA
Aside from any possible injuries, this is one of the most sure bets of the entire tournament. Jack Hughes is one of the top young American stars of the modern day. Since the beginning of the 2021-22 season, Jack Hughes is eighth in the NHL in points per game and second among Americans only behind Auston Matthews.
There is an argument that right now Hughes is one of Team USA’s best players. If he is left off the roster it would likely be due to injury. Let’s hope that isn’t the case come next year.
Jesper Bratt – Team Sweden
Jesper Bratt over the past three seasons has blossomed into one of the better Swedes in the NHL. It culminated in Bratt making his first All-Star appearance last week. Bratt is fifth among qualified Swedes in points per game over the past three seasons, and third this season.
According to the JFresh hockey card above, Bratt is in the 95th percentile among forwards in wins above replacement (WAR) over the last three seasons. Bratt should be a lock in the top-six for Sweden at this tournament and will have a real shot at a first place finish.
Probables
Dougie Hamilton – Team Canada
While he hasn’t played much this season, many forget that Hamilton did score 16 points in 20 games before injury. That production isn’t off-brand for the big time Canadian blueliner. Among all defenseman over the last five seasons, Hamilton is eighth in points per game and second among Canadian defenseman. The one player he’s behind in that regard? Cale Makar.
Canada has a ton of great defensemen and certainly many who are of a higher pedigree defensively. Which is why depending on how the next year plays out Hamilton may find himself on the outside looking in. However, it’s hard to think that Hamilton won’t grab one of the at least seven spots his squad will dedicate to defense.
Maybes
Erik Haula – Team Finland
Erik Haula isn’t going to have a super flashy statline in almost any matter, but he’s a reliable veteran presence that any team would want. Except for maybe the Carolina Hurricanes.
Haula has put up really solid numbers over the past three seasons. According to the JFresh hockey card above, he is in the 53rd percentile of WAR among all forwards over the past three years and in the 87th defensively. Over that time, his average 82-game pace is 17 goals and 27 assists for 44 points. Just over a half-point per game.
Again, these aren’t jaw-dropping numbers, but Haula could be a really solid bottom-six forward on a stacked Finland squad. It’s just a matter of which way the general manager and coach want to go with the roster.
Alexander Holtz – Team Sweden
Alexander Holtz is an interesting case where with the lack of true bottom-six players available for the Swedes, he actually has a decent shot at cracking that lineup. Especially given head coach Lindy Ruff’s deployment of him, Holtz could be a good fit on Sweden’s fourth line.
In his first full NHL season this year Holtz has put together a decent campaign in limited ice time. Over 50 games, he has 12 goals and 23 total points. Pretty solid given he’s averaging just over 12 minutes a night.
While it may be hard to see for some there is a real chance we see Alex Holtz playing for team Sweden this time next year.
Luke Hughes – Team USA
Luke, the youngest brother of Jack and Quinn, who will both definitely play for Team USA, is not as much of a lock. Hughes has impressed as a rookie, putting up solid impacts on both ends and scoring at a 43-point pace.
However, Team USA has a deep group of defenders to choose from. The top four will most likely consist of Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy, and Jaccob Slavin. Then, you have a plethora of players such as Zach Werenski, Jacob Chychrun, John Carlson, Noah Hanifin, Brock Faber, and more. It’s not that Hughes is bad, he just has a ton of competition.
Others Eligible, But Not Likely to Make It
Forwards:
- Nathan Bastian – Team Canada
- Curtis Lazar – Team Canada
- Dawson Mercer – Team Canada
- Chris Tierney – Team Canada
- Tyler Toffoli – Team Canada
- Max Willman – Team USA
Defensemen:
- Kevin Bahl – Team Canada
- Nick DeSimone – Team USA
- Santeri Hatakka – Team Finland
- John Marino – Team USA
- Colin Miller – Team Canada
- Brendan Smith – Team Canada