4 Nations Face-Off Preview and Predictions

This year, instead of the same old All-Star Game, the NHL throws us a curve ball that excites most hockey fans. We will see a four-team round-robin tournament involving the USA, Canada, Sweden, and Finland.

When:

The games will run from February 12th through February 20th. Each team will play each other, and the top two point earners will play in the final.

Where:

The games will be held in North America, at the Bell Centre in Montreal and TD Garden in Boston.

We will see most stars from the four countries, including Superstars such as:

Countries

Canada

Sidney Crosby (Captain) Connor McDavid (Assistant) Cale Maker (Assistant)

Projected Starting Goalie: Adin Hill

USA

Auston Matthews (Captain) Charlie McAvoy (Assistant) Matthew Tkachuk (Assistant)

Projected Starting Goalie: Connor Hellebuyck

Finland

Aleksander Barkov (Captain) Sebastian Aho (Assistant) Mikael Granlund (Assistant) Mikko Rantanen (Assistant)

Projected Starting Goalie: Juuse Saros

Sweden

Victor Hedman (Captain) Mattias Ekholm (Assistant) Erik Karlsson (Assistant) William Nylander (Assistant)

Projected Starting Goalie: Linus Ullmark/Filip Gustavsson

Betting Market (Odds Via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Future Outright Market

Canada +175 USA +175 Sweden +370 Finland +650

The Favourites

Canada & The United States are the rightful favourites playing at home. The books don’t know who to favour, and for good reason. If you look at their rosters, they are very even besides the goaltending. I give the United States the Goaltending advantage with two of the best goalies in the NHL, Hellebuyck and Oettinger.

Trusting Adin Hill scares me in a short round-robin tournament, and the backups Binnington and Montembeault aren’t comforting.

It's challenging to predict between these two. However, I’m leaning towards the USA due to their goaltending, deep blueline, and well-putting-together coaching staff, who have a lot of international tournament experience. Also, the Championship game is in Boston.

Bet: USA +175

1 Unit Bet

Sweden +370

There are question marks in the goal after Markstrom got hurt; however, Sweden is always a factor in winning an international hockey tournament. Ullmark is returning from injury this week but will be ready to start for them after a long layoff? If not, we will see Filip Gustavsson, who has been up and down this year but is playing better as of late.

Of course, they have the firepower to keep up with any team scoring goals. Nylander is 2nd in the NHL with 33 goals this year; however, when the goaltending isn't clear, it's hard to back a country in the outright market.

Finland +650

It is always a fun team to watch with top goal-scorers like Rantanen, Aho and Barkov, but are they deep enough, and can they keep the puck out of the net? Saros should start, It has been a down year for him, but he has big game experience.

You also worry about them defensively, with more offensive defensemen than defensive ones. Finland should be fun to watch. However, I'm not sold on their back end.

Top Goal Scorer

Auston Matthews +800

With the ability to get hot on streaks, combined with the fact that he'll be skating with guys like Eichel and Hughes, he’s in a prime position to rack up points.

Being on the top line and top power play amplifies his chances even more.

If he catches fire, we could see multi-goal performances, making him the leading goal scorer in the tournament.

Possibly the most minutes on the team

69 goals last year, 12 more than anyone else

Bet: 0.5 Unit

Sam Reinhart +1000

Playing alongside top-tier passers like McDavid and MacKinnon would give him every opportunity to capitalize on their playmaking ability. Both guys are elite at setting up scoring chances and are among the top five in the NHL in assists.

With his knack for finding the back of the net, especially after a 57-goal season last year, he’s in a great position to keep producing at a high level.

31 goals on the year is 3rd in the NHL

Sam will likely be one of their key offensive players. With that kind of ice time and exposure, he could shine on the power play and in high-leverage situations.

Bet: 0.5 Unit

Most hockey fans are excited about this upcoming tournament, as it's rare to see the best NHL players unite for their countries. All-Star games often lack the intensity and competitive spirit that these international tournaments bring. The stakes feel higher, and the pride in representing your country makes for some thrilling hockey.

Enjoy the change, and let’s hope for some exciting and classic games next week.