Some of the greatest players in the NHL will gather in Montreal one week from today to gear up for the 4 Nations Face-Off, which begins on Feb. 12 at Bell Centre.
Two of those players will be Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, who will play for the United States, and Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg, who will play for Sweden. Tonight in Nashville, fans will get a sneak preview of the 4 Nations when Tkachuk and the Senators face Forberg and the Predators at Bridgestone Arena (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, Prime, TVAS) in the only game on the NHL schedule.
Forsberg leads the Predators (18-26-7) with 49 points (18 goals, 31 assists) in 51 games, and Tkachuk is third on the Senators (28-20-4) with 41 points (20 goals, 21 assists) in 52 games.
Though each player will likely have an impact in the game Monday, the question in our latest version of State Your Case is which player will have the bigger impact at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Here, NHL.com staff writer Tracey Myers and Editor-in-Chief Bill Price pick sides in the debate:
Myers: This is my 15th season (!) covering the Chicago Blackhawks so I have watched Central Division rival Filip Forsberg plenty. I’ve seen the highlight goals, the slick moves, the mustache (sorry, can’t leave out that ‘stache). But all kidding aside, Forsberg has been a longtime leader for the Predators offense and I think he’ll make the bigger impact between him and Tkachuk at 4 Nations. As much as he knows how to take center stage on his own, he also knows how to be a great teammate, something that’s critical in a short tournament. He’ll assist as much as he’ll score. He'll be great on the power play. He’ll make his mark with Sweden, you bet.
Price: I’m not taking anything away from Forsberg, he’s a fabulous player, but when you put a Tkachuk on a big hockey stage, magic happens. Sure, Matthew Tkachuk has gotten the most time on the big stage, playing in the past two Stanley Cup Finals for the Florida Panthers, but now younger brother Brady will get that chance, and he will flourish. The more comments I read from players, the more I believe this is going to be an intense tournament, and Brady will thrive in that sort of environment. He can score, hit and get under anyone’s skin. Look for him to make a huge impact at the 4 Nations, even bigger than Forsberg.
Myers: Oh, Tkachuk will absolutely make his presence known. He’s fantastic at that. I guess when I’m thinking bigger impact, I’m thinking mainly about production. There’s no doubt Tkachuk can do that, too (it kind of runs in the family, right) but will he be overshadowed in that respect by other U.S. players? Auston Matthews, Kyle Connor, brother Matthew, there are some high-octane guys on this roster. Tkachuk will absolutely make an impact for the U.S., but I don’t think he'll make the biggest impact among the U.S. players. And that’s why I’m sticking with Forsberg, who I believe will be relied upon more for Sweden’s success.
Price: I see your point, but I actually think Brady is going to have the biggest impact for the U.S. You see, other teams can only put their top lines and best defensemen against only so many players. And that’s why I think Brady and the U.S. are going to make a ton of noise in the 4 Nations -- because of their forward depth and grit. Brady is a big reason the Senators are in the thick of the playoff race and he will be a big reason why the U.S. will make a ton of noise from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston, in fact, he may be the biggest reason.
