U.S. projected roster for 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off

The 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off will be held next February, with teams of NHL players from Finland, Sweden, Canada and the United States competing in a round-robin tournament.

A total of seven games will be played during a nine-day period from Feb. 12-20, along with two practice days, Feb. 10-11, and will be held in two yet-to-be named North American cities, one in Canada and one in the United States.

Though the international tournament is more than a year away, NHL.com wanted to get a jump on what the rosters for each country could look like, using a panel of three staff writers and editors to compile a list of 23 players (20 skaters, three goalies) for each team.

Today, a look at the projected roster for Finland as picked by Dan Rosen, senior writer for NHL.com; Mike G. Morreale, NHL.com senior draft writer; and Amalie Benjamin, NHL.com staff writer:

Forwards

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights
J.T. Miller, Vancouver Canucks
Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets
Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes
Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres
Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks
Alex DeBrincat, Detroit Red Wings

The lineup is loaded. Heck, it could feature J.T. Miller, the fourth-leading scorer in the NHL at the All-Star break, playing in a bottom-six role. You want goals? This Team USA has them. There are five players who have 20 already this season, paced by Auston Matthews, who had 40 at the break and was on a 70-goal pace. Kyle Connor had 18 goals in 31 games. Playmakers? Miller was tied for fifth with 46 assists. Jack Hughes is one of the best playmakers in the business. His hands are elite. Some would say they’re sick, in a good way, of course. There are seven forwards averaging at least a point per game this season, led by Hughes’ 1.41. The Tkachuk brothers, Brady and Matthew, bring the skill and power to the group. Jason Robertson is still underrated, if that’s possible; all he does is score. The U.S. will be loaded up front. Good luck getting the puck away from this group. -- Rosen

Defensemen

Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins
Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
Adam Fox, New York Rangers
Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild
Jacob Trouba, New York Rangers

The seven defensemen we chose provide a little bit of everything. There's a blend of great skaters, skill, power, intimidation, intelligence, and toughness. They also thrive at doing the little things for the benefit of team success, like blocking shots, and understanding that clearing the zone when the pressure mounts might not be the flashiest play, but the smartest. The surprise of the group might be the 21-year-old Faber, but not when you consider how much more improved the rookie might be when the tournament begins. That thought made him too good to skip. Additionally, we were able to select players who will fill in at their natural positions at the point; there are three left-handed shots and four right-handed shooters. Each of these exceptionally talented defensemen can make timely plays and play heavy minutes. Hughes, Fox and Werenski could be considered the drivers from the defensive end, while McAvoy, Slavin and Faber will each provide a responsible two-way game. Trouba is the intimidating presence down low, in the open ice and along the boards, while logging key minutes at even-strength and on the penalty kill. Fox and McAvoy, incidentally, have a history of international success dating back to their gold-medal winning performance for the U.S. at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. -- Morreale

Goalies

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks
Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins

The goalie position is an area of massive strength for the U.S. with at least four serious contenders to make the roster, including Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, who just missed our cut but who could easily make it by 2025. The three who did – Hellebuyck, Demko and Swayman -- are each a top contender to win the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the NHL this season. Of the goalies who have played at least 15 games this season at the All-Star break, Hellebuyck (.924), Swayman (.924) and Demko (.920) made up three of the top six in save percentage. This is an elite group and will be the envy of every other team in the tournament. Hellebuyck is the elder statesman at 30 years old, but he shows no signs of slowing. The 28-year-old Demko and the 25-year-old Swayman are hitting their prime. Each of the three is good enough to serve as the starter for a U.S. team that looks the best it has in years and the deepest it has been in goal in a long time. I’d take any of these three as the starter, making for an embarrassment of riches. -- Benjamin