10 players to watch in NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off

The highest-scoring player in the league since 2020, McDavid is one of the best players in the tournament and a favorite to be its leading scorer.

U.S. | Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs forward

Matthews is one of the game's premier scorers, and as the captain of the United States, he'll be looked to as its top offensive weapon. He'll also be a top option on the team's power play and could even get minutes on the penalty kill.

Matthews leads the league in goals over the past five seasons, and as the team's top center, he is a good bet to do the same at the tournament.

Sweden | Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman

Hedman, a former Norris Trophy winner and Sweden's captain, will anchor a defense that might be the best in the tournament. 

The 34-year-old is playing over 23 minutes a game for the Tampa Bay Lightning and should see similar numbers on the blue line for Tre Kronor. He'll be tasked with playing a two-way role and could be Sweden's most important player.

Finland | Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers forward

Finland's poor defensive depth could hurt it at the 4 Nations, but with two-time Selke Trophy winner Barkov, the team will have an elite defensive forward matching up against its opponent's top lines.

The first Finnish captain to win a Stanley Cup, Barkov is Finland's most important player. Expect him to get big minutes in all situations.

Canada | Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche forward

MacKinnon leads the NHL in points with 87 in 57 games and will join McDavid in Canada's elite top six. He's projected to play with fellow Nova Scotian Sidney Crosby, creating an elite puck possession duo.

MacKinnon won the most recent Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and is the best player in the league once again this season. He could be the top player in the tournament.

U.S. | Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers forward

Tkachuk is an elite winger who does an excellent job at getting under the skin of opponents. He'll head into the tournament on a hot streak after recently being named the NHL's Third Star of the Week.

In the United States' first practice, he played on the top line with Jack Eichel, who's the sixth-leading scorer in the league this season.

Look for Tkachuk to play hard-nosed hockey and potentially lead the tournament in penalty minutes.

Sweden | Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings forward

Only 22, Raymond is the second-highest scoring Swedish player this season. He's also one of the hotter players in the league since Todd McLellan became head coach of the Red Wings in late December (seventh-most points in the league)..

Raymond will be an important forward for Team Sweden and expected to produce on the power play and in other big-game situations.

Finland | Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators goaltender

With top defenseman Miro Heiskanen out because of injury, Finland's already lackluster defense needs help in net. Luckily for them, Saros is one of the top goaltenders in the league.

Despite his below-average statistics this season (2.95 GAA), the former Vezina Trophy finalist has been one of the best goalies over the past five seasons, ranking ranking fifth among qualified netminders in save percentage. He'll have his work cut out for him, but he could steal a game for the Finns.

Canada | Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche defenseman

The former Norris and Conn Smythe Trophy winner is one of the best defensemen in the NHL and will likely lead the Canadian blue line in minutes. 

Makar is the top-scoring defenseman in the league and ranks 13th among all skaters in points. In addition to his great two-way play, he'll run a power play that features elite talent.

U.S. | Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman

With top defenseman Quinn Hughes out of the tournament, Werenski will be looked to fill his skates offensively and on the power play.

The Columbus Blue Jacket is the second-highest scoring defender in the NHL and an elite skater who can facilitate his team's breakout and create offensively. Werenski should see his name among finalists for the Norris Trophy this season and will be one of the best defensemen in the tournament.