In lieu of the All-Star Sport this season, the NHL introduced it should host the 4 Nations Face-Off and pit 4 elite groups from totally different international locations in opposition to one another in February. Official rosters have been launched earlier this week, and three Winnipeg Jets gamers made the reduce to symbolize america and Canada. All the identical, just a few notable Jets have been left off the roster. Who made the reduce and who missed out?
Kyle Connor – United States
It’s no shock to see Kyle Connor on Crew USA’s roster. He presently leads the Jets in factors (30) and objectives (14) and is constantly among the best gamers on the ice. He performs a quick, clear recreation, has an incredible ending capacity, and is on tempo for a 40-goal season. He received the Woman Byng Memorial Trophy in the course of the 2021-22 season and is a two-time All-Star.
Associated: Crew USA’s 4 Nations Face-Off Roster: What They Received Proper & Incorrect
It’s onerous to say exactly how he’ll be utilized by Crew USA for the reason that roster has a lot depth, however the perfect guess is he’ll play left wing within the prime six. With a powerful centre like Jack Eichel or Auston Matthews together with a proper wing like Matthew Tkachuk or Jack Hughes, Connor may even see a variety of offensive success in the course of the event.
Connor Hellebuyck – United States
Connor Hellebuyck was one other shoo-in for Crew USA. This season, he boasts a 16-5-0 file with a goals-against common of two.14 and a save proportion of .927. He’s a two-time Vezina Trophy winner and received the William M. Jennings Trophy final season. He’s additionally a four-time All-Star. There was merely no shot Hellebuyck wouldn’t make USA’s roster this season.
TEAM USA’S ROSTER FOR 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF HAS BEEN REVEALED 🇺🇸🦅 pic.twitter.com/CoZmpLumbM
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 4, 2024
Whereas he stands out as the eldest of the goalie trio chosen for Crew USA, Hellebuyck ought to undoubtedly be the starter. His numbers are higher than these of his fellow USA goaltenders, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman, and he’s confirmed time and time once more that he’s the best within the league. Swayman specifically has struggled so much this season, so it will realistically come right down to a alternative between Hellebuyck and Oettinger if there have been someway any questions on who will get first dibs on the web.
Josh Morrissey – Crew Canada
Josh Morrissey was one other apparent candidate for the 4 Nations Face-Off. The 29-year-old defenceman leads Winnipeg in assists (23) and is presently projected to achieve 70 by the tip of the season. Throughout the 2023-24 season, he completed with 69 factors (10 objectives, 59 assists) and continues to show he’s a beneficial asset each offensively and defensively.
Whereas Morrissey is a part of the primary pair for the Jets, he doubtless will get bumped right down to the second or third pairing on Crew Canada. Cale Makar and Devon Toews of the Colorado Avalanche have been chosen for the roster and can undoubtedly be the primary pair. That leaves Morrissey’s companion choices restricted to Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko. With Pietrangelo, the 2 would make a very good all-around pair with a number of alternatives to generate scoring probabilities. If he’s partnered with Parayko, Morrissey will most likely tackle extra of a defensive position than an offensive one, however the two would do a number of good holding the puck away from their goalie.
Notable Omissions – Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry & Neal Pionk
The Jets have a lot depth and so many gifted gamers on their roster that it comes as no shock to see that just a few have been left off the 4 Nations rosters. Probably the most shocking omission might be Mark Scheifele, whose title was thrown round a number of occasions within the dialog for Crew Canada. He’s second to Connor in each objectives and factors on the Jets and is likely one of the greatest centres on the workforce. Sadly, there’s a lot expertise popping out of Canada that he acquired the brief finish of the stick this time. Groups have till Feb. 12 to make substitutions for injury-related causes, so ought to Scheifele keep wholesome (and others not), he nonetheless has a possibility to play.
“On the similar time my coronary heart went out and I felt fairly gutted for [Scheifele] that it shook out that method. He’s an incredible hockey participant and has the flexibility to be there. I attempted to be there to help him and simply let him know that I used to be feeling for him as a result of I understand how a lot he needed to be there,” Morrissey mentioned after Scheifele was left off Canada’s roster (from “Winnipeg Jets’ Morrissey ‘gutted’ over Scheifele’s Crew Canada snub,” The Winnipeg Solar, Paul Friesen).
Adam Lowry, who’s in his second season as captain, was an extended shot for Crew Canada, however his title was nonetheless within the dialog. If the workforce was searching for somebody with management capabilities and a variety of grit, he would’ve been a shoo-in. As a substitute, it seems like Crew Canada centered extra on the general offensive and defensive abilities of every participant they selected. To not point out, the workforce is chock stuffed with management already with the likes of Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Nathan MacKinnon.
As for Crew USA, Neal Pionk was doubtless thought of however finally left off. He had a unbelievable begin to the season offensively and already has 22 factors in 27 video games. Nonetheless, like Canada, america has a deep pool of NHL expertise to select from, and it’s onerous to deal with gamers like Quinn Hughes and Adam Fox.
The 4 Nations Face-Off will happen Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston.
