With per week to go till the beginning of the 4 Nations Face-Off (which runs from Feb. 12-20), the league’s consideration has begun to shift in direction of the primary best-on-best event for the reason that 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Many within the trade see the occasion as a trial run for future World Cups and different NHL-led occasions, with the success of this iteration underneath heavy scrutiny in worldwide circles.
The Colorado Avalanche might be one of the well-represented golf equipment on the showcase regardless of a attempting season by their requirements (they sit seventh within the Western Convention by factors proportion). 4 of the staff’s gamers are set to don the colours of Canada, the USA, Sweden, or Finland. The staff would have had 5 gamers collaborating within the occasion if it weren’t for the current ground-shaking commerce which despatched Finnish winger Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes for middle Jack Drury and ahead Martin Necas.
With out additional ado, listed below are the 4 gamers presently set to characterize the Avalanche on the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off and play vital roles for his or her respective nations.
Nathan MacKinnon, Canada
2024-25 Statistics: 55 Video games Performed (GP); 20 Targets (G); 60 Assists (A); 80 Factors (PTS)
The very best profile identify collaborating within the event underneath the Avalanche banner is middle Nathan MacKinnon, who’s seeking to grow to be the NHL’s first back-to-back winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy since Alexander Ovechkin achieved the feat in the course of the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. The 29-year-old presently leads the league in assists (60), factors (80), and even-strength factors (56), whereas main all forwards in common ice time throughout all conditions (23:04 per recreation).
In terms of elevating his recreation in high-pressure conditions, few do it higher than MacKinnon. Since making his postseason debut within the 2014 NHL Playoffs, solely Nikita Kucherov (164 factors) and Connor McDavid (117) have gathered extra playoff factors than the Avalanche pivot in that point. MacKinnon is tied for first in playoff objectives (0.55), tied for eighth in assists (0.75), and third in factors (1.30) amongst energetic gamers on a per-game foundation. Whereas he solely has one Stanley Cup to point out for his efforts, there may be little debate that he is among the finest playoff performers in NHL historical past.
Canada could have probably the most depth at middle of any nation on the event, with head coach Jon Cooper probably with the ability to run MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, and Sidney Crosby down the center if he so needs. That probably gained’t be the ultimate configuration as MacKinnon and Crosby (each natives of Nova Scotia) have lengthy expressed a want to play collectively at a world event.
The absence of NHL gamers from the final two Winter Olympics (2018 and 2022) together with the creation of the memorable Group North America for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey has meant that this occasion marks the primary time that two generations of Canadian superstars will play on the identical staff. It might be a disgrace to not see two (or extra) of that vaunted trio share the ice in Montreal and Boston.
Cale Makar, Canada
2024-25 Statistics: 55 GP; 19 G; 39 A; 58 PTS
Solely 4 energetic gamers who’ve gained the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP might be collaborating within the 4 Nations Face-Off, and Canada has three of them in McDavid, Crosby, and 26-year-old defenseman Cale Makar. The triumvirate coincidentally makes up Canada’s official management group, with Crosby assuming the captaincy with McDavid and Makar serving as alternates.
Makar is as soon as once more close to the highest of the NHL’s scoring leaderboard for defensemen this season as he appears to add a second Norris Trophy to his awards cupboard. He leads all rearguards in objectives (19) and ranks third in points-per-game (1.05 P/G) whereas taking part in 25:44 per recreation, the third-highest common utilization within the NHL.
Like MacKinnon, Makar is among the finest postseason performers at his place. He led the playoffs in scoring with 29 factors in 20 video games in the course of the Avalanche’s 2022 Stanley Cup run which earned him his Conn Smythe win, and ranks first amongst all defenders in objectives, assists, and factors since making his playoff debut in 2019. There ought to be little question that Makar can elevate his recreation for Canada, and he ought to discover consolation in probably lining up beside his most typical defensive companion.
Devon Toews, Canada
2024-25 Statistics: 51 GP; 6 G; 18 A; 24 PTS
Regardless of a gradual begin to the 2024-25 season (9 factors in his first 25 video games) 30-year-old defenseman Devon Toews was named to Canada’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Given his intensive expertise taking part in beside Makar with the Avalanche, the pairing ought to be a easy transplant for Cooper as the 2 presumably kind the staff’s prime defensive duo.
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Toews has by no means been flashy (his career-high is 57 factors in 2021-22) neither is he a bodily specimen on the blue line, however he possesses astute defensive consciousness and understands the significance of angles, anticipation, and physique positioning when defending.
Toews has a Stanley Cup to his identify, 77 profession playoff video games, two journeys to the convention ultimate, and has expertise shutting down the opposition’s finest gamers. If Canada is to win the title, Toews and Makar must be at their finest at each ends of the ice.
Artturi Lehkonen, Finland
2024-25 Statistics: 43 GP; 21 G; 9 A; 30 PTS
To not be overshadowed by his extra esteemed colleagues, winger Artturi Lehkonen ought to be an integral piece of Finland’s bid to engineer an upset of a number of of the pre-tournament favorites.
Lehkonen is certainly one of two Finnish skaters scoring at a 40-goal tempo this season (former teammate Rantanen is the opposite), and ranks third amongst his countrymen with 21 whole objectives in 43 video games. Since Rantanen is not with the Avalanche, Lehkonen presently holds the staff’s energetic lead in goal-scoring and is fourth in factors.
Lehkonen has a knack for delivering in large video games having scored 17 objectives and 31 factors in 38 profession playoff video games with the Avalanche, together with the series-winning objectives in each the 2022 Western Convention Closing and 2022 Stanley Cup Closing. He additionally scored the additional time objective which despatched the Montreal Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Closing for the primary time since 1993. In upsetting the Vegas Golden Knights within the 2021 Stanley Cup semifinal, he has etched himself into the lore of two of the league’s most storied franchises.
For the reason that begin of the 2021 NHL Playoffs, Lehkonen is tied for eighth in objectives (20) and tied for second in game-winning objectives (six). He’s a pesky forechecker with a nostril for the web, so opposing defenders could have their arms full as he probably flanks certainly one of Finland’s star facilities in Aleksander Barkov or Sebastian Aho.
Avalanche Stars Able to Shine at 4 Nations Face-Off
Whereas the aforementioned quartet have been near-locks to characterize their respective nations the second the event was introduced, the Avalanche have two different worthy candidates to function potential damage replacements.
Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood is third in save proportion (.918) and second in objectives saved above anticipated (GSAx) amongst certified Canadian netminders (minimal 15 video games performed). Concerningly, the three goalies named to Canada’s roster (Jordan Binnington, Samuel Montembeault, and Adin Hill) don’t look like the very best the nation can supply on the time of this writing.
Every member of the trio ranks fifth or decrease amongst Canadian goalies in each SV% and GSAx and whereas recency bias is at play, one has to marvel if the administration group would have appreciated an additional few weeks earlier than the roster deadline.
Elsewhere, Finnish winger Joel Kiviranta (11 objectives in 55 video games) ranks seventh amongst his countrymen in five-on-five objectives per-60-minutes this season and can be an efficient penalty-killer. Whereas Eeli Tolvanen (15 objectives in 55 video games) could also be subsequent in line as an damage alternative, Kiviranta brings versatility and a defensive conscience.
Whether or not the Avalanche’s ultimate tally of representatives reads 4, 5, or six, the staff might be well-represented on the occasion, with its key stars seeking to repeat Canada’s Twenty first-century successes of the 2002, 2010, and 2014 Winter Olympics, in addition to the 2004 and 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Information courtesy of Evolving Hockey, Pure Stat Trick and the NHL.
