Time is running out for the bubble players who want to make an impression on their countries’ management teams before the four-nation duel.

Just four weeks until rosters of 20 field players and three goalkeepers must be finalized and submitted on December 2nd, and just 100 more until games begin.

The February tournament will be the first to bring together all the top players from the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland since the 2016 Ice Hockey World Cup. This long window has resulted in a near-blank slate, with little leftover from hockey’s last best-on-best event.

With player ratings still ongoing, we tried to predict what each country’s squad might look like.

💯 ONE MORE DAYS #4Nations pic.twitter.com/55wJxDtq8K

– NHL (@NHL) November 4, 2024

Canada

The good: Canada is deep enough in the middle that it may consider moving last season’s Hart Trophy winner to the wing. And if Nathan MacKinnon doesn’t move, it will probably be 50-goal man Brayden Point. Considering how little preparation time teams will have before the tournament, Canada takes comfort in the familiarity of two defense pairings that have spent a lot of time together in the NHL, as well as Edmonton duo Zach Hyman-Connor McDavid Brad Marchand-Sidney Crosby from Edmonton the 2016 World Championships.

The not so good: Goaltending status is a big question mark for a country accustomed to lining up in front of surefire Hall of Famers at best-on-best events. Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill have at least both played their share of high-pressure games – each won a Stanley Cup – and the competition for playing time between them should remain open until February. Basically, the hottest hand gets the job. I went with Cam Talbot at No. 3 because of his strong start to the season in Detroit.

The most difficult calls: When you select Team Canada, you will always cut several top strikers from the roster. In this case, that includes Alexis Lafrenière, Mark Scheifele, Connor Bedard, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares and Quinton Byfield. The defender I found hardest to pass up was Noah Dobson, beaten by the experience of Josh Morrissey and the flexibility of MacKenzie Weegar. I chose Weegar as No. 7 because he played confidently on both ends of the ice.

Go deeper

LeBrun: How Jon Cooper is keeping an eye on Team Canada while coaching the Lightning this season

Go deeper

Who has the advantage for Canada’s 4-nation network? Don Sweeney: “We will evaluate every single game”

Finland

The good: Strongly built in the middle of the ice, the Finnish centers are experienced and elite. It will be a big bonus to be able to count on Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell to lead the Florida Panthers to two straight Stanley Cup Finals. This group of forwards also includes a number of players who are in solid shape heading into the NHL season, including Mikko Rantanen, Mikael Granlund and Kaapo Kakko. Sending Juuse Saros as the No. 1 goalkeeper should also be a source of confidence.

The not so good: Only eight Finnish defensemen have played an NHL game so far this season, and Jani Hakanpää – the player I picked as No. 7 on this team – isn’t one of them. However, he is close to returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup after a lengthy knee injury and gets the nod because of his size, penalty-killing acumen and history playing with Esa Lindell in Dallas. Aside from Miro Heiskanen, the star and star of this blue line, the Finns will be challenged while playing in their own zone against strong offensive competition.

The most difficult calls: Given the depth in the middle, I couldn’t find a place for Jesperi Kotkaniemi in this squad. Scoring goals could prove to be a challenge for this group and if that ends up being the case I may regret leaving Eeli Tolvanen and Patrik Laine at home. Ultimately, Laine’s uncertain injury situation cost him a spot.

Go deeper

LeBrun: How does Finland present itself for the 4 nations? Meeting with GM Jere Lehtinen

Sweden

The good: Sweden is built from the ground up, with Vezina Trophy-level goalkeepers and an elite group of defenders. It’s also an experienced collection of players. The Swedes should also be encouraged by the play of the three strikers already called up to the squad, with Filip Forsberg, Mika Zibanejad and William Nylander each making productive starts. Leo Carlsson is a potential X-factor for this team if he can fill a meaningful role.

The not so good: There is the potential for this to be a top-heavy forward group that could pose challenges against the USA and Canada. It’s hard to say what the Swedes can get out of the last seven up front.

The most difficult calls: Jonas Brodin, Adam Larsson and Oliver Ekman-Larsson were serious omissions on this loaded blue line. Rickard Rakell could have easily secured a spot among the forwards after a great start to the year in Pittsburgh. I chose the youth at the 13th striker spot with William Eklund and not the experience of Mikael Backlund.

Go deeper

LeBrun: How is Sweden preparing for the 4 Nations? Meeting with coach Sam Hallam

United States

The good: I mean, look at this list. It is stacked from top to bottom. They have three of the best goaltenders in the NHL, elite puck movers in every defensive pairing, and a group of forwards that can keep up with any opponent’s style of play. On paper, this has to be considered a tournament favorite.

The not so good: I would have to really try hard to find anything here. One of the challenges I encountered when trying to design the attacking lines was the lack of right wing strikers. Of course, leaving Tage Thompson and Cole Caufield out of my projected roster didn’t help. Even if Team USA ends up bringing 10 or 11 left-shot forwards into the tournament, I don’t think it will slow them down.

The most difficult calls: Caufield’s passing game didn’t feel right given his red-hot start to the season, but this team has plenty of players who can put the puck in the net. Other forwards who received great attention and were ultimately left at home include: Jason Robertson, Brock Nelson, Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. It was particularly difficult leaving defenseman Jake Sanderson out of this group, but 34-year-old John Carlson is still playing great and should be a stabilizing presence.

Go deeper

Patrick Kane’s case for the Team USA 4 Nations Face-Off roster

(Top photo of Connor McDavid celebrating a goal for Canada in 2015: John Crouch / Getty Images)