Chemistry will be key with Lehkonen, Barkov, Rantanen leading forward group
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ByNHL.com
December 05, 2024
The rosters for the four teams competing in the 4 Nations Face-Off were revealed Wednesday, and though the teams are now set, there is still plenty of work to be done for Team Canada, Team United States, Team Finland and Team Sweden.
Now, it’s up to the respective coaching staffs to find the right line combinations, defense pairs and goalie depth charts to make their team a winner. With only a few practice days between the start of the break in the regular season and the first game of the tournament, most of this will need be figured out ahead of time.
The 4 Nations Face-Off will be held from Feb. 12-20 at Bell Centre in Montreal and TD Garden in Boston. Tickets for each site are on sale now.
With that in mind, a team of three NHL.com writers and editors will take a crack at each country’s lineup.
Here, NHL.com senior director of editorial Shawn P. Roarke, staff writer Tracey Myers and NHL.com/fi editor Sami Haapasalo give their opinion on how Team Finland should line up when it opens the tournament against Team USA on Feb. 13 at Bell Centre in Montreal.
Forwards (13)
Artturi Lehkonen — Aleksander Barkov — Mikko Rantanen
Patrik Laine — Sebastian Aho — Teuvo Teravainen
Erik Haula — Roope Hintz — Mikael Granlund
Eetu Luostarinen — Anton Lundell — Kaapo Kakko
Existing chemistry will be a key in a short tournament like this, and Team Finland has plenty of it. Like general manager Jere Lehtinen said, “You have to be ready right away.” The Finns have great depth at center and some of the best two-way forwards in the NHL. Stanley Cup captain and two-time Selke Award winner Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers is the undisputed No. 1 center, and Colorado Avalanche linemates Rantanen and Lehkonen will play with him on the first line, which has the potential to be one of the best in the tournament. The next offensive line is all about high hockey IQ. Aho, of the Carolina Hurricanes, and Teravainen, now with the Chicago Blackhawks, played several years together with the Hurricanes, so they’re a good fit on the second line. Laine, who could be the X-factor, possesses elite goal-scoring talent for the Montreal Canadiens but isn’t that strong defensively, so he’ll fit nicely in a scoring line. The third line of Hintz of the Dallas Stars, Haula of the New Jersey Devils and Granlund of the San Jose Sharks has almost everything: speed, experience, two-way excellence, scoring prowess and versatility since each one can play center or wing. The Panthers’ dynamic duo of Lundell and Luostarinen will continue playing together on the fourth line. Kakko of the New York Rangers completes this all-around trio with his defensive awareness and strength in corner battles. Armia of the Canadiens (6-foot-3, 216 pounds) is a versatile and experienced wing with good size, strength and skills for a 200-foot game. This forward group might not be the flashiest goal-scoring machine, but it has the ability to outwork, outsmart and shut down any opponent. — Haapasalo
