MONTREAL – The world of hockey has been waiting for the best on best hockey renewal for eight years. Now it's finally here.
The four-country showdown between Team USA, Canada, Sweden and Finland begins Wednesday night as Canada plays Sweden at the Bell Centre.
The tournament, which the NHL operates in place of the All-Star Game this season, will serve as the predecessor of the 2026 Milan Olympics and will feature the NHLERS for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Games.
The league was unable to put together a complete World Cup in a short period of time. Russia was banned from participating due to the war in Ukraine, and countries such as the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Germany would have had to go outside the NHL ranks to fill their roster. However, this version of Best-On Best is still a welcome development.
The tournament will feature round-robin plays to determine the top two teams, but will begin on Wednesday in Canada, Sweden and Montreal and end in the title game in Boston on February 20th.
This post breaks down all four teams in the competition.
Team USA
Best Players: Auston Matthews, Kyle Connor and Matthew Tkachuk will help lead a forward group that looks the same as the others in the tournament. But if the Americans win, it will likely be the strength of the goal. Connor Helebuik is a current Vezina Trophy favourite.
Best Metro Area Players: There are plenty of rangers on this team, and Brock Nelson, the lonely islander of the tournament, is here. But Devils' Jack Hughes is the only top six from this team's metro area, based on a line that manager Mike Sullivan has never been left, and he's easily the most skilled. Adam Fox appears to be in the top defensive pair, similar to Carolina's Jackob Slavin.
Odds to win the championship: +150
How they win: easy. Americans have a collection of the best talents in this tournament. The betting line is slightly leaning towards Canada, but Team USA is generally recognized as a favorite by people in the sport.
If there is concern here, it is the loss of Quinn Hughes, who retreated late from the tournament due to an injury. There is no replacement for the Norris Trophy front runner. He has already scored 59 points in 47 games against the Canucks this season. Like Fox, Zach Welensky and Charlie McAvoy, they're not as aggressive gamebreakers as Hughes.
Still, Team USA's trump card is goaltending. Sullivan hasn't committed to the starter yet, but Helebuick is almost invincible when he's in the game. It would be surprising if he wasn't in the net.
Team Canada
Best Players: You already know this. Conor McDavid, Nathan McKinnon, Kale McCar and Sydney Crosby. Who else?
Best Metro Area Players: none. Team Canada is only one of the four without Metro Area players. Among the snubs are Alexis Lafreniere, Matt Balzar and Noah Dobson. Islander fans can also catch his old friend Devon Too on top pair with Makaru.
Odds to win the championship: +145
How they win: If Team USA's overall talent is the highest, Team Canada can answer with the best four players in the tournament. Canada can be rolled with the first power play unit, including McDavid, Crosby, McKinnon and Samline Heart, which are fantasy hockey. Director John Cooper has no plans for the line for McKinnon, Crosby or McDavid at least, but at least they can't start, but comparisons with the 1987 Canadian Cup – Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemiux Dale Howellchuk and when I played in the trio, it was already made.
But the big problem is goaltending. Between Addinghill, Jordan Binnington and Sam Montenbealto there is no obvious No. 1. Team Canada is papering the worst trio in the tournament. There is a potential crack here when putting overwhelming pressure on Canada in international tournaments.
Team Sweden
Best Players: Victor Hedman wears the “C” and brings the Defense Forces Championship pedigree. Elias Petterson and William Nylander are two of Sweden's most talented offensive players.
Best Metro Area Players: Devils Jesper Blatt and Rangers Mikaji Banejad are the only two in Team Sweden after Jacob Mark Strom had to resign due to injury.
Odds to win the championship: +425
How they win: Sweden usually shows up in international tournaments, and this is no exception. This roster isn't overwhelmed by stars like the US and Canada, but there aren't many holes either. Between Nylander, Pettersson, Bratt, Adrian Kempe and Lucas Raymond there are many scoring punches here. Linus Ullmark is the former winner of the Nets Vezina Trophy.
If Sweden could surprise people with the NHL seasons that have been disappointing so far, namely the few players who can find the rhythms of Zibanejad, Petterson and Eric Carlson playing their own country's rhythms.
Team Finland
Best Players: Aleksander Barkov and Mikko Rantanen are two celebrities here, with Sebastian Aho just behind.
Best Metro Area Players: Rangers' Urho Varkaninen and Devil Eric Haura are the two locals who created Team Finland. It's also a chance for fans to reunite themselves with Kaapocacco after the former ranger was traded to Seattle this year.
Odds to win the championship: +1000
How they win: Finland was a long shot before three of the seven defensemen originally selected for the team fell from injuries.
Traditionally, Finland won in defense and grind, and that's how this roster looks. Barkov is an annual Selke candidate, with many players surrounding him, he is able to check out hockey, heavy and physical. Anyone who is directed by Antti Pennanen is the net of Kevin Lankinen, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Juuse Saros should qualify himself.
That said, the Defences now look thin, and Finland is behind the others in terms of scoring ability. It's not impossible to win, but it's uphill.
