Throughout the hockey world, fans and players alike have long been clamouring for the return of “best-on-best” competition. Now, it appears it’s finally back — albeit in somewhat of a watered-down state.

It’s not the Olympics. It isn’t even the World Cup. But the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off — which, as the name suggests, only features national teams from Canada, the U.S., Sweden, and Finland — is slated to kick off in Montreal on Wednesday.

It may just go down in the history books as an appetizer before next year’s Winter Olympics, but the 4 Nations should still be a fun mid-season change of pace before the second half of the 2024-25 NHL regular season. And at a time when this country’s sovereignty and national unity is actively being tested, the ratings for Saturday’s game between Canada and Team USA could end up exceeding all preliminary expectations.

To properly set the stage for the festivities to come over the next two weeks, we here at FlamesNation have created a panel of Barnburner hosts and regular site contributors to share some of our thoughts and predictions. Without further ado, let’s get into the roundtable!

Dean “Boomer” Molberg: It’s tough not to pick a roster that has McDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby, and Makar on it. Yeah, we’re all well aware of the optics for Canada’s goaltending … and this is about “best-looking on paper” … but I’m going with the Canadians by a hair over the U.S. team.

Ryan Pinder: Canada.

Mike Gould: I’m inclined to agree with Boomer and Pinder. I don’t think Canada’s goaltenders are as bad as people have said, although I do think it’s silly that they couldn’t find a spot for Logan Thompson. The forwards and defence, though … that’s overpowering.

Shane “Flash” Stevenson: The Americans all day. They have two of the best 5 goaltenders on the planet in Hellebuyck and Oettinger, more than likely the most complete blueline, and elite goal scoring forwards (Matthews, Connor, Eichel) mixed with guys not afraid to get their nose dirty (Tkachuks).

Robert Munnich: Canada has the best roster. The US would have come close if they had Quinn Hughes in their lineup. But it’s definitely Canada.

Jeff Middleton: While it’s hard for me to not say Team Canada given the star power, I have to go with Team USA. They don’t have McDavid or MacKinnon, but they still possess a roster full of superstars and, the kicker for me, is their goaltending. Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, and Jeremy Swayman are a fantastic trio. It hurts not having Quinn Hughes, but I still think they have the better roster.

Adrian Kiss: The United States. They edge out Canada mainly because of their goaltending.

Coleman Miller: Unfortunately, I think the Americans edge out Canada. They are little worse off than Canada for elite forwards but the difference isn’t overwhelming. The defence group is on par but the goaltending is far superior.

Ryan Pike: USA.

Boomer: I’ll say the U.S. wins Saturday. A little adversity for Canada could be good.

Pinder: Canada.

Gould: I think Canada will win in a rout.

Shane: In a one-game sample, either team is more than capable of achieving a win. I said above that I think the Americans are more complete so I’ll say they win here as well.

Robert: I think USA is going to beat Canada on Saturday because of goaltending. I am not a believer in Jordan Binnington. Not selecting Logan Thompson will come back to bite Canada.

Jeff: This is a tough prediction to make. I’d side with Team Canada to win on Saturday.

Adrian: I think Canada will win. They have way too much offensive firepower up front but It’ll probably be a really tight game.

Coleman: Canada, they need to make up for World Junior failures and will be the hungrier team even if the goaltending is not on the same level.

Pike: USA.

Boomer: I’m curious to see where the Swedish coaching staff has Rasmus slotted heading in. It’s a short tourney but I could see him in the 5/6 slot.

Pinder: Third pair.

Gould: I suspect he’ll predominantly end up on the outside looking in. The Swedes will ride Hedman, Karlsson, and Forsling hard. Beyond them, I think they’ll defer to Brodin, Ekholm, and Dahlin for matchup purposes. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Flames’ lone representative only plays minimal minutes as a reserve.

Shane: I don’t expect it to ever be on the top pairing. More like bottom pairing, seventh guy. His advantage here is if things go wrong for Sweden they may want to pair his right shot with a left and that could result in more minutes.

Robert: I think Rasmus will be the seventh defenceman on Team Sweden. He’ll likely get in one game, but I don’t see him playing a prominent role in the tournament.

Jeff: Andersson could find himself anywhere in the Team Sweden defence core, but unfortunately, I have a feeling he’ll be a sixth or seventh defenceman most of the time.

Adrian: Andersson will definitely see lots of time on the PK. In terms of 5v5, I think he’ll be on the lower end of the minutes among other defencemen. But that could change.

Coleman: Andersson seems like the type of player that is being slept on because of where he plies his NHL craft. However, he has the capability to unseat some of the more offensive minded players (Karlsson) if he can play his complete game in the limited opportunities he is given.

Pike: He’ll be a depth defender, by the looks of it.

Boomer: Canada.

Pinder: Canada.

Gould: I’m gonna go rogue and pick the Finns. They had a weak roster on paper at the World Juniors and ended up playing for gold. These tournaments are always full of surprises.

Shane: Sweden. I love an underdog. (That being said I will cheer passionately for Canada).

Robert: USA. Once again, I think their goaltending and high end offence will lead the USA to a tournament victory.

Jeff: I think the United States will win the whole Four Nations tournament. With the championship game being played in Boston, I like the Americans to take home the win in front of a raucous TD Garden crowd.

Adrian: I think Canada will emerge victorious. That team is loaded with winners. You got a lot of Stanley Cup champions and past Olympic champions on that team.

Coleman: Canada, if they can solve Hellebuyck. They have the firepower on forward and defense to outscore any deficiencies they might have in net.

Pike: Canada.

Boomer: This is incredibly hard to predict or imagine happening, but why not swing for the fences, right? Cale Makar.

Pinder: Niko Mikkola.

Gould: If Zayne Parekh becomes a star, the Flames will need a steady lefty to pair with him. I’m thinking Travis Sanheim.

Shane: Only two guys that might fit the age scheme and that’s Matt Boldy or Seth Jarvis. If Carolina goes big time spending for Rantanen it wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Flames to pursue a player as good as Jarvis.

Robert: Sam Bennett or Joel Armia. Signed as a free agent this summer.

Jeff: A defenseman like Niko Mikkola could be an option for the Flames if they’re looking for a depth defenseman, but that was a tough choice as well. (Editor’s note: Two people picked Niko Mikkola!?)

Adrian: It’s gotta be Cale Makar, right? He’s gonna come home.

Coleman: I look forward to seeing Calgary’s own Cale Makar return home after many successful years in Colorado. I’m certain he will have accomplished what he needed to there and will want to be a part of the solution in his hometown. Hey, it worked for LeBron James.

Pike: Brayden Point.

Daily Faceoff Live is on the road! From February 10th to 20th, we’re bringing you live shows every weekday straight from Four Nations, delivering exclusive coverage, insider analysis, and all the tournament action as it unfolds. Don’t miss a beat—subscribe to the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and follow us on social for the latest updates. It’s international hockey, so expect intensity, excitement, and maybe even a little chaos. Stay locked in and catch us live from Four Nations!