Final Team USA Roster Projection for 4 Nations Face-Off

With the official team USA roster set to be revealed soon, what will their 4 Nations Face-Off lineup look like?

Nov 21, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Minnesota Wild celebrate a goal scored by forward Matt Boldy (12) during the first period against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images / Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

The United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland are just days away from announcing their official rosters for the NHL's first-ever 4 Nations Face-Off. It's shaping up to be an incredible event featuring some of the best in the world. While we wait for the rosters to be shared, let's take one final look at the potential lineups, starting with the United States team.

Goalies - Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Jeremy Swayman

The only big change from our last predictions is that Swayman swaps out for Thatcher Demko. That isn't due to Swayman's impressive play, it's because Demko remains out with an injury.

With Winnipeg Jets' star Hellebuyck and Dallas Stars' backstop Oettinger still available, it doesn't matter who the third goalie is. Hellebuyck remains the best goalie in the entire world, and he's backed up by an electric goalie in Oettinger. It means the position is absolutely stacked even with a question mark hanging over their third goalie choice.

Defensemen - Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy, Zach Werenski, Brock Faber, Jaccob Slavin, John Carlson

The only change here is swapping the veteran John Carlson for Jake Sanderson, who was one of the seven defenders on our previous prediction. Sanderson has been decent, but he plays a very similar game to Werenski and Hughes, and the team could use more variety in their defensive pairs. Carlson is a respected champion who can play a more defensive role.

Forwards - Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, Jack Eichel, Dylan Larkin, Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, Jason Robertson, Kyle Connor, Tage Thompson, Clayton Keller, Jake Guentzel, Vincent Trocheck, Matt Boldy

The US team is potentially taking a huge hit if JT Miller isn't available, but he's taking an extended leave of absence from the Vancouver Canucks, casting doubt on his availability for this tournament. Assuming he won't play, the team will look a bit different. Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield, who was on our previous list, is also being replaced in the latest projected roster.

Replacing Miller and Caufield are Vincent Trocheck of the New York Rangers and Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild. Trocheck is chosen to play the fourth line center role, while Boldy replaces Caufield to give the bottom-six group a little more power and strength instead of pure scoring ability.

The United States are a favorite in this tournament for very good reason. The team is loaded with talent across all three position groups, and they are likely to claim gold in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off

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