Boston Bruins

The Case To Be Made For Bruins 4 Nations Face-Off Hopefuls

Published

1 month ago

December 3, 2024

AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy have already been selected to play in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament, and more members of the Boston Bruins may soon join them.

The NHL will officially unveil the full rosters for its upcoming best-on-best international tournament tomorrow night.

While we know Marchand will suit up for Team Canada and McAvoy will represent the Stars and Stripes, there are a handful of other Bruins players hoping to hear their names called.

Jeremy Swayman – USA:

When it was announced that the NHL would be returning to international competition, there was a chance that Jeremy Swayman could’ve been the starting goalie for the United States.

That role will almost certainly go to reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets. But, not only is the starting job pretty much out of the question for Swayman, his spot on the team entirely, is in doubt as well.

Swayman struggled mightily through the early part of this season. His play has improved in the last few weeks, but not enough to cover up his poor numbers to start the year.

The Alaska native’s 3.09 goals-against average is well above his career standard, while his save percentage has dropped below .900 and is currently sitting at .892 through 18 starts. Among 41 goalies who have played in a minimum of 10 games so far this year, Swayman’s -6.4 goals saved above expected ranks 37th, according to Moneypuck.com.

Swayman was always going to have a hard time earning a spot over the likes of Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, but there now may be other American-born netminders that have leapfrogged him in the pecking order.

Joey Daccord has made a case for himself with the Seattle Kraken. In fact, some believe that Team Canada may bring the dual citizen aboard their roster just to keep him from donning the red, white, and blue. Anthony Stolarz also deserves at least some consideration in Toronto, as he’s helped keep the Maple Leafs afloat early on.

Joonas Korpisalo – Finland:

While Swayman’s play has left his spot in the Four Nations Face-Off up in the air, his Bruins tandem mate Joonas Korpisalo is making a push to represent his homeland of Finland.

Korpisalo is having a bounce-back season in his first season in Boston after seemingly bottoming out last year with the Ottawa Senators. Through nine appearances, he has a 2.45 goals against average and a .907 save percentage, with a 5-2-1 record that includes two shutouts.

He has been especially strong lately, as the Bruins have won four of his last five starts and have collected a point in each of them.

The competition, though, in net for the Fins is fierce.

Along with Korpisalo, Finland has the tough decision of selecting between Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen of the Buffalo Sabres, and Kevin Lankinen of the Vancouver Canucks.

Elias Lindholm – Sweden:

If Elias Lindholm does hear his name called to play for Team Sweden, it won’t be to play heavy top-line minutes.

From William Nylander to Filip Forsberg, Sweden has a bevy of high-end skill players to pick from. So much so, in fact, that there’s bound to be a star player or two that gets snubbed from the roster.

However, Lindholm’s ability as a two-way center makes him a candidate for a spot somewhere in the bottom six of the lineup. He won’t be asked to carry the team offensively but is more than capable of killing penalties and winning key defensive zone draws.

Lindholm has regularly represented Sweden in international competitions since the time he was 16 years old and likely will again early next year.

Hampus Lindholm – Sweden:

There was a fair possibility that two Bruins and two Lindholms would play for Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off. At least, there was until Hampus Lindholm suffered a lower-body injury.

The defenseman is still “weeks” away from returning, according to Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco. Even then, that won’t come until after he gets back on the ice after a lengthy rehab process. Prior to getting hurt, Hampus Lindholm had been the most consistent player for the Bruins and their best on the blue line, scoring seven points with three goals.

If, by some chance, Hampus Lindholm can get himself into game shape before mid-February, Sweden would be happy to have him.

4 Nations Face-Off:

The NHL will officially unveil the full rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 4.

The rosters for teams Finland and Sweden will be announced during a live show produced by NHL Network starting at 2 p.m. EST and will also be announced on ESPN. The team Canada and USA rosters will be announced later in the day on TNT on a broadcast that begins at 6:30 p.m.

The 4 Nations Face-Off officially begins on Feb. 12, 2025, at Bell Centre in Montreal before shifting to Boston’s TD Garden on Feb. 17.