- The New Jersey Devils’ Jack Hughes has been a phenom since he was a teenager. He’s the United States National Development Program’s all-time leading scoring with 228 points (as a point of reference, Patrick Kane is 9th with 172 and Austin Matthews 11th with 167). He was drafted first overall by the Devils in 2019 and has responded by scoring 346 points in his first 363 career games. In the “4 Nations Face-Off” he was noticeable throughout Team USA’s 4 games with his speed and nose for the puck. However, he was also very noticeably bodied off the puck and thrown to the ice as well. In his first 12 NHL playoff games he has scored 11 points, so I’m not saying he can’t compete in the playoffs. But if he is to lead the Devils on a long playoff run, one would think he is going to have to get stronger. Keep this in mind, he is listed at 5’11”, same as Sidney Crosby.
- The New York Islanders’ Brock Nelson is a pro’s pro. I will admit, at first, I didn’t think his vanilla game fit in surrounded by all the superstars that jumped off the screen in this tournament. However, he plays the type of winning hockey that makes you a coach’s favorite and a player’s player. Islander President and General Manager, and United States Hockey Hall of Famer, Lou Lamoriello is currently negotiating with the 33-year-old pending unrestricted free agent to stay where his career began in 2013-14. We do not think that’s the smart thing. Nelson is the type of player that contending teams covet at the deadline. A package returning a 1st round pick and a team’s top 5 prospect is not out of the question. The Islanders have been in “go for it” mode for many years and they need to boost their farm system. Plus, letting Nelson go now, does not mean they can’t bring him back this summer. The Islanders have their eyes on a wild-card spot, but they should have at least one eye on the future.
- The New York Rangers’ Adam Fox did not have an impressive tournament. All you need to know is that he started game 1 vs Finland as the quarterback on the power-play and alongside the previously under-rated Jaccob Slavin on the first defensive pair. However, by the beginning of the 2nd period he was on the 2nd power-play unit and 3rd defensive pair, where he stayed for the rest of the tournament. Fox has finished 1st, 5th, 2nd, and 4th in the Norris Trophy balloting over the last 4 years. However, truth be told, he hasn’t played at a Norris Trophy candidate level since his knee-on-knee injury on November 2, 2023, against Sebastian Aho and the Carolina Hurricanes. Last spring, he started to regain his form but then reinjured the knee in the first round of the playoffs against Nick Jensen and the Washington Capitals. Is he still injured? It’s very hard to tell because speed and quickness is not Fox’s game. His game is more mental, as in the ability to remain calm amongst chaos and see things before they happen (yes, that’s real). However, when his game is off, “calm, cool and collective” can appear “casual, complacent and slow”. Fox has been under-the-radar this season with all the controversy surrounding Jacob Trouba, Chris Drury’s memo, JT Miller’s acquisition and Mika Zibanejad’s struggles. Here’s hoping his knee is healthy and his “4 Nations” demotion lights a fire under him. The Rangers may be able to squeak into the playoffs with Fox playing at his current level, but if they want to make noise, he needs to regain his Norris form.
- NBC/Peacock may have been the biggest winner of the “4 Nations Face-Off”. While a Team USA win would’ve created a lot of feel-good chatter on a Friday in February 2025, a Team Canada win has set up the “rematch” and “revenge” storyline for the whole month of February 2026. Let’s hope that the NHL’s current broadcasting partners (ESPN/ABC & TNT/TruTV/Max) play nice with their former broadcasting partner (NBC/Peacock) to cross-promote each other’s coverage to create a win for the networks, the league and the sport.
