The 4 Nations Face-Off, which is a round-robin hockey tournament scheduled for Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston, will boast an international field stacked with elite scorers, playmakers, shutdown defenders and elite goaltenders: Connor McDavid is on for Canada, as are Nathan MacKinnon and Connor Hellebuyck in net. The USA team boasts Auston Matthews and Quinn Hughes; Sweden has William Nylander and Linus Ullmark (if healthy); Finland is led by the likes of Sebastian Aho and Juuse Saros.
The tournament, which replaces the NHL's typical All-Star Weekend, will feature rosters of NHL players from the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland, all locked in a battle for bragging rights about which country has produced the best talent in the world.
But which player truly stands out as the most gifted among them?
Thanks to NHL EDGE tracking data, we can quantify factors such as the skating speed and shot power of every skater, among other attributes. Not only will those skills make a difference to the outcome of the tournament, but they're also darned exciting to watch in action.
Here are the 4 Nations players, selected among the four rosters of 23 players each, who excel in the metrics that define hockey dominance this season.
More 4 Nations Face-Off coverage:
Pick Team USA's lineup | See the jerseys
How to watch, schedule | Format, rules
Grading the rosters; snubs, surprises
Fastest Skater: Jack Hughes, USA and Connor McDavid, Canada (tie)
Metrics of choice: Top speed and average skating speed at even strength
