2. Jesper Bratt gets to showcase himself against the best, including teammate William Nylander
Yes, the point of the 4 Nations Face-Off is to see how teams of superstars can compete with teams of other superstars, but don’t discount the storyline involved with comparing teammates. We want to see how players compare to their peers, and that’s not more prevalent than on Team Sweden.
William Nylander has been one of the better wingers in the NHL for years, and he usually gets his proper due thanks to playing in Toronto. Most would say that Bratt is a rung lower than him, but should he be? Both Nylander and Bratt are still trying to get their first 100-point season. They have similar skillsets and production.
Can Bratt see his star rise through this tournament? Will he gain fans from his performance with Sweden?
Right now, Bratt is paired with Joel Eriksson-Ek and Lucas Raymond, which can be a very potent line. They will also face lesser competition, so Bratt might be able to do incredible things in this tournament. To be fair, it’s not like there are any “bad” lines on these four teams, but it’s better to get Bratt on a line that won’t get buried in the defensive zone by the likes of Connor McDavid or his normal teammate Jack Hughes.