3. Checking out possible future Devils
The New Jersey Devils originally had four players going to the 4 Nations Face-Off, but Jacob Markstrom was forced to back out because of a serious knee injury. We also never got Dougie Hamilton on Team Canada, despite the fact that he would look really good over Colton Parayko. It is what it is, and the Devils are happy to have three players representing them on the world stage.
Some may not know that the Devils might have more representation in the tournament before it’s over. That’s because the NHL roster might be on a break from games, but the rosters are not frozen. Trades can still happen, and we expect Tom Fitzgerald to use this time to make some calls.
Some of the names we’ve already heard in trade talks that are playing in the 4 Nations include the Penguins’ Rickard Rickell, the Panthers’ Sam Bennett, the Flyers’ Travis Konecny, the Islanders’ Brock Nelson, the Canadiens’ Joel Armia, and the Bruins’ Brad Marchand. That is a lot of trade fodder in one tournament.
It’s time for us to put our scouting hats on and see which players look the best from the above group in a best-on-best tournament. If Rackell scores five goals in the tournament, it might motivate Kyle Dubas to ask for a bounty for him. If Brock Nelson goes on a scoring barrage, Lou Lamoriello could give him the contract he’s looking for. This tournament might not “matter,” but there is still a lot on the line.