The roster announcements for Finland, Sweden, Canada and USA come out on December 4th. Finland and Sweden will announce their rosters at 2 p.m. ET and USA and Canada will announce their rosters at 6:30 p.m. ET. For each country there are some Florida Panthers players who have already made their respective rosters, while there are some who are as close to a lock to make their respective rosters and others who are on the bubble of making the roster.
Team Finland:
Aleksander Barkov:
Captain Aleksander Barkov has already locked in his spot as one of the six Finnish players to already be named to the Four Nations team. Barkov’s selection not only brings great leadership, but also superstar level two-way play. In the defensive zone, on the penalty kill, and on the forecheck his tenacity when attacking the puck really puts him a step above most players at the tournament. Furthermore, he brings his scoring and playmaking ability to the team. If Finland is to capture gold, Barkov will look to be a key part.
Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen:
Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen excel on the Panthers third line. In the defensive zone and on the penalty kill, Lundell and Luostarinen form such a strong duo that strikes a fear in the opponents power play. Although you might consider both defensive minded forwards, Lundell and Luostarinen are constantly rewarded in the offensive zone with goals and assists as a result of their hard defensive play. Even though both were not initially selected, they are almost guaranteed locks to make Team Finland.
Nikko Mikkola:
Nikko Mikkola was not one of the first six Finnish players to be selected, although he is most likely to be selected to be on the team. In Mikkola you get a sound and steady defenseman who is great on the penalty kill. He will occasionally chip in on the offensive side of the rink, but that isn’t really his game. He excels at shutting down the opposing teams top players, and if he makes Team Finland he will most likely be playing on the third defensive pairing.
Team Sweden:
Gustav Forsling:
Some might say Sweden’s strongest area of their team is their defense-core because of the likes of Victor Hedman and Erik Karlsson. In reality their defense-core is there strongest area because of Gustav Forsling. Forsling was one of the six initial players to be selected to Team Sweden. Forsling brings so many different attributes to the game. He is a number one shutdown defenseman and he can be offensive minded as he makes plays happen in the offensive and defensive zone. He has the ability to shutdown the other teams best player while also having the ability to score the clutch goal.
Team USA:
Matthew Tkachuk:
Matthew Tkachuk had the privilege of being one of the six American skaters to initially be selected to Team USA. Tkachuk is not your prototypical superstar. Although he can score and make the highlight reel play, he possesses a trait no superstar really has in being a gritty, tough, physical player who is willing to do the dirty work and go to the tough areas. He is ultra competitive and will bring his unique abilities to Team USA.
Team Canada:
Aaron Ekblad:
Aaron Ekblad, a former first overall pick, is someone Team Canada would love to have on their backend. He is a star in many different ways. He is a good minute eating defender, who throughout his career has averaged 22:51 of ice time, generally playing on the first defensive pair. He has also become an excellent penalty killer, and puts up good offensive numbers. He is someone who could really help Canada throughout this tournament.
Carter Verhaeghe:
If Carter Verhaeghe is selected he will bring something that only a select few Canadian forwards have – the ability to score the important goal. Some might say Verhaeghe is one of the most under appreciated forwards in the league. If he is selected to Team Canada he likely won’t be playing in the top six, but he still will find a way to make an impact. He is a smart, skilled, and offensively talented player that will be a great addition to Canada if he is selected.
Sam Bennett:
Sam Bennett is a dominant center. Bennett, who is a mean and physical power forward, can play a tough grinding style of game that wears the opposing players down. He would most likely be playing a bottom six role on Team Canada. If he was, his style fits a bottom six role perfectly, but he also can score.
Sam Reinhart:
Sam Reinhart has come into his own during his time with the Panthers. He has turned into an elite offensive threat, and a dominate two-way forward. With Reinhart playing with elite players like Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkauchuk, he could play with any combination of Team Canada’s top talent. His play in the offensive and defensive zone will be a key factor in Canada’s play.
Other News:
- The Florida Panthers called up goaltender Chris Driedger and sent down rookie Mackie Samoskevich. The reason for this move is because Bobrovsky is expecting another addition to his family.
- Insider Pierre Lebrun of the Athletic recently wrote an article where he talked about how the Panthers are looking to add another defenseman. He says the Panthers will have to be creative when it comes time to acquire a defenseman because they have a little less than two million dollars in cap space. Some names that come to my mind when thinking about defenseman with low cap hits that the Panthers could target are Ivan Provorov, Rasmus Ristolainen, Will Borgen and Cody Ceci.
- Linus Eriksson, who was the Panthers second round pick in 2024, made the Sweden World Juniors team.