We are nine days from the Four Nations Face-Off which will pit the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden against one another. Rosters were previously submitted, but injuries happen and there have been some changes which involve a Penguin.

Rickard Rakell, who was previously left off of the roster, has been added to Sweden’s team following the injury to William Karlsson per reports out of Sweden. Here is a translated excerpt from the article

On Sunday, Tre Kronor gathers in Montreal for the opening part of Four Nations.
Many teams will this week refine the troops due to injuries and in Tre Kronor there have been disturbing moments with injuries to goalkeeper Jacob Markström, forward William Karlsson and the defenseman Jonas Brodin.

Markström has already been replaced by Samuel Ersson.

Karlsson has also made a return.

And Rickard Rakell is the one to replace.

Rakell has a very strong season behind it in Pittsburgh and is listed for 23 goals. Only William Nylander and Adrian Kempe have more Swedish goals in the NHL than Stockholmer Rakell.
That Karlsson is replaced by Rakell can open up for an opportunity that Adrian Kempe takes a role as a center in the team building.

Rakell is very deserving of being named to the team. He’s having a tremendous year playing on the top line with Sidney Crosby. He has 23 goals and 45 points in 53 games this year. He is playing like a bonafide top six player. Sure, he’s shooting 16.8% which is close to a career high. The pucks are going in and he is in the right spots to get the puck.

Bryan Rust is also having a tremendous year. He will not be on Team USA. He has 20 goals and 40 points in 46 games played. The decision makers for the United States decided to go with Chris Kreider instead. Rust is more deserving in my opinion, although he is not the real snub here. That would be Buffalo’s Tage Thompson who has 26 goals and 48 points in 47 games played. The US is always good for some puzzling roster moves at these international events. I remain convinced that while the Miracle On Ice was one of the most amazing team accomplishments of all time, it also cemented the mantra of “we don’t want the best players we want the right ones.” I’m hear to say just take all the best players. You aren’t going to recreate the 1980 tournament and the results of the best on best tournaments for the US since then are evidence enough.

Sidney Crosby is rightfully known as one of the best captains in the league of his era, and of all-time. He will captaining Canada at the upcoming tournament, no surprise there. Also no surprise that he went above and beyond contacting the Canucks with glowing things to say about his recently traded teammates

He’s a good egg, that Sidney Crosby.

Thanks for reading!

Join the Discussion: » 4 Comments » Post New Comment

» Pettersson party in Vancouver

» Stop bugging Sid, FSG selling, and a Saad situation

» Geno Machino needs repairs

» Sidney Crosby is going to Colorado

» What the duck