On Feb. 12, 2025, the NHL’s first best-on-best tournament in almost a decade will begin. The 4 Nations Face-Off, a nine-day battle between Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States, has its rosters set for international play. Which members of the Philadelphia Flyers made the cut?
Travis Konecny, Canada
This nomination was well-deserved. Travis Konecny has 30 points (13 goals and 17 assists) in 25 games, on his way to the best season of his career. He will be playing for his home country in February.
Related: Flyers Player Grades Through 25 Games
The good news for the Flyers is that, while Konecny has by no means reinvented his game, his net-front play has been more potent. He has found ways to create dangerous opportunities in close proximity to opposing netminders in ways that he didn’t last season. That’s always been a pretty quiet strength of his, but the key to unlocking some longevity is through that ability.
In general, Konecny has been a creation machine for Philadelphia. He has excelled with the puck on his stick, being the anchor of the Flyers’ offensive attack. How might this work for Canada, though?
There are many avenues to take here. For one, Konecny is routinely at his best when he’s the feature of a line rather than a complementary piece. He’s getting a ton of puck touches as a minute-muncher for the Flyers, and consequently doing more with it. He has been dangerous off the puck, too, which is why he could be a fit for any of Canada’s four forward lines.
Seeing as his career-high in points is 68, Konecny might surprise some people who aren’t familiar with his game. He’s a ball of energy with more offensive talent than his previous scoring levels indicate. This was a smart pick for Canada and one that could have a lot of upside—we’ll just have to wait and see.
Travis Sanheim, Canada
Hilarious online banter aside, there is a reason to both question and embrace Travis Sanheim’s inclusion on Canada’s roster. With omissions such as Evan Bouchard, MacKenzie Weegar, Noah Dobson, and Brandon Montour, this pick isn’t as obvious as some Flyers fans are making it. But it’s not as egregious as critics are, either.
Sanheim has been all over the ice in Philadelphia this season. A lot of his play is reminiscent of his terrific start to 2023-24. He’s been involved on offense and the forecheck at times, being aggressive when necessary to provide a scoring boost to a team that needs the help. This asset is rarely talked about, but Sanheim’s ability to set up clean entries is cherished by the Flyers. He has the confidence—when it’s the right time—to skate out of the defensive zone himself to open up space and provide a seamless transition to an offensive attack.
For Canada, both of these traits will be appreciated, even if he isn’t playing 25 to 26 minutes a game as he does for the Orange and Black. He’s a big body with good reach, thus being able to disrupt plays on defense. A combination of several important facets of the game is likely what made him a desirable choice.
Whereas Konecny might be a first-line fixture for all we know, Sanheim probably won’t be. Still, the fact that he has a legitimate argument as one of Canada’s seven best defensemen is remarkable progress from the 2023 offseason. The Flyers were ready to trade him and his eight-year deal for pennies on the dollar, but Torey Krug’s contractual right to block being moved in that trade blew up the whole thing. Philadelphia’s new management walked away.
Like Krug, Sanheim has trade protection today. However, to that point, there’s definitely some value here. Whether or not he should be traded is a matter of opinion, but both sides of the coin have valid arguments. He’s a number-one defenseman on a good defense, a key piece for a possible contender in the near future. Parting ways might be a mistake in Matvei Michkov’s young career, who objectively benefits from having a capable team around him (even if it might mean top draft picks are unattainable). At the same time, the Flyers need a lot of help at their center position and could use an area of strength (their defense) to fix their problem down the middle.
About a year and a half ago, neither of these outcomes were possible. Getting out of Sanheim’s contract—which has a $6.25 million cap hit—was the biggest priority. But that has changed, evidenced by making a hard-to-crack Canadian blue line.
Rasmus Ristolainen, Finland
Whether by merit or not, Rasmus Ristolainen was always going to be a member of Finland. The big-bodied defender was a lock on this team from the get-go. He’s more than earned his nomination, though.
Last season, Ristolainen took steps in the right direction of being a capable defenseman (following a decent 2022-23 showing, too). His usage was limited, but the results were promising. Injuries wrecked what seemed to be an official turnaround for the 30-year-old, unfortunately. Yet, this one has been even better.
Instead of having his usage cut, Ristolainen hasn’t shied away from a big role with the Orange and Black this season. The poor health of the blue liners around him kind of forced his hand, but he’s capably playing nearly 21 minutes per game. He seems like a confident player, being less sheltered and putting himself out there more.
In this tournament, 21 of the 21 non-Finnish defensemen are averaging at least 21 minutes of ice time per game this season. Including Ristolainen, five of Finland’s are not. They have a threatening offense, but the blue line isn’t as stacked with names as some of the other nations.
This is to say that Ristolainen has a big opportunity. While he won’t get first-pairing usage with Miro Heiskanen almost surely taking the spotlight on the right side, there’s a very good chance he’s depended on more than someone like Sanheim because of the strength of the Finland roster.
If Ristolainen performs well, he might play himself into a trade. With no protections, he doesn’t exactly have much control over what the front office does with him. As was the case with Cutter Gauthier, this could be a leverage tournament for the Orange and Black. It might sound cold to trade a player in this situation, but the Flyers have to be on their heels—it’s not impossible that this management pounces on Ristolainen’s peak value, in the hypothetical where he shines.
He’s not a player, but head coach John Tortorella will be behind the bench for the United States as an assistant to Mike Sullivan. While it would’ve been fun to see one of Tortorella’s players join him, this is still a notable accomplishment.
Fans of the Flyers might be rooting against their country, keeping a close eye on Canada and Finland instead. Hopefully, all members of the Orange and Black represent their nation (and the organization) well, even if not a single player will be repping the red, white, and blue.
