In the all-new 4 Nations Face-Off, the St. Louis Blues only had two players selected to a roster: Colton Parayko and Jordan Binnington, who were chosen for Team Canada. However, with many great players trending upward this season, some Blues players could’ve made an excellent pick for any of the four nations in the tournament. Let’s look at the three players cut short of making their nation’s roster for this tournament.
Jordan Kyrou (Canada)
If we’re talking about this season, I would say Jordan Kyrou deserved to make the Canadian roster as he’s racked up the most points on the Blues, with 25 points in 30 games. At the beginning of the season, he had a minor breakout but started to slump; despite that, he’s picked up his consistency. The Blues also had a significant coaching change with new head coach Jim Montgomery, which benefited Kyrou as he’s put up five points in the last five games playing under Mongomery.
Kyrou also offers excellent versatility, shifting between center and right wing. Still, if he were to make Canada, he would probably be a fourth-line center. He’s not the first option for point production, but he brings a lot to the table as a playmaker for the bottom lines.
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On the power play, Kyrou leads the Blues in points (6) and is on the first power-play unit. While the highest power-play point total of his career was 23, Kyrou has the experience for this roster to be a last-resort option should the team suffer any injuries during the tournament.
Looking at his overall career, Kyrou has shown he’s worth the call for Team Canada in the 4 Nations tournament and has succeeded in every international tournament he’s been put into, such as the U18 and U20 World Junior Championships where he’s finished both tournaments with eight or more points through seven games. Surprisingly, he hasn’t been considered for the World Hockey Championship tournaments, usually around the Stanley Cup Playoffs in May, which would’ve been great for his international playing experience.
Robert Thomas (Canada)
Robert Thomas is not the first center that comes to mind when selecting centers for Team Canada. However, his 86-point finish last season proved he could be someone to consider. Like Kyrou, he has yet to be chosen for professional international tournaments after the U18 and U20 World Juniors.
However, this season has been rough, as he suffered an ankle injury and was out for about six weeks. Thomas returned against the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 19, where he recorded a point, and since then, he has consistently earned a point or more in almost every game he’s played. In his 18 games played this season, Thomas has 20 points, which is complementary to the consistency he plays with. In the 4 Nations tournament, this would’ve been crucial to Team Canada as they would’ve had a player who is a skilled playmaker and earns points almost every game.
Thomas is another power-play option, like Kyrou. He led the Blues in power-play points last season, with 27 of his 86 points coming from the power play. While he is on the first power-play unit for the Blues, I see him as an in-depth option for the second power-play unit on Team Canada. However, someone from the top options for the power play would have to be absent so that Thomas could get some playing time on the power play.
He may have been passed because of his injury and because Canada has many centers that seem way better. However, I would argue Thomas had a tight race with Anthony Cirelli and Seth Jarvis for the final center slot with the big improvement in points he had last season.
Justin Faulk (USA)
If there is one player who is underrated for selection in this tournament, it is Justin Faulk, who was passed from making Team USA. While the USA has developed a long way from what it used to be defensively, it has many more top defensemen than before. However, I think Faulk could’ve genuinely made this roster with his international hockey resume, and it’s a surprise he wasn’t even considered for a reserve spot.
Throughout his professional international hockey experience, he’s played in three World Championships and the 2014 Winter Olympics with the USA. He also hasn’t declined since then, as he’s put up career-high numbers in his last three seasons, where he put up 30 or more points, including his all-time high of 50 points in a season, and he’s 32 years old right now.
Considering his age and the accolades he’s achieved, having a player like Faulk on the Team USA roster would help add some veteran presence and provide insight to those players who have yet to play in a professional international tournament. Faulk’s experience in international tournaments has rewarded him two bronze medals out of the three World Championship tournaments he’s played in. If he were to join this USA roster, I think this would’ve been his best shot at winning gold for the first time in his career at the professional international level, as he’s only won gold in the U18 World Juniors.
Not Their Final Chance to Make the National Team
While this tournament will be necessary to the careers of several players on the roster now that it will replace the NHL All-Star Game, they still have a chance to play in the 2026 Olympics. However, it will not be easy to make as both Team Canada and USA have very competitive rosters in the future, as many players have yet to blow up in their careers. By next season, we could see more guys like Connor Bedard, Alexis Lafreniere, Macklin Celebrini, and many more up-and-coming players who can qualify for the 4 Nations Face-Off in the future, making it more challenging to make their respective rosters. As for the Blues’ players, they still have a lot of promise in Thomas and Kyrou to make Team Canada in the future, and they also have guys like Theo Lindstein and Otto Stenberg emerging within their prospect system; they could also be future stars for Team Sweden.
