4 Nations Face-Off player ratings: Stars, slouches, final preview

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For a tournament that had its fair share of skeptics, the 4 Nations Face-Off has been a smashing success. The viewership has been sky-high, including many who are new to hockey. And for the first time in a long time, the NHL was compared favorably to the NBA by many sports media members on the backdrop of an underwhelming NBA All-Star Weekend.

Part of the reason is that the NHL and the International Olympic Committee have not been able to come to an agreement to let the league's players participate in the Olympics since 2014, robbing fans of more than a decade of best-on-best hockey. Given the performances of Canada's three-headed monster, the emotional games between European…