The rosters for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off are filled with stars from around the NHL, but everybody associated with the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland knows to win the tournament in February, some of those stars will have to play different roles.
Some of those stars will have to become glue guys.
What is a glue guy?
It's exactly what you think it is; a player who isn't a star, but instead a player who does everything asked of him well enough to glue his success directly to his team's success.
The NHL is filled with them, and every team ranked this week in the Super 16 has a handful that are as impactful and meaningful as the stars who get the headlines and get themselves into a best-on-best tournament like the 4 Nations Face-Off.
This week, the Super 16 celebrates some of the best glue guys in the League, because without them, their team probably wouldn't be in the Super 16.
As a reminder, to come up with the Super 16 each week, the 13 voters this week put together their own version of what they think the rankings should look like and a point total is assigned to each, with the team selected first given 16 points, second 15, third 14, and so on.
Here is the glue-guy edition of the Super 16:
1. Minnesota Wild (17-4-4)
Total points: 230
Last week: No. 3
"The Wild have been hit by the injury bug pretty hard this season, but they're not just staying afloat -- they're thriving and No. 1 this week for the first time this season. Jake Middleton has been a warrior on the blue line. He's played all 25 games for Minnesota and leads the team with 61 blocked shots and his plus-18 ranks second, all while averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per game. Minnesota has had to rely on Middleton heavily this season with defensemen Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin each missing time, and Middleton has answered the call and is the glue that has kept the Wild together." -- Brian Compton, managing editor
2. Winnipeg Jets (18-8-0)
Total points: 204
Last week: No. 1
"There isn't anything Adam Lowry can't do for the Jets. In fact, the only thing he's really not tasked with is playing on the power play, but Winnipeg has enough skilled forwards for that. First and foremost, Lowry is the Jets captain, their leader. That alone glues him to Winnipeg's success this season, despite a 3-7-0 stretch. He has 16 points (six goals, 10 assists), including 14 at even strength (six goals, eight assists). He averages 15:18 of ice time per game as a third-line center, but Lowry is the first forward over the boards for a penalty kill, averaging 1:56 of short-handed ice time per game, most among Jets forwards. He is second on the team with 48 hits and second among forwards with 21 blocks. He has taken the most face-offs (465), and has won 54.0 percent in the neutral zone, helping to drive possession. He's sticky, hard to play against. He's the glue in Winnipeg." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer
3. Washington Capitals (17-6-2)
Total points: 196
Last week: No. 7
"Nic Dowd is one of the less-heralded players who continues to do the little things that help the Capitals win. As their fourth-line center, he's often used in key defensive situations and sometimes moves up in the lineup when needed. With seven goals in Washington's first 25 games, Dowd is already more than halfway to his total of 12 last season and on pace to shatter his NHL career high of 13 goals from 2022-23. The 34-year-old leads Washington's forwards in averaging 2:35 in ice time short-handed per game and has taken a team-high 252 defensive-zone face-offs." -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer
4. Vegas Golden Knights (17-7-3)
Total points: 174
Last week: No. 4
"Brayden McNabb is one of the last remaining "Golden Misfits," the original Golden Knights who joined the NHL as an expansion team and went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017-18. The defenseman has played 529 games for Vegas, the most in franchise history. He glues the team to its past, and he helps glue it together in the present too. Although he has only three points (one goal, two assists) in 27 games this season, he averages 20:33 of ice time, fourth among Vegas skaters, and he's plus-18, best on the team." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist
5. Toronto Maple Leafs (16-7-2)
Total points: 172
Last week: No. 6
"Jake McCabe is tied for 12th in Toronto scoring with five points, all assists. But his job isn't to score, it's to keep others from doing it. And on that front, he's been a big reason why the Maple Leafs have become one of the stingier defensive teams in the NHL. McCabe leads them with a plus-11 rating and is second in average ice time (21:20). Between McCabe and Chris Tanev, they are the type of shutdown defensemen the franchise has been sorely lacking for years. Toronto management knows it, too, and locked up McCabe to a five-year, $22.5 million contract Oct. 28 that begins next season. A prime example of how a score sheet doesn't always reflect a player's value." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer
6. Dallas Stars (16-9-0)
Total points: 171
Last week: No. 8
"For me, Mason Marchment is the glue guy for the Stars. The forward has been outstanding with 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 24 games, second on the Stars behind center Matt Duchene (28 points). Marchment is well on his way to topping the NHL career-high 53 points (22 goals, 31 assists) he had in 81 games for Dallas last season. He's found great chemistry on the second line with Duchene and right wing Tyler Seguin, who unfortunately will miss 4-6 months because of hip surgery he's having Thursday. That should make Marchment even more important to the Stars. The 29-year-old, who was undrafted in the NHL, has consistently improved his production over his three seasons with Dallas and has been especially good lately." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer
