How 4 Nations tournament could help Flyers in the long run

Despite not being the flashiest team in the NHL, the Philadelphia Flyers have still managed to be well represented in the NHL\'s newest best-on-best international competition.

The Travii will join forces on Team Canada, with Travis Sanheim and Travis Konecny both part of the best that the Northern nation can offer. But sadly, the Rasmus renaissance will have to take a hiatus, as Rasmus Ristolainen is injured and will miss out on the tournament despite being selected to represent the underdog Finns.

But Samuel Ersson gets the nod as an injury replacement for the always deep Team Sweden, and while he probably won\'t play much, it is an honour to be selected over the other NHL options.

Realistically, these guys won’t be the ones tasked with carrying their nations to glory the way that the McDavid’s and the Matthews’ of the world will; but nonetheless they will spend eight days amongst the elite of the elite, testing how they stack up against the best players in the world.

Usually, the all star break is a time for rest and relaxation, but with the Faceoff taking the place of what has become basically a glorified shinny tournament, there will actually be some things to gain and watch out for as these three Flyers get ready to represent their countries...

Continuing the Konecny and Sanheim Bromance

Konecny and Sanheim have lived with one another, been teammates for years, and gotten paid handsomely together. Now, they will get the prestigious honor of getting to represent their nation on the world stage. The pair have graduated to leaders amongst the Flyers roster, and with both having long contracts that will keep them together in Philly for the next while, they look poised to lead the next iteration of contending Flyers teams.

Both have performed as well as could be expected in roles that may be asking a bit much of their skill sets; Konecny as the team’s primary offensive weapon, and Sanheim as its number one defenseman.

That lands them both a spot on a Canadian team which has a copious amount of talent to choose from, an honour for players that aren’t really seen as “elite” around the league like some of the other Canadian stars. However, as Konecny maintains over a point-per-game pace, and Sanheim logs nearly 25 minutes a night, there really is no argument for their inclusion among the best of the best.

These two are going to carry the Flyers into what will hopefully be the team’s next period of success, and as they transition into NHL veterans, they will need to improve their leadership qualities and step up as individuals who set the standard for their younger counterparts. Being around names like MacKinnon, Crosby, and McDavid shouldn’t hurt.

But above all else, these two doing this together should only strengthen a bond that has been growing for years, and having two of your stars already being so tight could help avoid a Vancouver Canucks situation in the future.

Rewarding Rasmus

There was set to be a lot of fan-fare and discussion regarding Ristolainen heading into this tournament, but an upper-body injury will keep him out for at least the next two weeks. It is still really nice to see this sort of redemption tour continue, for a player who became a bit of a joke during his time in Buffalo.

Now it\'s not like Finland had many options on the back end, but it actually felt like Ristolainen was going to be one of the best of them, especially after Miro Heiskanen went down. But still, good on Risto for getting the nod.

Sam\'s There Too

Samuel Ersson is going to be present at the tournament, too. Named an injury replacement after Jacob Markstrom was ruled out with an MCL sprain, Ersson will probably just serve as the third goaltender and only see action if something goes, horribly, terribly wrong. But still, it will serve as a learning experience for the young starter to be in a room filled with his most talented countrymen.

Talking Points