Devils general manager talks 4 Nations on '@TheRink' podcast

Tom Fitzgerald calls the United States roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off "the most talented U.S. team ever" on this week's episode of the "NHL @TheRink" podcast presented by SKIP.

Fitzgerald, the New Jersey Devils general manager, is part of the U.S. management team that is led by Bill Guerin (Minnesota Wild). The rosters for the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland were released Wednesday for the tournament that will run Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston.

Fitzgerald talks with co-hosts Dan Rosen and Shawn P. Roarke about the decision-making process the management team went through to come up with the 23-man American roster, why 200-foot players were valued and the impact that the USA Hockey National Team Development Program made on the players selected.

He told Roarke and Rosen that he's lobbying for Jack Hughes of the Devils to be a center instead of a wing in the tournament, but agreed that it's ultimately the decision of coach Mike Sullivan.

In addition, Fitzgerald talks about why Devils forward Jesper Bratt, who was selected for Team Sweden, has become such an impact player in the NHL, crediting his work ethic and professionalism along with his talent. He discusses the Devils defense, and the job coach Sheldon Keefe is doing.

Fitzgerald also mentions what has surprised him most in the NHL this season. Hint: It's a player who has scored a lot of goals.

Rosen and Roarke go in depth on the 4 Nations rosters, hitting on all four and ranking the teams one through four based on the order in which they think they'll finish in the tournament.

The issues plaguing the New York Rangers and the surging San Jose Sharks are also part of the discussion early in the episode.

The "NHL @TheRink"podcast presented by SKIP is free and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms. It is also available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.