Connor McDavid Making a Bid to Play on a Line with Mitch Marner at the 4 Nations Face-Off

As the 4 Nations Face-Off approaches, set to begin on February 12th, the excitement is building over which players will take the ice together on the same line and which nation will come out on top.

One player eager to get the tournament underway is newly appointed assistant captain for Team Canada, Connor McDavid.

While many have already played armchair GM and assembled their ideal lines for Canada, McDavid may already have a linemate in mind. He recently spoke about the unique opportunity that he may have to play with Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner. McDavid seemed genuinely excited.

As per Mark Masters on X:

It's high praise for Mitch Marner to be compared to Leon Draisaitl, a player widely considered one of the best in the world, as he was voted number 1 in TSN's Top 25 NHL Players this season.

Marner has been outstanding this year, recording 68 points in 51 games, ranking 4th in league scoring, and 2nd in assists, behind only fellow Team Canada teammate Nathan MacKinnon.

With the salary cap expected to rise significantly, speculation about Marner's next contract is intensifying. Some believe he may demand more than his goal-scoring phenom teammate Auston Matthews, who earns $13.25 million per season and was also named captain of Team USA for the tournament.

As the competition heats up, all four teams in the 4 Nations Face-Off will feature Maple Leafs players -- Marner with Team Canada, Matthews with Team USA, William Nylander with Team Sweden, and Jani Hakanpaa with Team Finland -- guaranteeing that Leafs Nation will have a winner in the tournament.