Penguins fans should be locked in on Team Sweden for this specific reason

Potential lines have been released for most teams at the Four Nations Faceoff starting tomorrow. Of the three Penguins in the tournament, two will be representing Team Sweden.

We all know that Sidney Crosby is not going anywhere at the trade deadline, but Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson are prime trade candidates to be moved, both of whom are Swedes.

Despite Rakell being left off the original Sweden roster, he's likely to get looks on the first line along with William Nylander and Mika Zibanejad.

These lines are obviously not set in stone, but get a look at who Rakell and Karlsson are paired with.

Chemistry - Why it Matters

One of the unique things about this tournament is that NHL players will be intermingled on the same team in the middle of the regular season. Additionally, the trade deadline is yet to come and trades can still be made during the Four Nations Faceoff this week.

This leads to an intriguing prospect. NHL GMs will get an opportunity to see their players working alongside players from other teams for free, essentially.

Rickard Rakell doesn't normally play with Maple Leafs' William Nylander or Rangers' Mika Zibanejad, but he will this week.

Erik Karlsson isn't normally paired with Oilers' Mattias Ekholm. You see the trend?

The Rantanen Example

Consider Team Finland for just a brief moment. The Carolina Hurricanes just traded for Mikko Rantanen in the biggest NHL trade in years, but he's struggled since joining the Canes.

One of the biggest reasons he was acquired was because of Carolina's Sebastian Aho, who is a fellow Finn like Rantanen. While the two of them haven't been able to build chemistry yet in Carolina, the Four Nations Tournament gives them a chance to get work together for free while still competing at a high level.

It would not shock me if part of the decision making process on the part of the Hurricanes to trade for Rantanen was knowing that he and Aho would be able to get more comfortable with each other during the in-season tournament. Again, this is something we haven't seen in hockey in around a decade.

Back to Chemistry

The Penguins have trade suitors in their own back yard with Team Sweden. Do the Maple Leafs, Rangers, or Oilers need a Rickard Rakell or Erik Karlsson?

Not necessarily, but they might. And perhaps exposure like this would open their eyes to see value in the Penguins' trade assets that would lead to a beneficial deal for the Penguins at the trade deadline.

Think about the power play units for a second. Rakell and Karlsson are getting second power play unit work for Team Sweden.

Names on this line include Devils' Jesper Bratt, Canucks' Elias Petterson, and Predators' Filip Forsberg. Would these teams need Rakell or Karlsson? Again, not necessarily, but who is to say that they can't be intrigued by watching them play together?

Personally, I think it benefits the Penguins greatly that Rakell and Karlsson are on the second unit because we'll likely get plenty of looks at them with Nylander and Zibanejad who are on the first unit.

The more players Rakell and Karlsson can be on a line with, the more the Penguins benefit from this tournament.

Production

The last piece of this puzzle is for Ricky and EK65 to produce this tournament. Sweden is the lowest ranked team in the field and aren't really expected to do much.

But if Rakell and Karlsson light it up in the most competitive regular season setting we've seen in years, that will instantly boost their trade value.

Some teams trade for chemistry, others trade for playoff performers.

This tournament, the Penguins have a chance to simulate both with a pair of players that already have incredible trade value.

Root your interests, whether you're American, Canadian, Finn, or Swede, but as a Penguins fan, lock in on Team Sweden and root for lots of good things coming from their camp, especially with Ricky and EK65.