Return Of Leafs' Matthews From Injury Shouldn't Change His Participation At Upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar center Auston Matthews is returning to the lineup for Saturday’s game against Boston, a huge relief to Leafs fans worried that Matthews’ injury — that’s limited him to only 24 games this season — could keep him sidelined for significantly longer.

But, there’s another question looming on the horizon – whether or not Matthews will be able to play for Team USA at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. And the American team likely will have contingency plans based on whether Matthews will be participating in the tournament or not.

To be sure, Matthews’ participation isn’t a 100 percent guarantee. Between now and the 4 Nations Face-Off, which will take place Feb. 12-20, Matthews could have a flare-up of the injury – or he could suffer a different injury than the one he’s currently dealing with. There’s clearly a risk involved for the 27-year-old, but it’s no more or less a risk than it is for any other prominent NHLer who risks their health night in and night out during the league’s regular season.

That said, if Matthews can’t suit up for Team USA, the Americans have more than enough depth to address a potential hole in their lineup. For instance, Buffalo’s Tage Thompson and Utah’s Clayton Keller both were snubs in America’s initial roster reveals, but either one could sub in for Matthews.

Would there be a drop-off in overall talent if Thompson or Keller replaced Matthews? Maybe a slight one, particularly when it comes to matching Matthews’ considerable defensive acumen. But when it comes to elite skill and scoring ability, Keller or Thompson would also provide the U.S. with high-end talent. They’re both the type of young pivots who are going to be part of the American teams at best-on-best tournaments down the line, so it wouldn’t be a stretch at all to put them on the U.S. team in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The Maple Leafs undoubtedly have some anxiety about Matthews playing in the 4 Nations Face-Off, but you could say the same thing regarding Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Jani Hakanpaa, all of whom have been named to their homeland’s team at the tournament. And really, you could say the same for every NHL team that has players set to play at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Injuries can happen anywhere at any time, but players forge on and take a great deal of pride and joy in representing their respective countries. The risk/reward factor rarely results in players sitting it out in showdowns like this one. Great players want to play in high-stakes games, and the 4 Nations Face-Off is no different.

Matthews has a lengthy history of playing in tournaments outside of the NHL’s Stanley Cup post-season, including the IIHF World Junior Championship, World Under-18 Championship and World Championship, as well as the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. And he’s done very well for himself in best-on-best tournaments, so there’s no question he’s going to want to suit up for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

So long as he’s healthy, Matthews will be representing America, and the 4 Nations Face-Off will be a more exciting tournament for it. However, if it turns out that it’s not in Matthews’ best interests to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off, the American team will still be a major threat to win the tournament and establish itself as the pre-eminent hockey power on the planet at the moment.

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