Maple Leafs' Captain Trending Towards 4 Nations

The captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs is nearing playing for the United States at upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off.

Jan 4, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) carries the puck as Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand (63) closes in during the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

While the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs is still not 100% healthy, all signs point towards Auston Matthews participating in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. Slated to be the centerpiece of the United States team, Matthews has been dealing with an upper-body injury all season long, and the ailment has forced him to miss 15 games this season already,

The good news for the Maple Leafs and Matthews is that he's feeling as well as they could hope. It means that he can help the Leafs capture an Atlantic Division title and possibly compete for the Stanley Cup. He's also trending positively towards being available to play for the United States when they play their first tournament game. The Maple Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving told Toronto media that he expects his team captain to participate at the upcoming event.

"There’s nothing right at this point that would make me worry about (his participation),” he said. “We’re still a month away or so. With all players you look at where they are at at that time. But hopefully there are no setbacks and everything keeps moving forward."

He certainly doesn't look like he's been set back by this injury. Since returning to the lineup for the Leafs, he's put up three goals and eight points over five games. It's brought his season totals to 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points in just 29 games played. The upper-body injury he's dealt with since training camp is clearly still impacting him, but he's still producing like one of the elite playmakers in the NHL.

For the United States, having Matthews is crucial to their hopes at the 4 Nations. He will be the team's number one center and top offensive threat, but also will likely draw defensive responsibility against opposing top centers for Canada, Finland, and Sweden. Fortunately, his health continues to stabilize and the belief remains strong that Matthews will be wearing a United States uniform when the 4 Nations Face-Off begins.

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