If it were up to some Maple Leafs fans, Auston Matthews would also be opting out of the 4 Nations Face-Off, writes Michael Traikos.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have not won a Stanley Cup since the NHL expanded beyond six teams. They haven't even made it to the Finals in all that time. Take a m

So Vegas Knight defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has announced he will not be playing in the Four Nations tournament because of a nagging injury… However, last night he returned to the Vegas lineup, which stirred up all sorts of conversation within the NHL.

With the 4 Nations Face-Off only a few weeks away, Toronto might want to keep Auston Matthews away, and given there's no real punishment for it, he should agree.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo withdrew from the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off in what is supposed to be the NHL’s return to international play.

It has come to this ahead of the teammates squaring off against each other. Hear it from the horse’s mouth in the video down below:

The United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden will play in the Feb. 12-20 4 Nations Face-Off. Here are the rosters and captains.

Auston Matthews will serve as captain for the United States in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, and his team is the only one involved without a glaring injury question to answer.

The trades are coming in hot and Cup contenders are filling needs. What are the biggest needs for each contender?

The Maple Leafs’ shot-block leader would likely take another for the team — Team Canada, that is. Chris Tanev heard his name bandied about before the 4 Nations Face-Off rosters were released last month and,

Crosby has plenty of international experience for Canada while Leafs star Matthews is the Americans’ biggest threat for the best-on-best tournament.