Brad Treliving May Be Forced to Get Involved in the 4 Nations Face-Off Due to His Players
With the highly anticipated 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament set to take place in mid-February, GM Brad Treliving may need to pull the plug on two of his players.
Replacing the World Cup of Hockey, the NHL will see four of their top countries take part in an tournament to decide who reigns supreme when it comes to on-ice domination.
The Maple Leafs are well represented, with one player being named to each of their respective countries.
However, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving needs to be cautious about two of their players dealing with injuries.
Does Brad Treliving Pull The Plug On Matthews and Hakanpaa?
While he's been part of the Leafs lineup for the past few games, Auston Matthews did miss nearly a month of time due to an undisclosed upper-body injury.
He hasn't been the dominant force he once was, and Toronto should exercise caution with their captain.
No doubt expected to be a big force for the American squad, Matthews is still a step behind when it comes to his production, and with Toronto prioritizing a deep playoff push over a tournament victory it might give Treliving pause.
NHL Insider David Pagnotta recently spoke with Nick Alberga about the issue, and commented on the possibility of Toronto keeping back both Matthews and Hakanpaa:
When asked if Matthews needs to stay home and whether he'd agree, Pagnotta relented he wasn't sure but that it was a great chance for Team Canada if he were to be absent:
Hakanpaa's inclusion on Team Finland was a bit of a surprise given that he's dealt with knee injuries and only played in two games this season since signing a one-year deal in the summer.
It's a great story to see Hakanpaa included however the concerns about his knee, plus Toronto not wanting to feel like they wasted money on a free agent, they may kindly ask Hakanpaa to think about playing for Finland in the future.
However Brad Treliving wants to go about things he needs to be careful. Toronto can't risk playing their injured stars and risk further peril.
Matthews and Hakanpaa will get another chance to play for their country, but this is a time where Toronto needs every player healthy to give them a chance at a Stanley Cup.
