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

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.

With the NHL getting ready to shut down soon for the first ever 4 Nations Face-Off, Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander was asked if there were any side bets among teammates that will be going up against each other.

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.

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:

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.

"It's been steady. I've been feeling good," Matthews said. "I think it's been pretty good since I've been back. I've been feeling better and better every night. So, you know, I just want to keep that going.