Auston Matthews Seemingly Gets a Demotion As Team USA's 4 Nations Face-Off Lines Are Announced
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews will be playing for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off although fans might be surprised about his role with the team.
Auston Matthews was named as the captain of Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and there is no doubt that Maple Leafs fans are excited to watch him in action.
Auston Matthews Team USA linemates
Today, the lines were announced for all of the teams, and many were curious to see who would slot in next to Matthews on the first line.
However, some surprising information came out of Team USA practice today as Matthews was actually on the second line.
His linemates were Jake Guentzel and Jack Hughes, while Jack Eichel got to be on the top line with Kyle Connor and Matthew Tkachuk.
Guentzel-Matthews-Hughes
B. Tkachuk-Miller-Boldy
Nelson-Trocheck-Larkin/Kreider rotating
When you consider how Matthews is the captain of the team, it is easy to see why the second line might be seen as a demotion.
Not to mention, he is the best goal-scorer in all of hockey, even if he might currently be experiencing a bit of a slump with the Maple Leafs.
He has 45 points in 40 games this season and 20 of those are goals. Sure, not his usual numbers, but he is still a beast out on the ice.
Either way, the lines could very well change once the tournament starts. If Team USA isn't clicking right away, we could see Matthews on that top line.
No matter what, this tournament is shaping up to be a lot of fun and we hope that it lives up to the hype for the NHL.
