Jeremy Roenick makes his thoughts crystal clear on whether Auston Matthews should rep Team USA at 4 Nations Face-Off

Former NHL star Jeremy Roenick has made his opinion clear on whether Auston Matthews should play for Team USA at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

The Toronto Maple Leafs captain recently returned to action after missing time with an upper-body injury. Roenick believes Matthews should sit out the tournament to fully heal and avoid further injury.

During a Jan. 3 appearance on the "SNIPES & STRIPES" podcast, Roenick said:

"Auston Matthews will not be playing in that Four Nations Cup, in my opinion. If he's battling this injury again, and this keeps him out for any length of time in this aspect, if I were the Toronto Maple Leafs, I'd say, 'You can't go play'".

Roenick stressed the significance of giving ample time for recovery, highlighting the potential career implications of a persistent injury.

"Not only is it going to affect the Toronto Maple Leafs, but it's going to affect his career. I predicted he's going to be the highest scoring American of all time," Roenick added.

After reaggravating an upper-body injury on Dec. 20, Matthews missed six games, adding to the nine he had missed in November. He returned on Saturday against the Boston Bruins where he registered a goal and two assists. In his next game against the Philadelphia Flyers, he tallied two more assists.

With the tournament starting on Feb. 12, 2025, Roenick has made his stance clear – Auston Matthews should sit out the 4 Nations Face-Off to fully recover from his nagging injury.

Auston Matthews reflects on comeback from injury

Auston Matthews acknowledged that it's never enjoyable to be sidelined and watch your team play without you. However, he expressed excitement about being back on the ice with his teammates.

"You're always kind of managing stuff throughout the year and just trying to stay on top of it and trying to feel as good as you can when you get in the lineup," Matthews said via NHL.com.

"I think the last couple skates I've had I've felt good, so I've just had positive progress throughout those and I've been feeling confident day by day," he added.

Matthews admitted there's still some uncertainty about whether the injury will fully heal during this grueling NHL season.

For now, he remains optimistic and said his main goal is to carefully manage the injury so he can remain in the Maple Leafs lineup consistently.