William Nylander will not only be taking part in the 4 Nations Face-Off next month, but he'll also be a part of the leadership group. The Toronto Maple Leafs star was named as an alternate captain for Sweden on Thursday.

John Hynes knows that William Nylander can lead the Maple Leafs out of the little hole they’ve dug for themselves. The Leafs have scored just two goals in losing their past two games, and neither came off the stick of Nylander after the star winger had four goals in the previous three games, all Toronto victories.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander spoke about playing for Team Sweden ahead of his team's final home game before the NHL breaks for the 4 Nations Face-Off next month. Nylander was named to the team back in the summer as part of the country's 'first six' players and shared that the team has established a way to communicate.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled to score goals during their recent three-game losing streak, prompting forward William Nylander to voice his frustration after Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Minnes

On Wednesday, ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs facing the Wild later tonight, Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin, who is also the GM for Team USA at the Four Nations Face-Off, confirmed that Auston Matthews is ready to play in the upcoming tournament.

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning for the third consecutive time this season, winning 5-3 at Scotiabank Arena on Monday night. With the victory, the Leafs have scored five goals in each matchup and outscored their Atlantic Division opponent 15-8 over that stretch.

Barring any injuries, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have at least one player on each of the 4 Nations Face-Off rosters next month. Sweden’s lone Leafs representative, William Nylander, is no stranger to the national team program.