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.

As players report to the 4 Nations Face-Off in less than a week and a half, excitement is building by the day. Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander and New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt are both in the top three of Swedish point producers,

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.

Among the NHL teammates who will be on opposite benches during the 4-Nations Face-Off include Toronto Maple Leafs stars Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Matthews, who grew up in Scottsdale, Ariz., will be representing the USA while Nylander will be representing his native Sweden.

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.