Toronto Maple Leafs will hopefully see their captain return here shortly. Auston Matthews has been battling an injury that kept him from most of the games in November. He then re-agitated it later in December while playing the Buffalo Sabres.
While playing in Buffalo, Matthews scored a goal and played almost 20 minutes on the ice. After two hard hits, he remained in the game to finish it with a win. Yet, it was shortly reported that he was once again on IR.
It is unknown whether the two hits in Buffalo are related to his injury in November. Regardless, they have still kept him out all the same.
Matthews is not sure if this injury will be one that he can completely shake off this season. Each injury is different, and the road back to getting healthy differs for each person.
Matthews nor Berube have disclosed the specifics of his injury. Back in November, he had gone to Germany to meet with a doctor for consultation.
It was disclosed that this is unrelated to Matthews’ wrist injury from 2021.
Craig Berube, the head coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs, has seen Matthews progress. “Seeing him out here in practice and competing in a full practice is progress. He’s going in the right direction, which is great. I know there’s no timeline, and we are all looking for one, but it’s great having him out there.”
Matthews has since returned to practice with the team. He has skated in a noncontact jersey, practiced as an extra forward, and remained on the ice with the team.
He has also traveled with the team to take on the New York Islanders. However, he will not play.
Matthews has 12 points in 11 games since he made the short return from his injury in November. He helped the Maple Leafs get an 8-3-0 record during the short span of his return.
Toronto has had to work with the absence of their captain. During November, the Maple Leafs were able to go 7-2-0 without Matthews. It’s refreshing to see a team working together and pulling their weight to win without their top goal scorer.
However, during this second stint of his absence, they have gone 2-3-0. Which is not terrible, but not where the team wants to be. Their recent struggle is evident as they have been unable to replace Matthew’s elite skill.
Last season, he led the league with a career-high of 69 goals.
Since Matthews started his career in the 2016-2017 season, he has led the NHL with 379 goals. He is also the ninth player to have two 60-goal seasons.
He won the Calder Trophy and helped the Maple Leafs advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This was something the team hadn’t been able to do since 2004.
He was the number one pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. He was also the first U.S.-born player to be chosen number one since Patrick Kane in the 2007 NHL Draft.
His NHL debut on October 13, 2016, became a record-breaking night. He scored four goals, becoming the only current player to do so.
In the 2021-2022 season, he won the Hart Trophy for being the most valuable player in that season. Besides Patrick Kane, he would be the second U.S.-born player to win the Hart Trophy. He also became the first Maple Leaf player to win this since the 1954-1955 season.
Matthews is the 26th captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is the first U.S.-born player to hold this title in the Maple Leafs Franchise. He is also the second non-Canadian to have this role.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will face the New York Islanders in New York to start the 2025 year. They will then have two back-to-back games at home, taking on the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers. It is unknown when Matthews will make his debut back.
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