Auston Matthews will not return to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. His mysterious injury will keep him out for a ninth straight game.
“Matthews had a real good practice yesterday, but he’s been off a while. Getting into a full practice was really important. But I think both him and I and the organization feel like he needs a little bit more to be ready to go,” Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Wednesday.
The Leafs had targeted Wednesday’s game as a possible return date for Matthews, heightening anticipation surrounding the two-time 60-goal scorer.
But instead, patience appears to be a priority. The Leafs seem intent on getting his stamina back to a place that will benefit him during game action. The Leafs’ next game is Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“It’s not a healing thing. He’s feeling good,” Berube said of Matthews. “It’s more (about) stamina, getting up to speed and making sure he’s ready. You don’t want to rush anybody, you want them to feel comfortable and make sure they’re ready to go.”
Matthews last played Nov. 3 in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild. The reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner has been listed as day to day ever since. Both Matthews and Leafs GM Brad Treliving have declined to identify the injury specifically.
Matthews travelled to Germany “for about five days” alongside a Leafs doctor to see a specialist for his injury. Flying to a different continent midseason might be considered an irregular move for an NHL player, but it clearly has helped Matthews get back on the ice.
“I wanted to just get (the injury) taken care of now,” Matthews said on Nov. 23. “And I think that’s maybe something … I wouldn’t call it a mistake, but I guess the mistake I made in the past is maybe coming back. You want to get back and you start to feel good and then you try to jump back into the game and maybe you’re not quite ready yet. So I think with this, just wanted to be mindful and make sure that I’m feeling back as close to 100 percent before we start getting back into game situations and stuff like that, so it’s not something that prolongs throughout the season.”
Matthews participated in his first practice Tuesday since he last played on Nov. 3. He skated on a line with William Nylander and Pontus Holmberg, suggesting all systems were go for his return. Matthews looked like his regular dynamic self on the ice, only further easing any concerns about whether he’d be available against the Panthers.
Yet during Wednesday’s morning skate, Matthews did not skate on a regular line, nor did he line up on the Leafs’ first power-play unit.
He himself appeared to err on the side of caution regarding his return.
“I think the individual skates were much different than a team practice, so this being kind of like the first actual team practice I’ve skated in, I’ve felt really good,” Matthews said after Tuesday’s practice. “But I might need maybe one or two to really get my legs and lungs back under me.”
The anticipation surrounding Matthews’ possible return comes at a significant point in the Leafs’ schedule. Toronto remains three points up on Florida for first place in the Atlantic Division. The Leafs then play the Tampa Bay Lightning, who sit third in the division. Getting Matthews back at some point during the two-game road trip would help a Leafs team that, somewhat surprisingly, has gone 7-1 in his absence but has still struggled to score. Since Nov. 4, the Leafs are tied for last in the NHL with nine five-on-five goals.
Matthews, who was named captain in the summer, has five goals and 11 points in 13 games this season. This nine-game absence is not the longest stretch of play missed to injury in his career; he missed 14 games due to a shoulder injury in 2018-19.
Matthews’ absence against the Panthers should provide a genuine opportunity for two Leafs. Nick Robertson has just one goal in 18 games and projects to skate in the top six alongside Holmberg and William Nylander. Meanwhile, Alex Nylander was bumped to the first power-play unit during Wednesday’s morning skate, suggesting he could occupy that role against the Panthers.
(Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
