Matthews' injury has been bugging Leafs star since preseason
Auston Matthews might be the most valuable piece of the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise, but he seems to be remaining out of action for the foreseeable future.
Today, the organization announced that it’s unlikely he’ll be in the lineup when Toronto hits the ice against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena. He has not played since November 3 against the Minnesota Wild, though the undisclosed upper-body injury actually seems to stem further back than that.
According to the Leafs’ brass, the injury actually stems from a more long-term nagging injury that has been bugging Toronto’s captain since the preseason.
“We just want to make sure we get ahead of it, hopefully get it behind us once and for all,” Leafs general manager Brad Treliving told reporters today, as per TSN’s Mark Masters.
Matthews has five goals and six assists in 13 games this season. While he’s still fired off 56 shots on goal this season, his usually lethal shot accuracy hasn’t quite been there, as he’s dropped down to a career-low 8.9% shooting percentage.
Despite his absence, the Leafs have performed about as well as reasonably expected, going 3-0-0 in their three contests since he went down with the injury.
Toronto head coach Craig Berube said that there’s a full-blown effort throughout the organization to prioritize Matthews’ health.
“We’re all trying to figure it out, and work on it, and make sure that we get him back, make sure this thing doesn’t occur again over the course of the year. It’s not something you want lingering on, especially him, throughout the season,” Berube added.
Given the relative secrecy around the exact nature of the injury, it’s hard to tell how high the levels of concern in Leafs Nation should be. For now, they’ll look ahead to win a fourth straight game without their $13.25 million man.
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