Auston Matthews left practice with an injury yesterday, and now a top insider has revealed the extent of the injury situation for the Maple Leafs captain.
This past week hasn't gone perfectly for the Toronto Maple Leafs, as they are 0-2 thus far in the pre-season, with panic beginning among the fan base after captain Auston Matthews left practice early on Tuesday.
Craig Berube was quick to address the situation after practice, revealing that Matthews was deal with an upper body ailment, while also stating that it was nothing serious. However, after No. 34 was absent from practice again on Wednesday, questions persisted about his health, to which TSN's Chris Johnston had this to say;
Auston Matthews is dealing with "bumps and bruises." So far, there's no indication this will turn into a long-term concern.This could simply be a case of players returning to training camp, where the intensity of battle drills increases compared to summer skates. Matthews hasn't been fully ruled out for Thursday's game; it will depend on how he feels that morning.
Even if he can't play then, there are still three more preseason games, providing ample time before the regular season. This isn't expected to be a serious issue when the real games begin.
While Matthews may not be returning to the ice in the next day or two, it appears the coaching staff aren't worried about this injury situation carrying over into the regular season, with the injury being characterized as just 'bumps and bruises' from an intense start to training camp. This still is concerning that after months away, Matthews has sustained an injury before real games can even begin, and given how important he has been to the success of this team, they likely can't sustain losing their captain.
We saw exactly what happened when the team missed him in the Stanley Cup Playoffs a year ago, as Matthews played two stellar games to start the series against the Boston Bruins, but after suffering a hit and 'presenting head injury issues' according to GM Brad Treliving, the team just weren't the same. Fortunately for Toronto, this was more of a one-off injury as a result of a hit, and therefore isn't something the team need to worry about aggravating by practicing, but now that he is dealing with an upper body injury, things could change.
He would ultimately return for Game 7 in a must-win scenario against the Bruins, but the team would fall 2-1 in dramatic circumstances in overtime, so while the two injuries aren't linked, worry could grow within the organization if this keeps up with their captain. For now though, this doesn't appear to be something that could hinder him long-term, and if they continue to allow him the time to recover and show patience with his recovery, he should be at 100% by the time the regular season begins.
With so much pressure on them and so much on the line this season, Toronto will nee to be at their best from the moment the season begins, so hopefully when that occurs, Matthews will be leading the charge as captain and the best player on the ice.
