The Toronto Maple Leafs are confident they have a clear understanding of Auston Matthews' current condition and what's to come in the near future.
In the first season of a 4-year contract that made him the most expensive player in the NHL, 2024-25 hasn't gone as planned for the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Not only did Auston Matthews start off very slow on the offensive side of the puck, but he has been dealing with an upper-body injury since the pre-season that has caused some serious concern.
Matthews ended up missing 9 games in November with a mysterious injury that went from day-to-day to week-to-week, and then to him making a trip to Germany to see a specialist. He came back and played in 12 more games before re-aggravating the same injury.
As we enter the Christmas break, the extra days off should be a boon for the captain. However, his return to game action after the break is still deemed questionable.
However, it's not all doom and gloom, as Sportsnet's Chris Johnston took to First Up on TSN 1050 and gave us an update on how the Maple Leafs are seeing things and their confidence level in his return to action.
'The Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews seem to have a clear understanding of his current condition, with no concerns about hidden issues or any mystery surrounding other injuries. The team is confident they know what he's dealing with and believe that with ongoing treatment, his healthiest stretch of the season is still ahead, not behind him.'
While it might be a mystery to the media and the fans, it sounds like the Maple Leafs have a great understanding of the situation at hand behind closed doors.
However, there might be a power struggle beginning to loom between player and team. Elliotte Friedman made an interesting note on the situation yesterday and believes that Matthews wants to play through it, but the organization is hesitant at the moment.
He believes that Matthews wants to not only be out there on the ice for himself, but, more importantly, as the captain and setting an example for the rest of the team. Friedman also alluded to the 4 Nations Face-Off, which will ultimately have some sway in the decision-making process.
The health of Matthews is of the utmost importance, especially with how injury ravaged the team, dating back to last year's playoff matchup against Boston. It will be interesting to see how things play out, but we will have to wait until at least the 27th of December when they return to the ice and face off against the Detroit Red Wings.
