Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews’ absence has been a major storyline this month, with the star forward sidelined since November 4 due to an undisclosed upper-body injury.
While updates on his condition have been scarce, NHL insider Chris Johnston offered encouraging news by appearing on TSN's "Insider Trading" on Thursday and reporting that Matthews’ recovery is progressing positively.
“We’re still not able at this point to pinpoint exactly which game he’ll be back for,” Johnston said. “It remains a day-by-day situation for Matthews, but there is some optimism here.
"Not only is his recovery progressing in a positive direction, but there is a feeling when he does return that he will be completely over this issue.”
Matthews, known for his preference for privacy, as reported by Elliotte Friedman on Wednesday, has been the focus of speculation since his injury, with the team keeping details under wraps.
Friedman noted Matthews’ history of guarding personal health information in his latest "32 Thoughts" column over at Sportsnet.
“Don’t think there is a player in the NHL more secretive about injury information than Auston Matthews,” Friedman wrote.
The Leafs’ schedule has worked in their favor in Johnston's eyes, allowing Matthews time to heal without urgency, and Toronto has navigated it relatively well by going 4-1 in Matthews' absence.
Johnston also highlighted the upcoming light stretch of three games in 13 days, giving Matthews “a nice window to ramp himself up from practice.”
Toronto will enter Saturday's matchup against the Edmonton Oilers sitting second in the Atlantic Division with a 10-6-2 record and 22 points in 18 games played.
This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.
