Auston Matthews Injury: Maple Leafs Hit With Another Blow

The Toronto Maple Leafs just can’t catch a break. In the middle of a three-game skid and already battling injuries throughout the lineup, the team watched Auston Matthews leave Tuesday’s 5–3 loss to the Boston Bruins with a lower-body injury.

Matthews exited midway through the second period after taking a heavy hit from Boston’s Nikita Zadorov — a collision head coach Craig Berube flat-out called “a penalty” and “I don’t like the hit. He’s in a vulnerable position.” The Leafs captain finished his shift, went after Zadorov in frustration, and didn’t return.

---

Related: Stolarz Out, Auston Matthews Leaves Game After Hit From Zadorov

He appeared to walk fine to the team bus afterward, but Berube wasn’t ready to offer clarity:

“It is lower-body. We’ll just see tomorrow how he is. I don’t know exaclty, I really can’t give you a timeline or tell you how serious it is right now. I’m not sure when he got hurt, to be honest with you.”

In other words, the Leafs don’t know yet — and that uncertainty has the entire fan base holding its breath.

What Happens If Matthews Misses Time?

Matthews is Toronto’s offensive engine, and without him, the already struggling Maple Leafs are in rough shape. He was tracking toward another 40-plus goal season, and his absence means John Tavares and William Nylander will have to shoulder a much heavier load.

Tavares, at 35, has been carefully managed early in the year — averaging under 17.5 minutes a night — but that plan likely goes out the window now. Max Domi could see time up the middle, and the team might need to experiment with forward combinations until they get some clarity on Matthews’ status.

Depth is already a concern. With Scott Laughton sidelined, Chris Tanev banged up, and questions in goal after a struggling Anthony Stolarz also left the game early, Toronto’s margin for error is razor-thin. If Matthews misses more than a game or two, GM Brad Treliving might have no choice but to explore short-term depth moves or a trade for another center.

Fans will be watching closely for Wednesday’s medical update. If the news isn’t good, Toronto’s season could be staring at its first real crisis point. Of note, Jonas Siegel of The Athletic writes, “Berube said he didn’t think Stolarz’s injury was serious and hoped he might be available to play on Thursday night against the Kings. Injuries, though, are a fuzzy topic with the Leafs, so it’s hard to really know for sure.”

Next: Domi’s Uncertain Role Could Lead to Unexpected Twist in Toronto