Toronto Maple Leafs
Concern Rises as Auston Matthews Still Doesn’t Appear Ready to Return from Injury
Auston Matthews was expected to return on Wednesday from injury, but that now looks unlikely, so what does it all mean?
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the midst of one of their worst stretches of play in a long time, and they desperately need some reinforcements to get back into the lineup if they want to snap out of it. Auston Matthews‘ absence has loomed particularly large, and with several days off following Saturday night’s loss to Montreal, many believed the Maple Leafs could get their superstar center back on Wednesday night in Columbus.
However, if Tuesday’s practice was any indication, it appears as if they’ll have to wait a little longer for the return of the captain, as team reporter Jonas Siegel provided an update that Matthews remained in a grey jersey, signaling an extra that won’t play.
“Auston Matthews is skating in the grey jersey designated for extra players at Leafs practice today. Suggests he won’t be playing in Columbus on Wednesday night,”
The 28-year-old has been limited to just 17 games this season, having produced 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in that action.
When Auston Matthews Will Return Remains Murky
While Craig Berube hasn’t officially ruled Matthews out for Wednesday, all signs point to his sixth consecutive missed game, so it’s fair to wonder what’s really going on.
TSN insiders Chris Johnston and Darren Dreger were quite confident he’d be back by now, and they specifically said that if not, eyebrows would be raised.
His multiple stints on the shelf last season dragged out longer than anyone expected, and that’s happened again with this lower-body injury early in the new campaign.
The fact that he’s been skating and participating in practice is a positive, but with a back-to-back in Washington and Pittsburgh next on the slate, are they going to throw him right into the fire? After that comes a matchup with the physical Florida Panthers, is that really the game you want to return from an injury for?
That’s all, speculatively speaking, but this started out being day-to-day, then was said to be a week, and yet here we are more than two weeks later with more questions than answers.
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