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Matthews Not Ready, Load Management Concerns for Maple Leafs
Craig Berube announced that Auston Matthews is still not ready to return from his injury and will be out tonight and tomorrow after re-aggravating an upper-body injury. Saying “he’s doing better,” Berube wouldn’t reveal much more than that. Concerns over the injury being longer than hoped are real, but questions about how to use Matthews when he does eventually return are also at the forefront.
Matthews is once again sidelined with an upper-body injury. He was injured before the holiday break against the Buffalo Sabres and missed the final two games for the Maple Leafs heading into the break. However, there are still a lot of questions surrounding the injury.
Matthews missed nine games last month due to an upper-body injury, though no specific details about the injury were disclosed. This absence sparked speculation about whether it was related to the injury he sustained during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which caused him to miss the final three games against the Boston Bruins. Fans and analysts alike questioned if this could be the same wrist issue that had sidelined him in the past.
Again the Maple Leafs and Matthews were very secretive about the injury. Matthews, at the end of the year press conference following the Maple Leaf’s loss to the Boston Bruins, did not reveal anything. However, as his first stint with said upper body injury dragged on in November, the team revealed he went to Germany to visit a doctor he had seen previously.
Matthews spent five days in Germany to aid his recovery from an injury sustained during the preseason. However, questions remain about whether this preseason injury was connected to the one he suffered in the playoffs—or if it was an issue that never fully healed. Despite the lack of clarity, Matthews returned to the lineup on November 30th and looked like his old self.
In the 11 games before missing the last two, Matthews had 12 points (six goals and six assists), helping the Maple Leafs to an 8-3 record during that span. He was fourth on the Maple Leafs with 23 points (11 goals and 12 assists) in 24 games this season.
How Will the Maple Leafs Use Matthews When He Returns?
The question that is circulating around the NHL is whether we will see load management one day. Remember, the NBA has an issue with load management, with players resting all the time. But with the way Auston Matthews is in and out of the lineup, you have to wonder if the Maple Leafs will start to manage his games played if this is a recurring injury.

Toronto has a record of 42-23-2 without Matthews in the lineup, including going 7-2-0 last month. Now they did lose the last two games before the break without him in the lineup.
However, when he does return to the lineup if surgery is not needed on this injury, does the team limit the minutes or games he plays just so he is 100 percent for the playoffs? It is a legitimate question that is going to be raised. Again, it all depends on how he feels.
Matthews does things a little bit differently, to begin with. His last two contracts have been at mid-range length. He was maximizing his value with the salary cap going up. So it would make sense if he went the load management route.
Again, hockey players are built differently than basketball players, so load management is not in their vocabulary. But as this injury lingers for Auston Matthews, it may be something the Maple Leafs must consider moving forward.
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