Auston Matthews has had an injury history since his debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2016-17 season. His most recent injury has forced him out of the lineup for the second time this season.
It has lingered since training camp and may even date back to last season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. Matthews re-aggravated the injury against the Buffalo Sabres and missed the Maple Leafs’ final two games before the holiday break. Since the Maple Leafs returned to action, he has missed another two games.
NHL Rumors: Expect Maple Leafs to Make Sure Auston Matthews is Fully Healthy
Between his two stints dealing with an upper-body injury—the one in November, when he missed nine games—and now, in December, when he is already missing four games—and that could increase—many are wondering not only about load management but maybe pulling a Nikita Kucherov to allow Toronto to utilize his cap space to add to the roster.
Remember, Kucherov missed the whole 2020-21 shortened season because of hip surgery. Nobody knows what injury Auston Matthews has. It could be a wrist, it could be a shoulder, nobody knows. Not only do they need him for the playoffs, but they also need him to be 100 percent healthy.
As Mike Johnson said on TSN Radio in Toronto on Friday, he suggests keeping him out as long as possible so that this injury can finally heal fully and that he can use his cap space to upgrade the team.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Host: “What do you make of this thing continuing on through the season, MJ? You talked the other day about maybe they brought him back a little too early, and maybe they need to rest them longer. But you know, what are you sort of making of the latest development here in Matthews’s long injury saga?”
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Mike Johnson: “Well, I mean, I guess, given how long he was out and did not get healthy, is anyone surprised that he’s not healthy now? I think the realization that him playing through whatever he’s got is probably not going to allow him to get better while playing. I think that was the hope when he came back, that he was improved, improved, but not 100%. Maybe he was at 85, and they thought, you know, he could play through it, continue to get treatment, continue to get rest.
But the Leafs, will not advance deep in the playoffs without a healthy Auston Matthews. So whatever it takes if he’s able with whatever time, procedure, treatment, whatever continent he’s got to go to to get healthy. Like, just, just go and do what you got to do. If that means it’s a month? Is it two? Like, I don’t want to get too far down the line, he might be back in 10 days.
But if it goes down the road, like Kucherov that guy, home that guy, take the $14 million bucks, get a whole new defenseman and two wingers and then have him return for the playoffs. That could happen eventually.
But just, I think you got to get him healthy, whatever however long it takes or whatever you go to do, you have to make sure he’s 100 percent when he finally gets back the lineup, which is not going to happen over the five days of a Christmas break.
NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Vancouver Canucks
Again, Matthews could be back this week when the Maple Leafs take on the Islanders. This will all depend on how he feels after practice this week.
But you have to wonder if Maple Leafs management is wondering if he has to miss more time that they put him LTIR for the rest of the season and use his cap space to make the team better.
If that is not the option, institute load management so he is healthy for the playoffs.”
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