Auston Matthews Absent From Practice: Maple Leafs Provide Immediate Update
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs wanted to avoid any significant speculation about Auston Matthews, providing an immediate update after the captain misses practice.
One of the biggest questions all throughout this summer in Toronto and leading right up to Maple Leafs training camp was, what is Auston Matthews' actual health status coming into the 2025-26 season?
Matthews Looks More Like Himself This Season
Head coach Craig Berube, GM Brad Treliving and even Matthews himself addressed this during training camp, with all sides on the same page. Matthews is healthy, happy, and ready to go.
The Leafs' captain has looked more like himself to start the season, which is fantastic news after he was limited to just 67 games last season, and scoring a career low 33 goals.
Matthews is off to a much better start this season, tallying 4 goals through his first 5 games, indicating that whatever last year's mysterious injury was, it is no longer limiting him in any way.
Matthews Absent From Friday's Practice
On Friday, following a thrilling 2-1 OT win over the New York Rangers on Thursday evening, Matthews was absent from practice. However, instead of allowing any alarm bells to sound, the Leafs got out ahead of the chaos and confirmed that Matthews' absence was merely a routine maintenance day.
Matthews was the OT hero for the Leafs last night, finishing off a brilliant give and go play with William Nylander, after Morgan Rielly stripped the puck and forced a little touch pass up the ice to get things started before heading off for a change.
In Matthews' absence from practice, the team leaned on Calle Jarnkrok to step up and take his top line reps -- perhaps a bit of a reward for a strong start himself, with Jarnkrok having tallied 3 goals through the team's first 5 games.
If the idea this season is to help preserve Matthews' overall health by providing him with the occasional extra rest day, sign me up.
Matthews' Maintenance Day Falls in Line With How the Team Has Managed William Nylander's Health as Well
Matthews' maintenance day falls in line with how the Leafs have managed William Nylander early this season as well, with the Swedish star taking yesterday's practice off to get some extra rest in before last night's game.
Matthews was clearly hindered in the playoffs by whatever was ailing him all season long in 2024-25. If we can avoid a similar fate in 2025-26 by allowing him to take extra rest, then it's a no-brainer.
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