Auston Matthews' Recent Comments Show Tremendous Growth in 1st Year as Leafs Captain

When John Tavares passed off the captaincy to Auston Matthews in 2024, he did so not because he didn't think he could handle the job himself any longer as an aging veteran, but because he and the organization agreed that Matthews was ready for it.

Tavares has continued to lead by example this season, even using the decreased pressure and the weight of the captaincy being removed from his shoulders as motivation to put up some of his best numbers in his entire NHL career.

Matthews, on the other hand, has struggled at points this season due to an unspecified upper-body injury that lingered on through much of the 2024-25 campaign.

Now, with his injury issues appearing to be behind him, Matthews has really begun to flourish at the right time in his first year as captain. The playoffs are almost upon us and the veteran pivot is leading by example, not only on the ice, but off of it as well.

One thing Matthews has done a great job of this season is lifting up his teammates during media sessions. His latest tire pumping was directed towards Mitch Marner, who has dealt with plenty of off-ice pressures this year -- namely the ongoing contract negotiations and the recent request to waive his no movement clause for a trade to Carolina at the deadline.

As Marner's friend, Matthews stepping up for him in that way was certainly meaningful. As his captain, even more so.

Matthews wants to ensure that Marner's mind remains where it belongs -- on the hockey side of things. Matthews knows all about contract negotiations and what the weight of those negotiations feels like. Matthews has never gone all the way to free agency, though.

For Marner, the weight of it all has to be a lot. The way he's played despite that fact is admirable and impressive.

Marner has publicly stated numerous times that he plans to remain in Toronto beyond this season. However, I'm sure a lot of that is hinging on his performance in the playoffs.