Frustrating Situation Emerges Involving Auston Matthews, Other Members of Leafs' Core 4

After dispatching of the Ottawa Senators in 6 games during Round 1, the Maple Leafs have set themselves up for a thrilling Round 2 matchup against the Florida Panthers.

Auston Matthews and William Nylander showed up in a big way for the Maple Leafs in Game 6 against Ottawa, leading to some premium glaze from head coach Craig Berube for his captain. However, the pair failed to show up to the first on-ice session before their series against Florida, and they weren't the only key absentees.

According to Lance Hornby of The Toronto Sun, only Chris Tanev, Morgan Rielly, Calle Jarnkrok, Bobby McMann, Nicholas Robertson, Pontus Holmberg, Simon Benoit, Brandon Carlo and Steven Lorentz were the only NHL regulars who took to the ice on Saturday.

Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk has already fired a shot at the Maple Leafs, calling them an easy out ahead of the beginning of their second round series.

How did the Leafs' core players respond? By taking the day off despite the fact that they were also given a full day off on Friday after traveling home from Ottawa on Thursday night.

This isn't the first time that we've seen Matthews opt out of an optional skate during this post-season run. He has also missed multiple full practices, which has some questioning his overall health.

The Core 4 should be leading by example, especially in the playoffs. Even with something as simple as an optional skate, their presence could go a long way in sending a message to the rest of the group.

The Leafs are expected to hold a full practice on Sunday, as the series against Florida will begin on Monday evening, with the puck set to drop shortly after 8:00PM ET.