Leafs reporter expresses real concerns about Auston Matthews

The Toronto Maple Leafs are back in the win column after a 2-1 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, in a game in which Leafs captain Auston Matthews made his triumphant return, skating 24:35 in ice time in the victory.

While Matthews played a lot in the win, he was held off of the scoresheet, and managed just 3 shots on goal, 1 hit and 1 shot block.

The Athletic's Jonas Siegel was a guest on TSN's OverDrive prior to last night's game, and was involved in an intense debate with Bryan Hayes and Jeff O'Neill over whether Matthews should even be playing at all yet.

While Matthews stated that he feels great on Wednesday, Siegel told O'Neill and Hayes on Wednesday that he's been attending Maple Leafs practices and watching Matthews closely recently, stating that Matthews "doesn't look all the way like himself".

Matthews missed a lot of time to injury last season, playing in just 67 games for the Leafs. So far this season, Matthews has played in 18 of the Leafs' 23 games, but hasn't dominated the way he has shown the ability to do in the past.

Through 18 games, Matthews has racked up just 14 points. Comparatively, his linemate, Matthew Knies has produced 23 points in 20 games this season. William Nylander, another of the team's main offensive threats, has produced 31 points in 20 games.

O'Neill and Hayes are both of the mindset that if Matthews feels like he can play, the team is right to let them play. Siegel, though, believes that if the player is hampered by injury, the team should push for Matthews to rest and recover, only returning at or very near 100%.

The trouble here is that the Leafs' season is slowly slipping away, and if Matthews does not play, their chances of turning their season around is somewhere between slim and none.

With the Leafs back in the win column, the team's next stop on their 5-game road trip will be on Friday in Washington. If Matthews pops off for a few points and helps the team pick up the win, it may help calm some of the nerves surrounding the team and Matthews' overall health.