Maple Leafs Refuse To Adequately Answer Important Question About Auston Matthews

The Leafs have a problem, make no mistake about it. That problem is that Auston Matthews has not been himself this season.

Matthews, as it is well-known, has been dealing with a nagging injury all season long, even seeking treatment overseas in Germany late in 2024.

The former 1st overall pick in 2016 is currently in unfamiliar territory and is in jeopardy of not even reaching the 30-goal mark this season after scoring a career-high 69 goals just last season. His uncharacteristic dip in production has even led to a stern demand from TSN's Bryan Hayes that Matthews either step it up, or sit out and recover.

On Saturday, Matthews was absent from the Leafs' practice -- though Craig Berube was quick to confirm that Matthews will indeed play against Ottawa tonight.

However, when Berube was asked point blank about whether or not Matthews was dealing with anything that may have caused his absence today, Berube doubled back to his comment about Matthews just needing rest. We're also nearing that point of the season where injury information is concealed by teams, which should not be ignored.

As the playoffs approach, and the threat of a potential matchup against the always dangerous Tampa Bay Lightning looms, Matthews' health status has once again become a real concern.

The Lightning are not pushovers and the Leafs will need their top players, including and especially Matthews, playing like they're top players in order to give themselves a fighting chance to beat the recent back-to-back Stanley Cup champions.

The fact that he's not playing anywhere near his best right now is concerning and may point to the fact that his nagging injury is still causing him issues this late into the season.