Auston Matthews has been placed on the IR
For a guy that big, that fast, that strong, this comes as a surprise. Toronto’s superstar forward is going to miss at least four weeks after getting injured cutting towards the net during the second period of the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 victory over Winnipeg on Saturday. “It sucks, but it’s part of the game” said Matthews about his injury after the game. This is just the latest in what might be an alarming trend of Matthews , 21, missing extended time for Toronto.
Matthews was cutting to the crease, trying to get a shot off when the hit occurred. Winnipegs’ Jacob Trouba collided with Matthews and made contact directly with his shoulder. A clean hit, but one you can feel watching at home. In a post game interview, Matthews talked about seeing Trouba coming, but having nowhere to go. I know Auston is still young, but that fearlessness he carries into the dirty areas is going to cost him more than a month one of these times.
What Toronto should expect this month
The Maple Leafs managed to go 11-7-2 during the 20 games Matthews missed last year. That should give Leafs fans at least a whiff of hope, considering they have John Tavares this time around. Matthews leads the team in goals (10) and points (16) and continued to trend upwards as the season progressed. He has since stated he will not play until his shoulder is 100%, and that’s where the burden falls on Tavares. You don’t want #34 to rush back from injury, because next time it could be for the rest of the season. Luckily for Toronto, no one in their division will be able to run away from them over the 12 games he is expected to be sidelined.
If Matthews expects to have a long career in this league, his mindset needs to mature. That doesn’t mean he’s soft, he just needs to learn better ways to take care of his body. Everyone loves a hard nosed player, and he is one without question. The real issue is the invincibility that comes with being a 21 year old in the Toronto spotlight. Hopefully this bump will help him towards being smarter with his body, without making him too cautious.
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