Maple Leafs Coach Gives Uninspiring Health Update on Star $53 Million Forward

Getty Maple Leafs coach gives uninspiring update on Auston Matthews

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube gave an uninspiring update on the health status of star forward Auston Matthews.

Matthews was placed on IR and was eligible to return on November 12. But, the captain will remain out as Berube says Matthews is not where he needs to be. He also hasn’t practiced over the last two days.

“It’s just not getting to where it needs to get to, so we’re just trying to manage it,” Berube said to the media. “Just trying to make sure when he comes back he’s good and 100 percent.”

Berube says Matthews hasn’t suffered a setback per se, but the team is being cautious with his recovery.

During Brad Treliving’s media availability on November 11, he also said Matthews is still day-to-day.

“(There’s) no change (with Matthews) day-to-day,” Treliving said. “We just want to make sure we get ahead of it and hopefully get it behind us once and for all. We’ll just keep going down (the) path.”

Matthews is in the first year of his four-year $53 million deal. The star forward hasn’t played since November 3.

Maple Leafs Being Precautious With Matthews

Given the 2024-25 NHL season is only a month old, Toronto is being cautious with Matthews and making sure the injury doesn’t come back up.

The exact injury that Matthews is dealing with is still not known, but Berube says it’s something they are trying to get fixed.

“We’re all trying to figure it out and work on it and make sure we get him back and this thing doesn’t occur again over the course of the year,” Berube said. “It’s not something you want lingering on throughout the season, so we’re trying to do our best to not allow that to happen.”

Matthews is the Maple Leafs captain and one of the best players in the NHL. The American has skated in 13 games recording 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points.

Matthews Named Maple Leafs Captain

Matthews was named the 26th captain in Maple Leafs history in August.

The American replaced John Tavares who gave up the captaincy. Matthews said he was honored to be named the captain of the Maple Leafs.

“I got chills, honestly,” Matthews said about being named captain. “I’m so honored and humbled since being drafted here eight years ago. You realize how special it is to play for the city of Toronto, to wear the Maple Leaf on your chest every single night. It just means the world to do that. To have the support from Johnny, my teammates, our staff, ownership, my family, it just means the world to me. I look forward to continuing our journey to obviously get to the top of the mountain and win the Stanley Cup and bring it back to Toronto…

“It’s such a big honor just to represent the Maple Leafs and put on that jersey every night,” Matthews added. “To be the captain is truly special. For him to call me and kind of let me know that he wanted to pass on the captaincy to me was very emotional. I felt a lot of things, but it’s truly an honor.”

Matthews was selected first overall in the 2016 NHL draft by Toronto. In his career, he’s skated in 575 games recording 373 goals and 287 assists for 660 points.