Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews may return to action on Saturday
Auston Matthews has missed the last six games, but he may be able to return to the ice on Saturday.
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews has not played since Dec. 9, due to what has been deemed to be, in true NHL fashion, an “upper body injury.” But the 2016 No. 1 overall pick was able to practice on Friday, which points to his possible return Saturday night against the New York Rangers.
Matthews missed four games in November with an (apparently different?) upper body injury that was not though to be serious, and he promptly scored two goals in his first game back against the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 18. But he shed some light on his most recent injury, explaining exactly what he has been dealing with.
Matthews collided with teammate Morgan Rielly against the Pittsburgh Penguins two weeks ago, so his measured, yet specific description of his injury may not be all that surprising. It also didn’t appear to sit too well with Maple Leafs’ head coach Mike Babcock when the media got to him on Friday.
Auston Matthews said he’d felt “normal concussion symptoms” after collision with Morgan Rielly against Pittsburgh. Didn’t go any further. Will be game-time decision against Rangers but hopeful he can return tomorrow
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) December 22, 2017
Matthews said it wasn’t until later in the night and into next day after Pittsburgh game that he knew something was wrong
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) December 22, 2017
Mike Babcock heads off media at the pass on Auston Matthews questions - “I heard you guys already talked to Auston, so we're done with that. What else?”
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) December 22, 2017
Matthews has a team-leading 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) in the 26 games played this season. The Maple Leafs are 6-4 in the 10 games he has missed, including 2-4 during this most recent absence due to a concussion.
Saturday night’s game at Madison Square Garden will be Toronto’s last before the league-wide Christmas break. So if Matthews does not play against the Rangers, he seems like a shoo-in to be back centering the Maple Leafs’ top line next Thursday night against the Arizona Coyotes.
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That game against the Coyotes is also a road game, back where he grew up in Arizona. So Matthews surely wants to play in front of a home town crowd, and the Coyotes may even be able to sell out Gila River Arena for one of the few times all season.