Leafs Fans Left Reeling: Auston Matthews IR Decision Raises Questions About Team’s Depth
The Toronto Maple Leafs (23-13-2) closed out 2024 with a 3-1 win over the New York Islanders, jumping into a tie with the Florida Panthers for first place in the Atlantic Division. But diehard fans might not be in the most celebratory mood on New Year’s Eve, following the most recent Auston Matthews injury news.
Before Tuesday’s victory, the Maple Leafs placed the star center on the injured reserve, per the team’s official PR X account. Matthews returned to practice on Monday after missing the previous four games with the same upper-body injury that sidelined him for almost all of November. He was ruled out for Toronto’s home matchup versus the Isles, but there was optimism that a return to NHL action was imminent.
The former Hart Memorial Trophy winner’s IR stint is retroactive to Dec. 20. Hopefully, this is just a minor snag for Matthews and the Leafs. Although head coach Craig Berube has instilled a new layer of toughness into the franchise, the team’s ceiling is expected to be considerably lower without the talented scorer.
Can Maple Leafs keep it together without Auston Matthews?
Toronto’s identity is still heavily tied to its offense, so a healthy Matthews will be essential come playoff time. For now, the squad just needs to avoid a meltdown. Its record without the three-time Richard Trophy recipient is a respectable 9-5, but exhaustion could start to set in amid his injury status. The Leafs have dropped three of their last five games, scoring just seven combined goals in those defeats.
Berube has other skaters he can trust to put the puck in the net, as is often the Toronto way. Though, a potentially troubling goalie situation could exacerbate Auston Matthews’ ongoing absence. Anthony Stolarz (92.7 save percentage, 13 quality starts) is recovering after having a loose body removed from his knee a couple of weeks ago and could still be a month away from returning. While Joseph Woll is a fine replacement– like his latest outing against New York shows– fans are eager to see Stolarz back on duty.
A positive Matthews update would give them more confidence. Unfortunately, everyone will have to wait to receive more clarity regarding the 27-year-old’s health. He has 11 goals and 23 points in 24 games for the Maple Leafs in 2024-25.
