There was a little bit of panic in Toronto on Tuesday as Auston Matthews left the team skate early and didn’t return. It wasn’t clear at the time why he left as Mark Masters reported there was “no obvious issue”, but that didn’t stop Leafs Nation from assuming the worst.
It turns out that the Leafs were being cautious with what head coach Craig Berube called an “upper-body ailment”. He added that it was “nothing serious.”
As one X.com user wrote, “Sadly feels like we’ve heard that with him before, and it hasn’t always been true.”
Obviously, it’s concerning that Matthews might have any issue, but that it’s nothing serious is the biggest takeaway from the news today. The Maple Leafs cannot afford to have Matthews miss time or deal with lingering issues this season. Matthew is coming off a 69-goal season and was named the new captain of the team this summer. The Leafs have elite offensive talent, but he’s the biggest star by far and will be expected to lead them in more ways than one in 2024-25.
Does This Matthews “Ailment” Require Watching?
The fact that he felt it best to leave practice isn’t ideal, but it’s too early to think that this is a situation that requires watching. It could be anything from pain to a stomach bug. The hope is that Berube only even addressed it because everything in Toronto is covered with a magnifying glass and when Matthews leaves the ice, even if it’s to use the washroom, it’s big news.
Calle Jarnkrok is also day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per the team.
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