Nature of Auston Matthews’ injury exposed and it sounds more serious than first thought

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews revealed earlier this week that he can’t say for sure whether he will be able to put his upper-body injury behind him at some point this season. As of now, there is no timetable for the return of Matthews, who last played against the Buffalo Sabres and scored in the Leafs’ 6-3 win. He aggravated an upper-body injury during the game. He was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday.

Otherwise, very little has been said about the injury, but on Thursday insider Chris Johnston exposed the true nature of the Leafs’ captain’s ailment on TSN 1050:

“Surgery this year has never been on the table for Auston Matthews. It seems to be more about comfort and mobility rather than a serious issue.

“There’s no confirmation on specifics, and it’s not something he wants to discuss, with the team respecting his wishes.

“While some have speculated about a back issue, it could be a range of things, but it appears to be related to how he moves.”

Sure, it’s positive sign that Matthews will not have to go under the knife, however, questions remain on when he will be able to return and be back to his former self. This season in 24 games, Matthews has 11 goals and 12 assists and it has been easy to tell he is not a hundred percent on the ice.

Head coach Craig Berube explained on Wednesday that there’s no timeline for Matthews’ return to the lineup.

“Right now, the situation we’re in with him, I’m preparing the team to play without him. We’ve got a game tomorrow and he’s not in that game tomorrow.”

Since he’s been bothered by the ailment, the Maple Leafs have been tight-lipped about their captain’s health and so it is hard to predict when he’ll be able to return. Toronto has won three of the six games minus Matthews, including last night’s 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders.