Unsettling update on Leafs’ Auston Matthews

Fans in Toronto got nervous on Tuesday when Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews left the ice midway through Tuesday’s practice and did not return. After the skate, head coach Craig Berube sort of dismissed any concern, saying:

“Just an upper-body thing. It’s not serious. He should be fine.”

Matthews was not scheduled to play in Tuesday’s game, which Toronto lost 2-1 at the hands of the Ottawa Senators.

However, he was missing from Maple Leafs’ practice again on Wednesday. As the rest of his teammates attended the skate, it was noted by many reporters on site that Matthews was not there, and that the team had announced that he was taking a maintenance day.

For now, it appears to be a day to day thing, though the Maple Leafs are staying quite mum on the possible ailment. Toronto also has pre-season games on Thursday and Saturday this week.

Without Matthews on the ice on Wednesday, these were the Maple Leafs’ lines during practice, per TSN’s Mark Masters:

Knies - Domi - Marner
McMann - Nylander - Robertson
Pacioretty - Tavares - Holmberg
Lorentz - Kampf - Reaves

Rielly - Tanev
Ekman-Larson - McCabe
Benoit - Liljegren
Rifai - Timmins

Woll
Stolarz

Fans are hoping to find out more on Matthews’ absence and what it could mean for the remainder of the preseason calendar heading into the season opener.