Analyst Reveals How the Leafs Can Maximize Auston Matthews in the Playoffs
While traditional hockey fans may hate the idea, one analyst is suggesting that the Toronto Maple Leafs put Auston Matthews on a load management-style program to get the most out of him in the postseason.
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews hasn't scored at his usual rate in his first year wearing the "C" on his sweater, and he's been hampered by injury trouble that has caused him to miss multiple games.
But now, the real fun is set to begin later this month with the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The 2025 postseason may be the most important for Toronto in recent history, especially with the futures of Mitch Marner and John Tavares with the organization up in the air.
While it may be stunning on the surface to even suggest for most hockey traditionalists, should the Maple Leafs put Matthews on a load management-style program in a similar fashion that many NBA stars are on?
Auston Matthews Should Have Altered Schedule For Health Reasons
While speaking on the JD Bunkis Podcast on Sportsnet's 590 The Fan, James Mirtle of The Athletic pointed out that Matthews is benefitting from not appearing at every practice:
The managing of (Matthews) is working. Giving him some morning skates and practices off is paying off because you can see when he has energy. He looks dynamic and it's so noticeable.
Matthews has 68 points (29G, 39A) in 59 games this year. His health and production will be critical for the Maple Leafs if they are to go on a prolonged postseason run this spring.
If giving Matthews an adjusted schedule and allowing him to skate less and be focused more on the game at hand as opposed to making sure he's game-ready (which he clearly is), it's allowed him to play a lot more succinctly and like himself.
While it may seem like preferential treatment, if it's a key to making sure that Matthews can play to the best of his ability, why wouldn't the Maple Leafs want to maximize that?
So the question remains: Should head coach Craig Berube consider sitting Matthews once or twice in the final few games of the year for additional rest before the playoffs?
It could be the difference between a swift exit and a deep playoff run.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 2 | 527 ANSWERS Analyst Reveals How the Leafs Can Maximize Auston Matthews in the Playoffs Should the Maple Leafs put Auston Matthews on a load management program? | ||
| Yes | 321 | 60.9 % |
| No | 206 | 39.1 % |
| List of polls | ||