Auston Matthews Admits He Played Through Pain, Reveals Recovery Plans for the Offseason

To say his first season as captain was a disappointment could be argued, but it was the most successful season Auston Matthews had since joining the Maple Leafs.

It didn't turn out the way he wanted, and had a chance to talk about things at the end of season press conference where he gave a startling revelation.

Matthews revealed during the end-of-season press conference that he had been dealing with an injury since training camp and that he had been heavily affected during the season.

Mathews admitted that injuries plagued his season and that he's not entirely clear if he was playing at 100% throughout the season.

It makes a lot of sense, given how much of a down year he had with the team, and the fact that he was hindered for so long and didn't really get a chance to get it fixed can be viewed as both admirable and concerning.

Matthews had suffered through two major injuries, having missed time early in the season with an unclear upper-body injury that wasn't specified by the team's seriousness.

After a return from said injury, Matthews faced concern that he was not playing at his usual level as he struggled with both his offence and skating, leading to questions over his health that were ultimately confirmed as Matthews again missed time due to a re-aggravation of said injury.

Matthews had gone to Germany for treatment, and did later return again, although questions about his game continued to persist, specifically his shot.

A former 60-goal scorer, Matthews had a career-low 33 goals in 67 games this season, along with 78 points. Matthews had just three goals in the playoffs.

A similar parallel can be found in Nashville Predators center Steven Stamkos, a fellow former 60-goal first overall pick who converted from a goalscorer to a playmaker due to a knee injury in 2016.

Matthews made it clear to reporters that he loves Toronto and wants to keep playing here, but the same can't be certain for some of his teammates.

His teammates Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies are both free agents, and Marner is a player who very well could generate more outside of Toronto.

Also needing to be signed are John Tavares and Max Pacioretty, both two veterans who may or may not be back.

If Marner is gone from Toronto, it could further open Matthews even more up to take on a playmaking role as a replacement depending on the team's structure heading into next season.

One thing is for near certain that Auston Matthews will continue to be a leader for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but it could be with a brand new cast for the first time in his career, and one that comes with a shifting role.