Auston Matthews set to break the curse as Maple Leafs new captain

Forget all that talk about a Stanley Cup. The Leafs need to first break another curse, which is the usual early playoff exit. Auston Matthews is determined to put an end to this horrible streak by the Toronto Maple Leafs, leading his team deep into the postseason as first-year captain. After years of frustration, the star forward has plans to make sure that the 2024-25 season is the year the Leafs breakthrough, and he's ready to shoulder the responsibility.

Still on the heels of an eight-year contract extension, and having just been handed the captaincy by veteran forward John Tavares, Auston Matthews is taking more of a leadership role this season. He's long been the face of the franchise, but now he's officially the voice, too.

But don't look for any drastic adjustment in his game, as Matthews has worn the "A" for years and knows how to guide his team without losing sight of what he does best: dominate on the ice. He's just going to have to do it with a different letter on his jersey this season, the "C", which definitely comes with some more pressure.

The goal of Auston Matthews? Nothing less than a deep playoff run. No more personal milestones or regular-season success will define the season for the Leafs captain; it's time to start with a deep playoff run, and once that's accomplished, lift the Stanley Cup. But speaking of personal milestones, Matthews did have a fantastic year for the Leafs last season. The first-overall pick of the Leafs in 2016 played in 81 games last year, scoring a career-high 69 goals, while adding 38 assists for 107 points. Although fans would love to see Matthews score 70 this season, it's no longer about that for him.

This offseason, key roster moves have been made by the Maple Leafs, including revamping their defense and bringing in a new head coach, all in the interest of going further in the playoffs. Who can also forget the addition of Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Anthony Stolarz. Matthews firmly believes that these changes, combined with experience from the core, will finally get them over the hump, and boy is it ever a big hump, one that's been growing since 1967.

Auston Matthews knows that the captain of this storied franchise has a lot of pressure to deliver when it matters most. That pressure is finally on him, but more than ever this season, he's ready to lead from the front and push the Maple Leafs past the first round, to infinity and beyond.