Auston Matthews spent the summer getting back to who he was and Chris Tanev saw it first

Auston Matthews underwent surgery for a Grade 3 MCL tear in March. Chris Tanev now says Toronto's captain looks like an elite player again.

Matthews was originally given a 12-week recovery timeline after the injury ended his season at 27 goals in 60 games. Tanev's summer-skate evaluation matters because it is the first teammate-level signal that the rehab is translating back to NHL pace.

Tanev appeared as a special guest on TSN's BarDown program and discussed a variety of topics that included his thoughts on Matthews' recovery as well as the potential that Gavin McKenna brings to the lineup.

But it's what Tanev said about the captain that should give fans a ton of hope and if the veteran is correct in his assumptions - the Maple Leafs are going to be in good hands this year:

He worked extremely hard this summer and put in all the work he needed to do to be how he always is and an extremely effective player - and one of the best players in the league.

Tanev's assessment is the first real test of whether Matthews' 12-week rehab held up at NHL speed

Tanev's praise for Matthews could be chalked up to him having his captain's back but it's also Tanev saying it. Typically, he's not someone to throw around hype, and tends to take a realistic and grounded approach to his observations. Much like his on-ice persona, he's tough to really get emotions out of him.

But for him to say that Matthews not only looks good, but also believes that he can be that elite player once again bodes well for both the Maple Leafs and anxious fans who are still questioning his abilities.

It's also beyond your typical 'Looks good' comment that you may hear from other players, as they may not have the confidence to say much more than that. But Tanev is someone whose voice carries weight, and if he's a staunch believer in Matthews, then others may start following suit.

This is also one of the first real comments from a teammate of Matthews regarding his status and how he's recovered from surgery, and with Tanev being the surprising vocal leader - you can tell his return has been impactful.

Tanev's wording suggests Toronto is judging Matthews against his 69-goal standard again

You also have to read a bit more into what Tanev said beyond just how Matthews looks now. He touched on how hard he's worked to improve and get back to the level that he knows he can attain.

It's no secret that Matthews has had two straight down seasons that involved serious injuries, and he understands that as captain, he needs to be in the locker room and on the ice. Knowing that he likely looked at last year as heavy motivation, Matthews knows he can tap into that next level once again.

Matthews went to a chiropractic specialist to take a look at his back, he's displayed a smooth and quick skating stride despite having MCL surgery only a few months ago, and he's walking into franchise that just added some of the best medical, strength, and conditioning coaches and doctors in hockey.

Toronto isn't trying to determine whether Matthews can still be a good NHL center. The benchmark is whether he can get back toward the player who scored 69 goals two seasons before injuries dragged him down to 33 and then 27.

Tanev wasn't saying that Matthews was awful and that he needed to pick up the slack, but instead understood that last year was full of so many roadblocks and issues that it prevented him from being the dominant force we've come to expect - something the captain has strived to remedy quickly this summer.

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