Auston Matthews stuns with photo following off-season training: he has a new approach

Auston Matthews is unquestionably one of the best active NHL players. At 26 years old, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward posted a career season with 69 goals and 107 points in 81 games. After posting the most goals in the 2023-24 regular season and another early out in the playoffs, management decided it was finally time to pass the captaincy from John Tavares down to Auston Matthews, making him the 26th in the franchise.

However, it is not just Brad Treliving and Toronto management working on a different approach in the upcoming season. A recent photo of Auston Matthews has circulated on social media, featuring the captain's significantly slimmed-down figure. He was recently listed at 6'3" and 215 pounds but has since trimmed off some weight.

Though he was an appropriate size for a player looking for shooting power last season, fans have noticed that he should now be quicker and more agile when skating down the ice, which could prove more beneficial in his new role.

Here was Auston Matthews between 2022 and 2023, participating in an energy drink advertisement and pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays:

Here he is now, appearing in a pre-shoot interview and on the ice as Toronto's new captain:

There is no account of Auston Matthews' current weight, but the transformation is apparent. This is also not the first time he has cut before a performance, having dropped 14 pounds in the 2020-21 season, which was his career-best up to that point.

Hopefully, this case proves no different, and Auston Matthews could bring the Toronto Maple Leafs further than they have gone in a really long time.