Auston Matthews has taken another step towards a full recovery as the Maple Leafs captain was seen shooting alongside former teammate Joe Thornton in Switzerland.
Several months after undergoing knee surgery, Matthews is once again on the ice - this time at the HC David training facility in Switzerland, and showed a sneak peek of his shot ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Though this doesn't mean Matthews is at 100%, it's a very positive step forward in his recovery and gives fans hope that he'll be back to his old form soon enough.
Auston Matthews advances from skating to shooting work
The Maple Leafs captain took the ice with former teammate Joe Thornton at the HC Davos Training Facility in Davos, Switzerland. Matthews had a chance to take shots on U-21 goaltender Silvano Andri - who is only 17 years old.
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While it seems unfair to put a former multiple 60-goal scorer against a teenager, Matthews wasn't exactly trying to pick the corners and he was simply giving the goaltender a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Matthews is well past his proposed healing timeframe of 12 weeks, so he's following the schedule to a tee. That clip of him on the ice is not only a great sign that he's progressing, but that there wasn't any setbacks and he's adding more to his routine.
This in addition to his prior return to the ice at the beginning of July shows that his rehab and recovery is going well. The July 3 video showed a lot more of his skating ability (an important note due to his knee injury) though both clips are nonetheless positive and for a fanbase who is unsure about his future with the team - he's at least looking healthy for this year.
Toronto still needs Matthews healthy before training camp
However we can't overlook at Matthews suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion, which isn't exactly the easiest injury to recover from if you're a hockey player.
Your legs are a lot of your power, balance, and explosiveness so if there's a weakness there, then Matthews won't be at his best. These videos are great but don't exactly show if Matthews is truly 100% - that won't be known until training camp and preseason.
The next steps for Matthews is to ease into more physically demanding drills, contact, and a more intense skating regimen because the NHL season won't take itself lightly, and teams know that he has an injury history so he has a bit of a target on his back.
That's why protecting him is so important. Jim Hiller has a chance to not only give Matthews the proper linemates to succeed offensively, but he's got players now who won't step aside if someone goes after him.
Toronto didn't necessarily add enforcers, but they added players who fight for their team which is more than Matthews had last year.
Anything can happen and Matthews could still be a little bit away from returning, as this little shooting drill didn't exactly push him to his limits. But it's a very positive outlook for the Maple Leafs captain, and it could be a sign of good things to come this year.
Do you think Auston Matthews will find his old form in 2026-27?
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