Maple Leafs Clarify the Situation Behind Auston Matthews' Slow Start
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The Toronto Maple Leafs say no injury is causing Auston Matthews quiet start, but the new update won't spark joy.
Auston Matthews has not been back to his flashy self early this season after missing time due to injury in 2024-25.
Matthews has just five goals and eight points in 11 games for Toronto, far from what Toronto would have wanted from their captain and former 69 goalscorer.
Chris Johnston reports that there is no injury issue for Matthews, the issue being a lack of good chances for him. However, that itself opens questions of its own.
The announcement that Matthews isn't injured is a positive for Toronto that there's no lingering issue holding him back, but opens up a potentially more challenging scenario, that Matthews is struggling to return to his past form.
Why Auston Matthews' Slow Start Isn't About Injury, But About Adjustment
The slow start for Auston Matthews isn't because he's dealing with a physical problem, but if Matthews is having trouble returning to his old self, it's bad news for Toronto.
The Leafs don't have Mitch Marner to at least help feed Matthews and get him back into some sort of rhythm. Matthews has been largely on his own, and when he got William Nylander to help him, Nylander went down injured.
Toronto can be patient and hope that Matthews regains his touch as he gets back into the flow of things, but for a former multi-time Richard Trophy winner to have lost his scoring sense this much in his prime is a concern.
Of course, there is a potential fix for Matthews, and that is him converting himself into more of a playmaker than a goalscorer.
This is an idea outlined in a previous article earlier in the year about Matthews taking after Steven Stamkos, in which after injury he shifted his game to focus more on the passing side after previously having been a goalscoring machine.
This would also allow for someone else to pick up the lead as a scorer, or another balanced option next to Matthews, with that potentially being Matthew Knies or William Nylander, or an acquisition.
One clear thing, even if Auston Matthews can't be the goalscorer he once was, he'll need to prove himself as the superstar caliber player he once was, or it could be a disaster for the Leafs contention window.
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