Toronto Maple Leafs Announce Auston Matthews Has Been Placed on Injured Reserve: What This Means for the Team

Matthews has been missing since the Boston Bruins game on Tuesday and hadn't participated in a skate. His status for the weekend was in question but now we know at least he won't be playing for the next few games.

It's an unfortunate turn of events for the Maple Leafs as they will be without their captain for the next little bit. While most teams would kick themselves at losing their best player, Toronto seems to band together and play above and beyond during any Matthews absence.

During their 4-0 victory over the Bruins, the team looked like a fully cohesive unit, recognizing their roles on the ice and playing them to perfection. The powerplay woke up, and we saw how good the Maple Leafs can be and should be even with Matthews playing.

The recalling of Dewar from his conditioning assignment is a good sign that he's healthy after dealing with the aftermath of shoulder surgery. While he was supposed to return a bit later, clearly the loss of their captain expedited his arrival back to Toronto.

Matthews has been having a bit of a slow start this season, both due to some bad luck as well as a new job given to him by head coach Craig Berube, being a more defensive-minded and complete player. While Dewar won't replace Matthews' level of talent, it'll give Toronto a fresh bottom six scoring option.

More to come.