As Team USA looks forward to a chance to win the 4 Nations Face-Off, their captain surprisingly hasn’t been a huge part of their success.
Auston Matthews has one assist in two contests, and ultimately sat out the Americans’ pointless game against Sweden on Monday. A recurring upper-body injury was listed as the cause, and it’s a troubling sign.
As we all saw at the beginning of the year, Matthews was not himself. He seemed disengaged, less physical and intense than normal, and wasn’t producing at a level we’re used to seeing.
Then, the Germany trip.
Matthews has missed 15 games this season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and even flew to another continent to see a specialist for an injury we still don’t know anything about. For the Leafs, having their best player, and captain, healthy for the playoffs is priority No. 1. There’s nothing more important, and the way it’s going doesn’t look promising.
So, when the Leafs come back from the 4 Nations break, he shouldn’t play.
A back-to-back when they get back
When NHL action resumes, the Leafs play the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday and the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. Then, they play the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.
Matthews is playing in the final on Thursday, which would put him at four games in six nights, something I for one am not comfortable with.
The injury history and the shrowd of darkness surrounding his current ailment leads me to believe something is nagging, something that won’t go away and will progressively worsen the more he plays.
This, of course, is horrible for Toronto. We saw him leave in Round 1 last year with a mystery injury, then leave again earlier this season. The Leafs deal with injuries in probably the most frustrating way possible, which only leads to us speculating (as I am doing right now).
Carolina is a really good team, Chicago is a really bad team. The Leafs could and should grab at least two points in the back-to-back without their captain. And for that reason, he should not suit up.
I have a feeling a lot of 4 Nations players will end up resting their first couple games back, especially with how hard and physical the tournament has been. It’s been the best-case scenario for the league and the fans, but it’s going to leave a mark on the players.
And no one needs that rest more than Matthews. Even after his first mysterious disappearance this year, there was a massive visible improvement in his game when he got back. Then, he started to disappear again.
So sit him, please, and give him time to recover. He looks hurt, is clearly being bothered by something, and will only hurt the team if he lets his injury fester.
The return to Boston
If I’m being real, I’d keep Matthews out of Tuesday’s game in Boston as well.
It’s just so clear he’s dealing with some sort of injury, and there is zero point in risking making it worse.
The Leafs are going to make the playoffs. They’ll add pieces at the deadline, and go into Round 1 with a 50% chance to win like they always do.
What will kill their chance of any type of run is their captain ending up hurt again. It just can’t happen. If the team is responsible, they’ll tell him he can’t suit up until he feels 100%. It’s not worth it.
The Captain’s responsibility
The way this whole situation has been handled has me a bit perplexed by Matthews, to be honest.
I think it’s fair to say he came back early from his injury to prove he could suit up for the 4 Nations, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
He is the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and they should come first. If there is a chance playing in this tournament could jeopardize his season even a little bit, he should have backed out. Quinn Hughes did it.
In the end, it could be nothing. Maybe he comes back rejuvenated after an intense tournament and keeps it going right through the playoffs. And hey, maybe this is just me being a salty Canadian fan.
But especially with the mystery surrounding the whole situation, I’d like to trust the captain of the Leafs to make the right decisions. I’m worried he’s not.
And I’m with you. the man is definitely hurting and therefore hurting the team. He’s lost a step, seems very disinterested and slow to get into the play, he seems to be making a lot of mistakes and judgment calls. What happened to the man who was probably #1 at taking the puck back, not this season. He is probably one hit away from season ending injury. Take the time Mathews