There is no doubt that Auston Matthews has had some struggles this season. Thankfully, over the past few games, he has returned to performing like a superstar. The Maple Leafs have won three of their last four games and have gotten seven out of eight possible points. A main reason why this has happened is that the captain has stepped up. The offence is rolling, and Matthews has finally regained his scoring touch. Can he finally find his groove and begin scoring at a dangerous rate? Without that, the Leafs are no threat to any team.
Early-season struggles
Although his play has been better as of late, Matthews certainly struggled early in the season. The 28-year-old is currently on pace to score roughly 35 goals, which would be his second-lowest over the past eight seasons. That would also contribute to being one of the lowest point-scoring seasons in his career. Last season, Matthews had a huge fall-off in offensive output. He posted one hundred and seven points in the 2023–2024 season, but only had 78 points in 67 games last year. As of right now, Matthews is on pace for a point range in the sixties. That would arguably be his worst season yet.
Obviously, one of the biggest excuses for Matthews and his early struggles is the absence of Mitch Marner. These two were a fantastic duo that could strike multiple times in a period. Now, it just feels like the Leafs’ offence has no serious threat. Marner is currently thriving with the Vegas Golden Knights with 39 points in 36 games. It is safe to say that Marner has found a new duo partnership with Jack Eichel.
Without Marner, Matthews’ scoring abilities have been far worse than before. Throughout this season, Matthews has gone scoreless for three or more straight games three separate times. He experienced similar slumps to those of last season, as he went scoreless in three or more consecutive games seven times during the 2024–2025 season. Are his early-season slumps anything to do with the loss of Marner? Or has Matthews simply been playing on a worse level?
Recent gameplay
Over the past couple of games, Matthews has looked like his old self. After going four straight games of being held off the scoresheet, he exploded against the Senators. The Leafs captain led the way offensively, notching a goal and two assists to help the Leafs defeat the Senators in a 7–5 barnburner of a win. This was an all-around dominant performance from Matthews. He had an even strength goal, a power play assist, and recorded his season high of nine shots in a single game. Matthews is at his best when he shoots a lot, so this is a positive sign.
The Leafs’ recent game against the Detroit Red Wings was another acceptable performance from the captain. He had another power play point, which is extremely important, as the Leafs’ power play has been near the bottom of the league all season. Matthews had five shots on net and unfortunately, could not help end the game in overtime. The power play has been a huge issue for the Leafs, so seeing the power play points rack up is another step in the right direction.
With the Leafs winning three of their last four games and getting seven of eight possible points, their momentum is looking bright. Unfortunately, shortly before Tuesday’s matchup, the Leafs had another awful timing injury notice pop up. Matthews is injured again and was going to miss the game against the New Jersey Devils. The injuries continue to be a serious issue for Matthews.
Injured again
Once again, the injury bug has seriously hit the Leafs hard. It was reported that Tanev, Joshua, Matthews, and Nylander were all injured and would not play on Tuesday. The injuries have been non-stop this season, and this time, it has really messed up the forward lines. Without the stars in the lineup, the Leafs’ forward core is all over the place. Max Domi is on the first line, while Nicolas Roy is centring the second line.
Although Matthews and Nylander were missing, the Leafs’ depth was able to show up against the Devils and get a huge win. At this point, the Leafs are just barely out of a playoff spot. With a four or five-game winning streak, this team could really turn the ship around. The only problem is that it would require lots of consistency, which this team, quite frankly, does not have.
The constant injuries have become a massive issue for the Leafs, specifically for Matthews. He has already been injured a couple of times this season, and with the Olympics just around the corner, there is no way he risks making it worse. Matthews has already been named to the USA Olympic roster, being one of the most significant names on the team. That opportunity will likely be the biggest factor on his mind.
Is it best for the Leafs to sit Matthews and let him fully heal from an injury? Can this team really afford for him to be out for any long period of time? They do not have much to drive a push to the playoffs without him.
