Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews 'doubtful' for Tuesday, Max Pacioretty placed on IR
Toronto captain remains day to day with an undisclosed upper-body injury
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Don’t be looking for Auston Matthews’ return to the Maple Leafs lineup quite yet.
Against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena, the Leafs captain will be in line to miss his fourth consecutive game because of an upper-body injury.
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Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews 'doubtful' for Tuesday, Max Pacioretty placed on IR Back to video
After looking close to his usual self while taking part in Toronto’s optional morning skate on Saturday, Matthews was not on the ice for practice at the Ford Performance Centre on Monday. This after Matthews also skated on Sunday, Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said.
The Leafs have not been specific on the details of Matthews’ injury, but whatever it is, it’s crucial for the team’s medical staff to do all it can to ensure Toronto’s best player doesn’t miss larger chunks of time in 2024-25.
Never mind the Leafs’ 38-19-2 record during Matthews’ career when he is not in the lineup. They’re better, it should go without saying, when he is in uniform.
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Treliving met with media on Monday to give updates on the status of several players and, while he said there was no change on Matthews and that the 27-year-old remained day to day, Treliving said it was doubtful that Matthews would play against Ottawa.
That would put Matthews’ participation on Wednesday in Washington against Alex Ovechkin and the rest of the Capitals unlikely as well, as Matthews hasn’t practised with teammates this week.
“We want to make sure we get ahead of it and hopefully get it behind us once and for all,” Treliving said of Matthews’ injury.
Coach Craig Berube said last week that Matthews’ issue isn’t related to previous wrist trouble in his career.
We asked Berube on Monday if it’s the same upper-body issue that caused Matthews to miss some time during training camp.
“Yeah, I guess,” Berube said. “It’s probably part of it, yeah.
“We’re all trying to figure it out and work on it and make sure we get him back and this thing doesn’t occur again over the course of the year. It’s not something you want lingering, especially with him, throughout the season, so we’re trying to do our best to not allow that to happen.”
Treliving’s day was a busy one.
The Leafs also placed veteran winger Max Pacioretty on injured reserve as a result of the lower-body injury he suffered late in the first period of the Leafs’ 4-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
Pacioretty grabbed at his left leg, possibly his hamstring, as he hobbled off the ice. And at the end of the period, the 35-year-old needed to be helped off the ice by teammates.
Pacioretty is listed as week to week, though it’s encouraging the Leafs did not go the long-term injured reserve route with him.
“It’s unfortunate,” Treliving said. “He has been through a lot. He has been a really good addition to our group and he has had an impact in all the games he has played in.
“The good news is, to be honest, is leaving the rink on Saturday night, I thought it was going to be longer than then news we got this morning.
“We’ll see how he responds to treatment, but it’s going to be several weeks.”
The Leafs placed defenceman Matt Benning on waivers, which would clear the way for defenceman Jani Hakanpaa’s return at some point this week. All that stands between Hakanpaa and his Leafs debut is what should amount to a rubber stamp from the medical staff on his knee, as the big Finn played in two games with the Toronto Marlies on an LTIR conditioning loan.
Oh, and William Nylander and Max Domi didn’t practise on Monday as both had what the Leafs called a maintenance day. Berube said he expected both to be available to play against Ottawa, but the eyebrows of observers go up a bit whenever players get a maintenance day following a full day off, as the Leafs were on Sunday.
Connor Dewar, meanwhile, took part in line rushes and stands to make his season debut on Tuesday now that he has recovered from off-season shoulder surgery.
Still, Treliving didn’t close the door on possibly recalling a player from the Marlies. That likely would be a forward, perhaps Alex Steeves, Nikita Grebenkin or Fraser Minten, if a recall happens.
When Matthews does come back, there’s going to have to be an uptick in his production. Five goals and six assists in his first 13 games is less, clearly, than what we have come to expect from the one of the best hockey players on the planet.
Matthews’ shooting percentage is 8.9%, well below his career average of 16%.
“Nobody is going to make excuses, especially him,” Berube said. “I get that the goals weren’t going in, but the chances were there and the 200-foot play was excellent.
“There was a lot of good going on. I know the goals weren’t going in and that’s what most people focus on, and we need him to score goals, I get that, but his play was really good.”
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