Auston Matthews (Captain Edition)

[koyvoo]

Yeah I just don’t really see why he’s playing through injury when the real games are coming up. So he’s either being mismanaged, he’s mismanaging his injuries or he’s not really that injured but a combination of banged up, loss of confidence, frustration, apathy etc.

On the stepping up piece, the fact that you and I both know the exact couple of games where he did something special in the playoffs (just showed up) in an 8 year career is kind of telling.

He’s gotta figure it out and soon. He’s taking some reputational damage.

I banter on the leafs and Matthews quite a bit, mostly tongue in cheek, but the fact of the matter is that all the tinkering, depth moves, attempts at getting better in goal is irrelevant until the day that he plays his best hockey (virtually) night in, night out in the post season.

None of it really matters, or will be the turning point until he kills it for an entire playoff run.

 

[TopCheeseShotta]

None of it really matters, or will be the turning point until he kills it for an entire playoff run.

This is the elusive holy leaf grail.. lol
I'm just fearful that even st his full powers, he's never shown it - and so this version of him..??! Yikes.. I mean, here's a faint hope for everyone:

Maybe if he can't bring "God's gift to Goal-scoring" to the party, he can at least bring some other things that he's historically been missing in the big moments, out of sheer guilt or some sense of responsibility, if nothing else.... maaaybe..???

 

[Fogelhund]

Yeah I just don’t really see why he’s playing through injury when the real games are coming up. So he’s either being mismanaged, he’s mismanaging his injuries or he’s not really that injured but a combination of banged up, loss of confidence, frustration, apathy etc.

On the stepping up piece, the fact that you and I both know the exact couple of games where he did something special in the playoffs (just showed up) in an 8 year career is kind of telling.

He’s gotta figure it out and soon. He’s taking some reputational damage.

IMO, it's a wrist injury, that isn't fixable without surgery. Off season, he'll have another surgery, and it will take months to heal.. hence why he couldn't have it now, or the season would be lost.

It's probably blasphemy, but I'm ready to move on from him., he just hasn't stepped up, and with his injury history, he can't be counted on. To LA Kings for Byfield, Clarke and Greentree.

 

[Dave92]

Matthews gets judged unfairly because how many first year players make it to the playoffs, let alone going to a Game 7 nearly every year? Let alone a new divisional format where they're in the strongest divisional in the league during that time span.

Matthews get judged harshly because he makes the playoffs every year. Eichel in contrast gets praised for not being good enough to make it to the playoffs and only making it when he's in his prime after joining a team that went to the finals without him.

Did he miss 15 games and go to Germany during the season to see his friends? Clearly he's been injured.

I would not praise Eichel, he's the same level as a Kessel. Couldn't be THE guy to build a team around. Matthews could absolutely win a cup as a 2nd or 3rd best player on a team. But among the elite of the elite he's a loser that constantly embarrasses himself.

I can't even think of a comparable athlete in any sport when it come to incompetence in a winner take all scenario, He might be the worst in history. Multiple time 60 goal scorer and both times he can only score 1 goal in the playoffs. It's just embarrassing and it's probably damaging his psyche.

 

[OVO16]

I feel like we need to shut him down for however long to get him the rest and recovery time he needs to get back to a 100%

Its obvious he's playing injured.

 

[blue stick]

These enigmas shrouded in mystery are always a puzzle. As fans we will never know the answer. My hope is that Matthews is sleeping in the weeds and will emerge in the playoffs.

 

[BallardEra]

Last season he had 42 goals after 50 games.

This season he's at 23 after 50.

 

[ACC1224]

Last season he had 42 goals after 50 games.

This season he's at 23 after 50.

Such a massive disappointment this year. I haven't seen him live since Christmas, his play Thursday was pretty concerning. he just looked so disinterested.
Hopefully he shows back up tonight or he'll be hearing it from row 17.

 

[Fogelhund]

I feel like we need to shut him down for however long to get him the rest and recovery time he needs to get back to a 100%

Its obvious he's playing injured.

That's likely surgery, and he'd be done for the season. If it was as simple as some rest, and he'd recover in a few weeks, or months, they would have done that already. Clearly it's more than that, and they feel he's better in the lineup, as a shadow of himself, than being done for the season. Speculative of course, but I expect off season surgery, that will take months to recover from.

 

[BraveCanadian]

I banter on the leafs and Matthews quite a bit, mostly tongue in cheek, but the fact of the matter is that all the tinkering, depth moves, attempts at getting better in goal is irrelevant until the day that he plays his best hockey (virtually) night in, night out in the post season.

None of it really matters, or will be the turning point until he kills it for an entire playoff run.

Just imagine a player with Matthew$ size and talent with half the heart and grit of Gilmour.

We'll likely never see it though, these guys have been spoiled to death I think.

 

[MK78]

His career is in jeopardy. Surgeries, treatments in Europe, horrendous season, can’t shoot. I honestly think there’s way more that’s going on than people know.

Maybe he should have signed for 8 years, lol...

 

[BraveCanadian]

Maybe he should have signed for 8 years, lol...

Matthew$ will still be fine with his, what, 100 million through the end of this contract?

I wouldn't worry too much about the poor guy.

 

[myleafs]

I would not praise Eichel, he's the same level as a Kessel. Couldn't be THE guy to build a team around. Matthews could absolutely win a cup as a 2nd or 3rd best player on a team. But among the elite of the elite he's a loser that constantly embarrasses himself.

I can't even think of a comparable athlete in any sport when it come to incompetence in a winner take all scenario, He might be the worst in history. Multiple time 60 goal scorer and both times he can only score 1 goal in the playoffs. It's just embarrassing and it's probably damaging his psyche.

yea....no

 

[Evilhomer]

The reality is that it's a matter of time before it turns and the goals come in bunches for him. Players, even great ones, are allowed to go through slumps

 

[yubbers]

Just imagine a player with Matthew$ size and talent with half the heart and grit of Gilmour.

We'll likely never see it though, these guys have been spoiled to death I think.

Dubas damage is too much to undo. Shanny let a rookie GM waste the best draft luck this franchise has ever had.

It's depressing. And many of us saw it.

The reality is that it's a matter of time before it turns and the goals come in bunches for him. Players, even great ones, are allowed to go through slumps

It's not just the lack of goals....he simply play like he doesn't wnat to be out there 80% of the time.

I think Matthews is way too emotional. ANd he's been sulking since 4 Nations.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

Matthew$ will still be fine with his, what, 100 million through the end of this contract?

I wouldn't worry too much about the poor guy.

He may have done us a favor by being a greedy pig, especially if his body fails him and he can't get back to being an elite goal scorer

 

[BraveCanadian]

He may have done us a favor by being a greedy pig, especially if his body fails him and he can't get back to being an elite goal scorer

By the time his deal is done our window will likely be closed and we'll have wasted the most talented core of homegrown players the leafs have had in decades if not ever.

 

[yubbers]

By the time his deal is done our window will likely be closed and we'll have wasted the most talented core of homegrown players the leafs have had in decades if not ever.

Letting rookie GMs learn on the job will do that to a club.

He still hasn't learned. LOL

 

[nuck]

The reality is that it's a matter of time before it turns and the goals come in bunches for him. Players, even great ones, are allowed to go through slumps

Its not just a slump. though, he is only shooting 11.5%. The shot volume is off a little but still pacing for 320. He doesn't have quite as much on it and he is someone who relies way more on the release than dekes and dangles that get the goalie out of position. I think it has to be medical so probably not realistic to expect old Matty to pop up without some kind of correction. Maybe there is a short term fix with cortisone or another steroid they would try in the playoffs that they wouldn't use for 50 relatively meaningless regular season games but they would never share that. Maybe they send him back to Germany to get warmed up for round 1. I don't think its effort.

 

[The Shadow]

Between his purse, earrings and woman’s deodorant we have a real man’s man here. Just kidding of course



I think there is one essential he didn’t list that he is using every day now

 

[Evilhomer]

Its not just a slump. though, he is only shooting 11.5%. The shot volume is off a little but still pacing for 320. He doesn't have quite as much on it and he is someone who relies way more on the release than dekes and dangles that get the goalie out of position. I think it has to be medical so probably not realistic to expect old Matty to pop up without some kind of correction. Maybe there is a short term fix with cortisone or another steroid they would try in the playoffs that they wouldn't use for 50 relatively meaningless regular season games but they would never share that. Maybe they send him back to Germany to get warmed up for round 1. I don't think its effort.

He had a really nice stretch in the middle of January, so even with the injury there have been times where he has been explosive.

 

[Stringer Bell]

IMO, it's a wrist injury, that isn't fixable without surgery. Off season, he'll have another surgery, and it will take months to heal.. hence why he couldn't have it now, or the season would be lost.

It's probably blasphemy, but I'm ready to move on from him., he just hasn't stepped up, and with his injury history, he can't be counted on. To LA Kings for Byfield, Clarke and Greentree.

Times like this maybe a 4 year deal with him is a blessing. With the cap going up so high he will probably be fine, but if it weren't going sky high there would be no way he would be worth 13.4 or whatever he's getting paid 4 years from now. No way.

 

[Stephen]

I banter on the leafs and Matthews quite a bit, mostly tongue in cheek, but the fact of the matter is that all the tinkering, depth moves, attempts at getting better in goal is irrelevant until the day that he plays his best hockey (virtually) night in, night out in the post season.

None of it really matters, or will be the turning point until he kills it for an entire playoff run.

All the window dressing is premised on Auston Matthews showing up and running through the playoffs like a franchise superstar and every time he runs into a brick wall, whether that's Philip Danault, Pierre- Luc Dubois, Anthony Cirelli, Aleksander Barkov or some bulldog center who feels so empowered to play tough against Toronto. Watching Steven Stamkos dummy Auston like a Sedin twin was not good.

Comparison is the thief of joy, but Toronto has always held up Matthews like it was McDavid 1 and Matthews 2. He certainly has those tools, but over the years he's really let Leon Draisaitl and Nathan Mackinnon steal that spot from him in the regular season points accumulation game and on long playoff runs. Outside of goal scoring there's just a lack of consistency in his drive to be the best every night.

On the injury front, I just don't get the state secrecy. Privacy is fine and I get it we don't get to know, fine. But usually that's not how situations are handled and communicated. Matthew Tkachuk has a groin injury and is out on LTIR while Florida completes the regular season. Matthew Tkachuk once attempted to play through a broken sternum in the playoffs. Just logical cause and effect, decisions and timelines people understand.

 

[BallardEra]

Ice Chips: Leafs' Matthews misses morning skate, will play Saturday | TSN

Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.

www.tsn.ca

 

[Stephen]

IMO, it's a wrist injury, that isn't fixable without surgery. Off season, he'll have another surgery, and it will take months to heal.. hence why he couldn't have it now, or the season would be lost.

It's probably blasphemy, but I'm ready to move on from him., he just hasn't stepped up, and with his injury history, he can't be counted on. To LA Kings for Byfield, Clarke and Greentree.

The way the Boston series was managed and communicated, followed by just this nightmare season, I think there's been a loss in confidence in Auston Matthews.