Injury Report: Matthews - Update 11/30 -- Off IR and back

[Stephen]

I'm actually not frustrated at all. And I have Matthews in my fantasy team too. Still not frustrated.

As a long time Leafer, probably longer than you, I can recognize that a great player like Matthews who has set a precedent of being an elite scorer, will start scoring again, and I can recognize that it's too early into a new season with a new coach and new system to be judging too harshly at this time.

This is the difference between you and I. My frustrations will be when and if we lose in the playoffs or how we look heading into the playoffs. Not now.

I would argue Matthews has never been judged harshly enough for his own career playoff shortcomings, guys like Marner taking the brunt of it, and with elevated status on the team and being the highest paid player in the game this is a perfect time to expect more and raise the standard. We know what a $12 million plus player should look like. So far, it’s not up to par. But we are all free to follow along however we like.

In the end it’s more about the player than your credentials as a fan, so let’s just stick to that.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

He hurt his back sitting on his wallet. It's tough to be the highest paid player in the world.

 

[ACC1224]

Sounds like a perfect opportunity for Nylander to step up and lead the team.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

I see our Captain came down with the dreaded Bruins Flu again.

 

[LeafGrief]

I don’t hate the idea of load managing players in an 82 game season.

I do hate that it’s our best player who needs load management, while guys who work way harder on the ice manage to compete hard every game. Matthews does play a lot of minutes, but he’s not exactly a relentless ball of energy out there. Poor conditioning is not a good look, no sir.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

I don’t hate the idea of load managing players in an 82 game season.

I do hate that it’s our best player who needs load management, while guys who work way harder on the ice manage to compete hard every game. Matthews does play a lot of minutes, but he’s not exactly a relentless ball of energy out there. Poor conditioning is not a good look, no sir.

Load management after 12 games? What in the actual f***

He's been trash from the start.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

I don’t hate the idea of load managing players in an 82 game season.

I do hate that it’s our best player who needs load management, while guys who work way harder on the ice manage to compete hard every game. Matthews does play a lot of minutes, but he’s not exactly a relentless ball of energy out there. Poor conditioning is not a good look, no sir.

No chance it's load management, much likelier he's got a wrist/back issue. He's missed time with both problems in the past.
Pretty concerning if it's the wrist again cause that nullifies his best weapon.

 

[frizzer1]

Wrist issues again.... at least that's my guess. He seems to have chronic wrist issues, and we've seen that affect his shooting in the past.

yep.
I've been saying that since the start if the season.
His shot is not there....he has been mishandling the puck..and losing board battles.
Things he never does.....
It's been obvious to those who would look.
BTW Last game I suggested they give him time off to get healthy.

 

[Stephen]

I don’t hate the idea of load managing players in an 82 game season.

I do hate that it’s our best player who needs load management, while guys who work way harder on the ice manage to compete hard every game. Matthews does play a lot of minutes, but he’s not exactly a relentless ball of energy out there. Poor conditioning is not a good look, no sir.

It’s so rough just looking back on last week’s Bruins game and thinking they didn’t even dial up the energy to stick it to the team that eliminated them… the whole competitive makeup of this organization is just not high enough, from their mental approach to rivalry and playoff games all the way down to AHL guys who don’t have the urgency to grab an NHL job by sheer force of will.

 

[Gilmour1996]

I noticed he looked like his skating was laboured on Saturday in the third period. I thought lower body but sometimes what happens in the upper makes it look like it's lower. Hopefully he didn't get his bell rung again.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

This the guy that's going to lead the team through the war of attrition that is the playoffs.

For Matthews it's the Dayoffs.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

This isn’t too surprising. The guy hasn’t looked right all year.

 

[Enniskillen]

Soft core is falling apart already. Who would have guessed lol. Berube will make them or break them. Latter is more probable.

 

[oobga]

Thought I got a steal with Matthews in my pool this year. Sorry Leafs fans. Worst season of his career incoming.

 

[Folignos Helmet]

Admittedly I don’t follow other teams as closely but we seem to have a lot more high profile players who end up injured without any warning or any visible sign of what happened to them and any explanation of what the issue is.

Matthews multiple times, Woll, Willie, heck we created Robidas Island. I guess it applies to day to day as well as career ending.

 

[notDatsyuk]

It's weird how this comes out from nowhere. Can anyone pinpoint where he might have been hurt last game? Or anything from practice? Same thing with Willy from last season's playoffs. All of a sudden, he wasn't available to start the series. Weird stuff to be honest with you.

If you've even had migraines you know they can come out of nowhere, so Willy's absence is understandable.

With injuries you are more often able to pinpoint a cause, but not necessarily.

 

[the squared circle]

Don’t like that it’s an injury coinciding with a Bruins game though. That gives me some flashbacks to the last series and we can all have our feelings on whatever happened there.

"The Boston series.....whatever happened there."
"WHATEVER HAPPENED THERE?!?!?!?"

(sorry, I watch Sopranos daily, and follow so many Sopranos social media sites, and the 'Whatever happened there', is a famous quote --- i couldnt resist )

 

[notDatsyuk]

Good to be cautious, it's early. Willy getting hurt for the playoffs was not good

Being cautious would have had absolutely no effect on why Willy missed games last playoffs.

 

[GoonieFace]

No chance it's load management, much likelier he's got a wrist/back issue. He's missed time with both problems in the past.
Pretty concerning if it's the wrist again cause that nullifies his best weapon.

Which weapon you talkin bout

 

[supermann_98]

Sounds like a perfect opportunity for Nylander to step up and lead the team.

He's been doing that already

 

[rumman]

don't leave mitch out of the fun, another lower body injury to complete the trifecta

Probably due for a high ego sprain………

 

[Budz]

Upper body = missing heart.

Gotta love our fans.

 

[rumman]

Load management after 12 games? What in the actual f***

He's been trash from the start.

Hall passes for everyone………

This isn’t too surprising. The guy hasn’t looked right all year.

Heavy lies the crown, didn’t think he was captain material………

 

[Stephen]

Hall passes for everyone………


Heavy lies the crown, didn’t think he was captain material………

Just once you want to see these key players rise to the occasion and show some growth in key moments, high pressure situations, additional responsibilities. Like I’m a 10 year veteran now, I’ve learned all the lessons and let’s take it to another level. But it’s always this uncomfortable squirming about and shrinking from the moment. Slow adjustment, need more time etc.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Being cautious would have had absolutely no effect on why Willy missed games last playoffs.

Ok