Auston Matthews, captain of the Maple Leafs, did not provide specifics about the injury that affected him intermittently throughout the season. However, he stated his confidence in being completely healthy for the start of next year`s training camp, describing the past season as “very tough physically.”
His first season as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs was disappointing for Auston Matthews.
Matthews participated in 67 games while battling an injury. His performance saw a drop from the previous year`s 69 goals, finishing with 33 goals and 78 points. In the playoffs, he recorded only three goals and 11 points over 13 games.
The 27-year-old forward did not disclose the exact nature of his physical ailment during the season, but confirmed it troubled him from the beginning.
“It was a very difficult season,” Matthews commented to reporters on Tuesday. “I don`t need to go into specifics, but I suffered an injury during training camp. Clearly, I wasn`t feeling well throughout the initial month of the season, so I took some time off, went to Germany, and tried various methods to improve. Eventually, I reached a point where I felt I could manage it.”
Matthews confirmed he will not need surgery during the off-season and anticipates being completely healthy.
The injury noticeably affected Matthews` shooting, resulting in a 12.6 shooting percentage. However, the captain indicated the impact was broader than just his shot.
“I believe it definitely affected many different aspects of my game,” he stated.
