One of the big questions heading into the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2025-26 season will be if Auston Matthews can replicate the firepower he has shown in previous seasons. After twice racking up 60-plus goal seasons and scoring 69 in the 2023-24 season, Matthews was limited to just 33 tallies in 2024-25, mostly due to a lingering upper-body injury.
Speaking to NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika at the NHL’s annual media tour in Las Vegas, Matthews provided a key update: “My health is good,” he said. “I feel a lot better. I think I took really good steps this offseason as far as that goes, and so I’m really happy with that progress and happy with where I’m at”.
This marks the second time Matthews has commented on his health since the end of the last season. He first said he felt good ahead of captaining one of the teams for the Hockey Night In Brampton charity game last month.
Matthews’s initial absence came in November when he missed nine consecutive games with the ailment. During that time, he reportedly flew to Germany to meet with Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wolfart, accompanied by team physician Dr. Noah Forman. After returning and playing 11 games, Matthews was sidelined for an additional six games.
The 2021-22 Hart Trophy winner admitted the injury occurred in training camp and stated that he would not require surgery this past summer. Matthews collected 78 points in 67 games last season.
He will be playing this season without highly-skilled winger Mitch Marner on his right side, as Marner departed for the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade on June 30. Players like Matthews will be counted on to fill the offensive void.
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