The Toronto Maple Leafs held their final practice of their regular season opener. Fraser Minten and Noah Gregor earn spots in the opening-night lineup. We might've found the reason as to why Auston Matthews has come out hot to begin the season. In Elliotte Friedman's latest written 32 Thoughts [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/32-thoughts-why-its-important-to-showcase-nhl-player-personalities/], he reports that the 26-year-old goal-scorer may have had a minor procedure in the summer of 2022, which could explain his down year. "Asked a few people why they thought Auston Matthews was off to such a hot start. Is he shooting differently? Going to other places on the ice? The number one answer received: 'He’s healthy.'" Friedman writes. "Matthews had wrist surgery in August 2021, but may have had another, minor procedure in the summer of 2022 that robbed him of being fully able to train that off-season. Asked Wednesday, Matthews declined to discuss it, making it clear he 'wants to focus on the future' and 'not make any excuses for what happened last year.' "Geez, I wish my 'down years' were that good. Matthews scored 40 goals and had his second-most points (85) in 74 games despite being bothered by hand and knee injuries. But it’s clear now things weren’t right for him the previous summer, and didn’t get on-track for months. He had the opportunity to properly prepare this time, and you see the early results." Although Matthews doesn't want to make this an excuse, it likely explains why he went from having a 60-goal season in 2021-22 to only scoring 40 goals the following year. After three games this season, the 26-year-old has six goals, scoring hat-tricks in back-to-back games to begin the year. Matthews signed a four-year, $53 million extension in August which makes him the most expensive player in the NHL at the moment. His $13.250 million AAV is the highest-ever annual average value awarded to a player in the league. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTk1MTUxMDE2NDM2ODQ0/cf1808c0-6a82-4298-9049-3eb2eae105b0.jpg] Related How the Maple Leafs Dressed for Their Halloween Party on Wednesday Before Jetting Off on a Season-Long Road Trip [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/how-the-maple-leafs-dressed-for-their-halloween-party-on-wednesday-before-jetting-off-on-a-season-long-road-trip] More Ice Time for Matthew Knies and Why the Maple Leafs are Changing Their Middle-Six Forward Lines Before Taking on the Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/more-ice-time-for-matthew-knies-and-why-the-maple-leafs-are-changing-their-middle-six-forward-lines-before-taking-on-the-panthers] There's No Reason to Believe William Nylander Won't Re-Sign With Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/theres-no-reason-to-believe-william-nylander-wont-sign-with-maple-leafs] News from THN.com Sleepers and Keepers Podcast: Big Fantasy Hockey Questions from Week 1 [https://thehockeynews.com/podcast/sleepers-and-keepers-podcast-big-fantasy-hockey-questions-from-week-1] Canucks' Conor Garland Draws More Interest in the NHL Trade Market [https://thehockeynews.com/news/canucks-conor-garland-draws-more-interest-in-the-nhl-trade-market] NHL Three Stars: Hill, Pettersson and Matthews Shine in Week One [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-three-stars-hill-pettersson-and-matthews-shine-in-week-one]
