Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas believes Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews still has room to evolve as a player.
The 27-year-old is coming off a difficult season, where he suffered an injury during Toronto’s training camp and never could return to 100 percent. Matthews missed almost the entirety of November for treatment, which involved travelling to Munich, Germany, to see a doctor he’s used in the past.
Matthews finished the year with 33 goals (the lowest total during a season of his career) and 45 assists in 67 games. He added 11 points (three goals and eight assists) in 13 playoff games against the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers this past spring.
In speaking with Cam Janssen and Andy Strickland of The Cam & Strick Podcast, Dubas credits Matthews for his leadership with the Maple Leafs, plus his growth as a 200-foot player over his time in the NHL.
“You’ve seen the evolution as a leader and the evolution on the defensive side as well. Of course, everyone knows about the goalscoring, but to see him named captain there, captain of Team USA, he puts a lot into his craft,” the former Maple Leafs GM said.
“I don’t think any of the stuff that people talk about, the pressure, the market, his pressure is probably internal and trying to be at his absolute best, and you saw different steps that he took throughout his career. He took constructive criticism well, especially as he got into his mid-20s, so it’s been great to see him continue to evolve, and I hope that he gets back to 100 percent, I think as he talked about after the year, and get back to having a dominating year next year.”
Matthews was named captain of the Maple Leafs last summer as Toronto transitioned the captaincy from John Tavares to the goalscoring forward. The Scottsdale, Arizona, native was also captain of the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, where he tallied three assists in as many games.
He was also one of the first six players named to the USA’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Milan, Italy, in February. Matthews is entering the second season of a four-year, $53 million contract signed in August 2023.
This article originally appeared on The Hockey News: 'I Hope He Gets Back To 100 Percent': Penguins' Kyle Dubas Praises Maple Leafs Captain Auston Matthews' Evolution In NHL
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