Auston Matthews Breaks His Silence for the First Time Since Returning from Germany
Auston Matthews traveled to Germany to get help with his upper-body injury, and has finally opened up about his trip.
November 3rd was when Auston Matthews was placed on the IR for an undisclosed upper body injury. It was initially thought to be just a day-to-day instance and the captain would be back in no time.
Fast forward to three weeks later and Matthews has yet to play still, and while there has been a massive improvement on his recovery; he still remains out.
Matthews was clearly fed up with the injury and he went to Germany in order to get a second opinion regarding his ailment.
It caused a stir in the hockey world as fans speculated how severe the injury was, and whether surgery was needed.
Matthews finally took the time to speak to reporters about his choice to travel to Germany, and gave some very critical insight into not only his injury, but his slower start to the season:
TSN's Mark Masters reported that Auston Matthews was seen on the ice on Friday with coaching staff working on drills and getting his legs back under him:
The Cause Of Auston Matthews' Slow Start?
For someone who scored 69 goals last season, the most since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96, only having five goals in 13 games this season isn't really typical production.
Sure, Craig Berube is asking more from Matthews defensively, and that will lead to a slower rate of production, but given that he's been dealing with the injury since the preseason; it's much clearer now.
Whatever injury it was clearly bothered him in games even if he didn't show it, and there were certain times that the Leafs captain looked...off.
Not necessarily like he was dealing with something major, but just enough to throw him off kilter.
It doesn't help that Toronto also played a very odd schedule that was packed with games then vacant. If Matthews was playing hurt, those few days off wouldn't get him back to health before he has to go back into a stretch of 2-3 games in a week.
It's not conducive to recovery, and Matthews had enough.
Giving him enough time to address things should be priority #1 and the Leafs have to make sure he's fully healed.
What This Means For Auston Matthews Going Forward
If the Maple Leafs had it their way, he'd be back for Sunday's game against Utah but that's extremely unlikely.
So Toronto instead will give Matthews a few more days rest before they gauge if he's ready to play against the Florida Panthers on Nov. 27.
So hopefully Toronto can get him back in time for some very crucial Atlantic Division games to keep their momentum rolling.
It also means that he's one step closer to being the dominant force he is known to be.
FAQ: Auston Matthews Breaks Silence On Injury
Q1: How has this injury impacted Auston Matthews season?
A1: It's unknown if this was the main cause but it certainly helped add to a slow start for Matthews. His goal output was his lowest in his career, and something was clearly up with the Maple Leafs captain.
It's impacted more than his stats too, as he loses out on being a part of a hot Maple Leafs team that is first in the Atlantic.
Q2: How long was Auston Matthews in Germany?
A2: The Maple Leafs captain spent just under a week getting checked out by sports medicine specialists, and seems to be on the fast track to recovery given his appearance on the ice Saturday.
Germany is renowned for their medical acumen, and Matthews is one of the many athletes to seek help there.
So let's recap. Auston Matthews is getting healthy, and that's a fantastic thing. It scared a lot of people about the severity of the injury however Matthews has put those worries to bed.
It also means that Toronto won't need to wait long until he's back, which could be as early as next Wednesday. Either way, it's great to see Auston Matthews back on the ice where he belongs.
Full Auston Matthews interview speaking about his injury below:
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