Auston Matthews Makes Miraculous Return To Ice After Germany Trip
Good news for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they welcome back Oliver Ekman-Larsson from illness, while captain Auston Matthews returns to the ice.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been dealing with a laundry list of injuries over the past few weeks, as they currently are without 7 players due to injuries or suspension.
But they did get Oliver Ekman-Larsson back after dealing with a brief illness, a good sign it's nothing serious on that front.
Auston Matthews New Update
We got a colossal Auston Matthews update:
For the first time since Nov. 10 and after missing seven straight games, Auston Matthews was seen skating, albeit on his own.
Looking just as he normally does, there seemed no evidence of him being held back by something.
This is a huge sign towards a return for Matthews, who is not going to play on Sunday against Utah, and more than likely won't be playing in Florida.
So far this season, Matthews has been off to a slower start with only 5 goals in 13 games, but has been given more of a defensive responsibility this season, leading to less scoring chances:
It's a far cry from the 69 goals he scored last season, but given that Toronto can't rely on Matthews alone, it's up to the rest of the team to pick up his scoring slack and they certainly have the right pieces.
Auston Matthews Injury Timeline
Auston Matthews has been ruled out of action for seven consecutive games. His last game played was November 3rd.
However, according to TSN's Mark Masters, his return is possible on Wednesday against the Florida Panthers.
What This Means For The Maple Leafs
The pieces came to play.
Part of the 'Core Four' along with Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares; the Toronto Maple Leafs has been without their leader but as much as Toronto needs their captain back, they are doing perfectly fine without him for now.
They are 6-1-0 without Auston Matthews which also includes two shutout victories over Boston and Vegas, and the team has made a conscious effort to play a more complete game in their captain's absence.
Mitch Marner leads the team with 26 points, William Nylander has 13 goals, and a 36-year-old John Tavares has found a second gear and looks ten years younger:
It's looking more like a 'Core Trio' but that's led to a lot of success, however the Toronto Maple Leafs can't sustain this production without some help from their bottom six.
With how staggered the Toronto Maple Leafs schedule has been, Auston Matthews has been able to be afforded enough time to recover, and recently returning from Germany to speak with a specialist; it's only a matter of time before he's back.
FAQ: Maple Leafs Welcome Back Auston Matthews and Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Q1: How come Auston Matthews flew to Germany to get help with his injury?
A1: Auston Matthews flew to Germany in order to get a second opinion with a specialist regarding an unknown upper-body injury. Germany is renowned worldwide for its advancements in medicine, and hosts some of the world's top sports medicine specialists.
It's reminiscent of athletes like Max Pacioretty and Christian McCaffrey who have gone to Europe for treatment and/or surgery.
Q2: Why is it taking so long for Matthews to return?
Well, injuries take time but it's more of a case of the Toronto Maple Leafs' staggered schedule being both a blessing and a curse. The gap between games affords Matthews and Toronto more time to recover and gauge his status.
Q3: What happened to OEL?
Originally, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was sidelined with an illness, and while it looked like it could lead him to losing games, much like John Tavares earlier this year, he seems good to go for Sunday against Utah, and he'll again be a key piece in the Leafs defense.
So where does this leave us? Toronto at least has a positive sign towards Auston Matthews' recovery, and while he wasn't practicing with the main team, him just being on the ice should bring relief to fans everywhere. The return of Ekman-Larsson helps too, as he's been a key part of Toronto's revamped defense.
The bottom line is: The Maple Leafs are getting healthy, and that's scary for 31 other teams.
