Craig Berube Provides an Update on Auston Matthews' Trip to Germany
Craig Berube gave an update on Auston Matthews after he traveled to Munich to see a specialist for his upper-body injury.
It's been three weeks nearly since Auston Matthews has seen the ice and placed on the IR. The team has been great in his absence, although they seem to be dropping like flies as each day passes.
No real indication of what the injury was, and Brad Treliving's secrecy behind the whole issue has led to a lot of speculation regarding the extent and severity of the Maple Leafs' captain's issues.
After traveling to Munich in order to get an opinion from a sports medicine specialist, Matthews' status has been unknown.
Well, his head coach has just hit us with a big update:
That is a massive relief for Maple Leafs fans and for Berube as the team tries to navigate injuries to not only Matthews but Max Domi, Max Pacioretty, and potentially Matthew Knies.
With Toronto's staggered schedule both a blessing and a curse for the Maple Leafs, it will give Matthews enough time to be assessed properly and his progress being positive can only spark more questions about when he will return.
After Sunday's game with Utah, Toronto plays the following Wednesday then Saturday for their Florida jaunt.
It gives Matthews enough time to get comfortable enough to skate and work his way back into a rhythm before coming back.
If Matthews is out until December, Toronto doesn't necessarily have to fret, especially if everything is going well with his recovery. The team is 6-1-0 without him and is finally starting to get a bit of production from their bottom six.
How long they can sustain that though is another story, and with tough games against Florida and Tampa Bay, they need to carry as much momentum into those as possible.
A huge statement win against Utah would be just the thing Toronto needs to take control of the Atlantic Division and put pressure on both Florida teams to start performing to Toronto's suddenly elite level.
All we hope for is that Matthews' recovery is quicker than anticipated, and this update gives all Maple Leafs fans hope that their captain will lead them on the ice sooner rather than later.
| POLL | ||
Will Auston Matthews return for the Florida or Tampa Bay games? | ||
| Florida | 220 | 23.7 % |
| Tampa | 167 | 18 % |
| Neither | 340 | 36.6 % |
| Doesn't return until New Year | 201 | 21.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
