Former Leafs Forward Urges Management to Make Critical Decision with Auston Matthews
With Auston Matthews out yet again, some are wondering if Toronto is doing what they can for him. One former Leaf thinks perhaps taking a drastic measure will help.
Suffering an injury against the Buffalo Sabres, the Maple Leafs captain will miss more time, and his status for the start of the season after the Christmas break is still up in the air.
One person who thinks that these issues are a big deal is former Maple Leaf Jay Rosehill, who gave his blunt opinion regarding what the Maple Leafs need to do with Auston Matthews:
Auston Matthews Needs To Be Given More Time
While it's going to hurt to have Matthews out for a few weeks again to give him the proper time to recover, Toronto should look to even make sure he's only healthy for the end of the season.
Toronto has struggled without Matthews this time around, but chalk that up to a tough schedule. Last time around, the team went 7-2-0 when he was out of the lineup but were also afforded several days in between games; a luxury not afforded to them in December.
It would not be smart for the team to rush him back by any means, and there's still more than enough time for them to get back to their winning ways and keep their captain healthy.
So far this season, Matthews hasn't been his typical self and only has 11 goals and 12 assists so far. Even when on the ice he looks slow, a few steps behind his teammates and the opposition, and he's not showing the quickness he's known for.
Toronto should also be in Matthews' ear too about the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament as well, and try to convince the Team USA forward to eschew the international exhibition in order to be fully ready for the playoffs.
It's a good thing that Toronto can take a few days to relax after a fairly miserable December so far. There's lots of time for them to turn it around, and they need to ensure Auston Matthews is fully over his injury; for good this time.
