Dec 4, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) looks on before the start of the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

Photo credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube was as transparent as possible about Auston Matthews’ injury and when fans can expect to see him back on the ice.

One of those players is Auston Matthews, the team’s captain and one of their top offensive weapons. He’s putting up solid numbers even if he’s not the dominant force he once was, and this latest injury is another unfortunate setback.

Matthews still day-to-day as Berube’s comments don’t spark a ton of hope

We can only hope that he’s back on the ice sooner rather than later, however his da-to-day status means he could miss anywhere from a few days to a month; Toronto is notorious for saying one thing when it’s a lot worse.

And Craig Berube’s update while trying to be positive, doesn’t spark a ton of hope.

Speaking to reporters after Toronto’s 4-0 shutout victory over the New Jersey Devils, Berube explained that Matthews is hopefully getting over his ailment soon and they are working to figure out when he can take the ice again:

Fairly close. But, we’ll see how he is tomorrow. Hopefully, everything subsides a little bit more and see if he can get on the ice tomorrow. That would be good.

The issue wasn’t exactly the injury itself but how Berube took a long, deep pause before answering; a sign that perhaps things aren’t exactly great for the captain.

Toronto can’t afford Matthews to keep getting hurt

A lot of talk this season has been around whether or not he’s truly healthy, and this latest injury really puts things into perspective. How can we get Matthews back to form if he keeps finding ways to get hurt?

He’s a huge part of this team whether he’s scoring 60 goals or not. Although history shows that the Maple Leafs do better when he is absent, his overall mix of offense and defense is almost always a net positive.

All we can hope for now is that the blocked shot he took isn’t as bad as we thought, if Berube’s words are to be believed, and knowing how bad a foot injury can cost Toronto then it might be bad news heading into 2026.

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New details emerge on Auston Matthews’ injury following Berube’s post-game comments

Will Auston Matthews return to the Maple Leafs for their weekend game vs. New York?