Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t sure when Auston Matthews will return after some Team USA scheduling conflicts.
However with that comes the end of the Olympics and now Matthews and the rest of his American teammates will make their way back to their respective NHL clubs and prepare for the rest of the regular season.
Team USA’s White House visit causing NHL lineup concerns
Though, their pit stops along the way have caused a bit of an issue and according to Darren Dreger; the Maple Leafs don’t know when Matthews might be back.
Dreger reported that due to Team USA scheduled to visit the White House on Tuesday, it’s unknown if Matthews will be back in time to be prepared for Toronto’s return game on Wednesday:
Some uncertainty around when Team USA players will rejoin their NHL clubs. The Leafs are in Tampa Bay on Wed.
USA has been invited to the White House tomorrow, so Toronto is unclear as to when Auston Matthews will return to the team. A challenge for all NHL clubs with US players.
Toronto faces Tampa Bay and Florida in a back to back on Wednesday and Thursday, so if Matthews were to miss the first game, it’s more than likely he can make his way back for the second so long as travel issues aren’t a concern.
Toronto has a big chance to take divisional points thanks to Team USA’s absentees
Though it also goes both ways as the Tampa Bay Lighting and Florida Panthers will also potentially be without key players like Jake Guentzel and Matthew Tkachuk, and the Maple Leafs have more than enough star power at home.
Without Matthews, the team is going to lean heavily on William Nylander and company to lead the way and while he might be feeling a bit disappointed at his Olympic result, he had a very good tournament overall and his momentum should help the team on Wednesday.
That’s big considering how tight the Atlantic Division is, and any advantage they can get over their divisional rivals is a huge boost to their prospective playoff chances.
Toronto hasn’t made a confirmation yet as to whether Matthews will be available or not, but likely an update will be posted sometime on Tuesday or early Wednesday once more information is available.
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Maple Leafs unsure when Auston Matthews will rejoin them after Team USA commitments
Will Auston Matthews be available for Toronto’s game vs. Tampa Bay on Wednesday?