Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews left Tuesday’s skate without prior warning, causing some consternation among fans but head coach Craig Berube confirmed Matthews will be fine.
Matthews is listed with an upper-body ailment after leaving the practice for the non-game group on Tuesday, as the Maple Leafs prepare to square off against the Ottawa Senators. He skated to the locker room without assistance.
“Just an upper-body thing. It’s not serious. He should be fine,” Berube said via Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun.
It’s a major sigh of relief as the object of training camp for roster regulars is to get back into shape, get used to new linemates and to avoid injury. Matthews scored in Sunday’s 6-5 preseason loss to the Senators and centred a line primarily featuring Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner, a combination that dominated opponents at 5-on-5 throughout the regular season.
It’s unclear when Matthews will return to the lineup but the Maple Leafs face off against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday and Saturday, before ending their preseason against the Detroit Red Wings on October 3 and October 5.
Matthews is coming off the best goal-scoring campaign of the century, recording 69 goals and 107 points in 81 games last season, while earning a Selke Trophy finalist nomination for his two-way excellence. He added one goal and four points in five playoff games against the Boston Bruins, while suffering an undisclosed illness during the series.
The 27-year-old took line rushes alongside Marner and PTO invite Steven Lorentz, who joins the team after helping the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup last season.
Matthews will be centring Marner and Knies on opening night barring a drastic change and for a few brief moments, there was a scare but No. 34 ought to be fine, a welcome relief for us all.
