Auston Matthews Out for the Season

Auston Matthews will not be back this season. The star player for the Maple Leafs sustained a Grade 3 MCL tear in his left knee and a bruised quadriceps after a knee-on-knee collision with Radko Gudas during a game against the Ducks. This injury unfortunately means he’ll miss the rest of the year.

Following that incident, Toronto coach Craig Berube expressed his disapproval of Gudas’s actions. “That was a dirty play,” he remarked. “The league will definitely take a closer look at it for potential disciplinary measures.”

Interestingly, Gudas, who was representing the Czech Republic at the Winter Olympics, had also collided with Canada’s Sidney Crosby earlier, causing Crosby to be sidelined for at least a month due to a lower-body injury.

A hearing was set for Friday with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety to discuss the possibility of a suspension for Gudas’s hit on Matthews.

Before their game, Gudas mentioned his intent to slow down Matthews. “We’re going to be on top of him,” he said. “We need to ensure he doesn’t get too much space out there… not that it would make his night any less enjoyable.”

This injury is a significant setback for Toronto, which has had a disappointing season with a record of 28-27-11, placing them last in the Atlantic Division as they approached Friday’s game.

If things don’t turn around soon, the Maple Leafs are poised to miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

Before his injury, Matthews had become the Maple Leafs’ all-time and single-season scoring leader, with 27 goals and 26 assists in 60 games this season. He’s currently in a four-year, $53 million contract extension that will last through the 2027-28 season.

As the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, Matthews has spent his entire career with Toronto. He’s won the Hart Memorial Trophy and claimed three scoring titles in the 2021-22 season. Additionally, he led Team USA to its first gold medal since 1980.