Maple Leafs Rumors: Auston Matthews Reveals Severity Of Injury

Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews looks on after scoring goal in 2025 playoffs game.

Auston Matthews kept things vague, but he made one thing clear at the Toronto Maple Leafs’ locker cleanout day: the 2024-25 season was physically brutal. 

The Leafs captain revealed he suffered an injury in training camp that lingered all year, impacting his performance and consistency. While Matthews refused to disclose the nature of the injury, he said it “impacted a lot of different things,” and made the season a “rollercoaster” from start to finish.

Auston Matthews Opens Up About Playing Hurt All Season

Matthews missed 15 games and took an unorthodox midseason trip to Germany for treatment—one of many steps he took to feel good enough to manage through the year. Despite that, his production dropped significantly: from a historic 69-goal, 107-point campaign to just 33 goals and 78 points in 67 games. 

“There were stretches where I felt good and others where I didn’t feel very good,” Matthews said, adding that he won’t need surgery and fully expects to be “100 percent” for training camp this fall.

Why Matthews Is Staying Quiet on the Specifics

Matthews’ decision not to share the exact injury stems from a strategic concern. “I think other teams could target it,” he said, firmly asserting his right to keep that information private. It’s clear the injury didn’t just affect his shooting—his shot total dropped by over 100 attempts—but also disrupted his rhythm throughout the season and playoffs, where he posted three goals and 11 points in 13 games.

Still, his leadership wasn’t lost on teammates like Matthew Knies, who praised Matthews’ ability to gut it out in his first year wearing the “C.” 

With the Leafs facing yet another Game 7 heartbreak—this time at the hands of the Florida Panthers—Matthews acknowledged the sting, especially being one win away from the Eastern Conference Final. But with time to recover, he’s confident the best version of himself will be back next fall.

Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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