The Toronto Maple Leafs have been dealt a significant blow, placing their star captain and leading scorer, Auston Matthews, on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury. The announcement was made by the NHL club on Friday, casting a shadow over the team as they struggle to find their footing this season.
Injury Timeline and Roster Shuffle
The placement on injured reserve is retroactive to Tuesday, October 15th, when Matthews was forced to leave a 5-4 road loss against the Boston Bruins during the second period. This move follows comments from Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube, who stated on Thursday that he anticipated Matthews would be sidelined for “maybe a week, maybe sooner.”
In a corresponding series of roster adjustments, the team has activated goaltender Joseph Woll after he missed the start of the season to attend to a personal matter. Woll's return is timely, as he is expected to step into the role of Toronto's primary netminder with Anthony Stolarz currently day-to-day with an upper-body issue. Rookie Dennis Hildeby started in goal during Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings, which marked the Maple Leafs' fourth consecutive defeat.
The club also recalled forward Easton Cowan from the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies. Cowan, the 20-year-old selected 28th overall in the 2023 NHL draft, began the season with the big club, recording a goal and three assists in four games before his brief assignment. In his two AHL games with the Marlies, he tallied one assist. To complete the transactions, goaltender Artur Akhtyamov was assigned to the AHL.
Team Struggles and What Comes Next
The loss of Matthews comes at a challenging time for the Maple Leafs, who currently find themselves in second-last place in the Atlantic Division. His offensive production is nearly irreplaceable, and his absence will test the team's depth as they look to snap their losing streak.
The immediate test for the reshuffled lineup is a Saturday night matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center in Chicago. All eyes will be on how the team, now without its captain, responds to this adversity and whether the returning Woll can provide stability in the crease.
