The Toronto Maple Leafs are limping toward the end of a disappointing season, sitting near the bottom of the Atlantic Division.
But beyond the standings, a deeper concern has emerged, one that revolves around captain Auston Matthews and what one insider described as a “very odd” lack of response from teammates following his injury.
Auston Matthews Incident Sparks Concern For Maple Leafs
The moment in question came during Toronto’s 6-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks in early March. Ducks captain Radko Gudas delivered a heavy knee-on-knee hit on Matthews that quickly became a major talking point around the league. Not only because of the collision, but because no Maple Leafs players stepped in to defend their captain.
The hit proved costly. Matthews suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear along with a quad contusion, injuries that will sideline him for the remainder of the season.
Several Toronto players were on the ice at the time (Brandon Carlo, William Nylander, Easton Cowan, and Morgan Rielly), yet none immediately confronted Gudas while Matthews remained down.
Maple Leafs insider Terry Koshan questioned how Matthews might process the lack of reaction from teammates. “I don’t know how he does it either. Does that mean I think he won’t? Not necessarily. But, you know, if you’re any of those players on the ice… there have to be four apologies there to start,” Koshan said.
“I would imagine that Auston Matthews has been mulling that very thing. Perhaps we’ll get an answer to that from him once the season is in, provided he’s made available,” he added.
He also pointed out that even beyond not challenging Gudas, there wasn’t an immediate rush to check on Matthews, which added to the awkwardness of the situation.
“It was all very odd,” Koshan added, suggesting the moment could leave Matthews with lingering questions about trust and team response. He speculated that the captain has likely been thinking about the incident in the weeks since and may continue to do so.
With the season winding down and Matthews sidelined, the focus now shifts to how the situation impacts the locker room moving forward. Whether the conversations have already taken place internally remains unclear, but the incident has become another layer in what has already been a frustrating campaign for Toronto.
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For now, the Maple Leafs will try to finish the season on a stronger note when they face the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
