Normally, NHL news settles into a lull once the trade deadline passes, but an injury to Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs has quickly become the league's biggest storyline.
The Leafs' captain was on the receiving end of a very questionable hit by Radko Gudas of the Anaheim Ducks during a recent game, raising fresh concern around one of the NHL's premier stars. The controversial collision carried extra context, marking the second time in roughly a month that the burly defender has taken down a marquee player after a hit on Sidney Crosby, captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, knocked the Canadian superstar out of the 2026 Winter Olympics in February.
On the Saturday Headlines segment during the second intermission of Sportsnet's telecast of the Maple Leafs' game against the Buffalo Sabres, insider Elliotte Friedman provided key updates on Matthews' injury and the potential organizational fallout from the team's lack of response to the contentious hit.
Elliotte Friedman Shares New Details on Auston Matthews Injury
Friedman reported the Maple Leafs, and Matthews wouldn't know for a week or two, but "they were hopeful that surgery (on his Grade 3 MCL tear) wouldn't be necessary." The insider also added that even if Matthew did need surgery, there was no concern that his recovery would last into next season.
"The Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews are hopeful he won't need surgery."Elliotte Friedman on Matthews' injury
Both the Leafs and Matthews believe the team's top goal scorer will be able to recover over the summer and start next year on time, surgery or not.
Friedman also mentioned the injury to Matthews allows him to "start the clock on how he feels about things (the team's direction and his future)." Friedman pointed out that a lot has happened in Toronto since Matthews and the team last touched base at the beginning of February.
By not playing, Friedman noted that Matthews and the Maple Leafs will have more time to talk about his and the organization's future. The insider thought that within a couple of months, "We're (going) to get a better idea of how everybody feels about the overall future of Matthews and the Maple Leafs."
Host Ron MacLean then posed this question to Friedman, "Is his (Matthews) reaction to the no-reaction (from Leafs' teammates after the Gudas hit) a big thing?" Friedman responded, "I think it is, but he (Matthews) hasn't said anything, so I don't want to assume."
Friedman stated that many within the Leafs' organization were "embarrassed" and "apoplectic" over the team's initial on-ice response to their captain being hit. He noted that defenseman Morgan Rielly was "privately, extremely apologetic." Finally, Friedman added, "It (the lack of a response) definitely will have ramifications on the future direction of the team and the roster."
"It (the lack of an on-ice response) definitely will have ramifications on the future direction of the team and the roster."Elliotte Friedman on Matthews' hit
While much about the situation remains to unfold, the impact of the controversial hit on Matthews is already being felt across the organization. With their captain's health under intense scrutiny following the collision involving Gudas, the team faces difficult questions about its lineup, leadership, and long-term outlook.
As the story continues to develop, there is little doubt that this moment could carry far-reaching implications for both Matthews and the Maple Leafs' direction moving forward.