It's no secret the Toronto Maple Leafs look much different compare to last year.
Many experts and media outlets have praised John Chayka's moves to improve the roster during the offseason, and it's hard to imagine the Toronto Maple Leafs being any worse than they were last year.
One move that was made that many are still divided on, however, was the signing of new Head Coach, Jim Hiller, with many unsure if a coach like him who's had minimal success at the NHL level can help re-vamp this Leafs team back to the playoffs.
After Craig Berube left Auston Matthews with two of his worst offensive seasons of his career, can Jim Hiller be the guy to get Matthews back to his 60-goal ways?
Can Jim Hiller re-activate Auston Matthews?
While he has no shortage of experience coaching at many different levels, many suspect a key reason for Hiller's hiring was due to his previous tenure as Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach from 2015-2019.
During the three seasons where Auston Matthews played under Hiller, he scored 111 goals in 212 games, good for a 0.52 goals-per-game and fifth in the NHL over that time frame.
It's important to note that these three seasons were Matthews' first three in the league, and he also missed 34 games in total during that span.
You don't score that much by accident, especially in your first three seasons in the league.
Over his last two seasons, however, Matthews has scored just 60 goals in 127 games, good for a 0.42 goals per game. Whether that was due to nagging wrist problems, Craig Berube's usage of him on the ice, or whatever other reason, Matthews has been producing far less recently than when he was ages 19-21.
While the stats don't lie, Matthews did perform better when Hiller was part of the coaching staff, he wasn't the Head Coach, and maybe Matthews is at a point in his career where he'll never crack 60, or maybe even 50 goals again.
Many are also concerned with Hiller's previous experience as Head Coach of the LA Kings from 2024-2026, where he implemented a "trap system" that many don't believe will work with this Leafs roster.
I for one am choosing to believe that Hiller can adapt his coaching style to a much different Leafs team this season, and with all things considered, all signs point to Matthews bouncing back.
He has a new coach that (hopefully) with utilize him to his potential, new linemates to feed him the puck, and some much-needed time off to heal his wrist.
Let's see if in April if Matthews is back contending for the Maurice Richard Trophy, or if his MVP-calibre days are truly behind him.
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