Sharpened Matthews returns to the ice
Teammates say centre, who had off-season surgery, looks great
It was the look of him.
This wasn’t just another Auston Matthews sighting. It was the all-star centre’s first practice with his Maple Leafs teammates since off-season wrist surgery. And judging from his skating and shooting at the Ford Performance Centre, he has elevated his game even further.
“You can tell he’s come with some things that he’s been focusing on through the summer,” Leafs centre Jason Spezza told reporters Tuesday. “He looks great on and off the ice, and we’re excited to see him on the ice.”
Matthews had surgery in August to repair his left wrist, which hampered him throughout last season despite leading the NHL in goals with 41 in 52 games.
“I think it was good for him to be out there with the guys,” Spezza added. “Just his diligence. He takes the game seriously. He’s always working on his craft.”
Matthews also skated in oneon-one drills with development coach Darryl Belfry prior to the full workout, and his skating appears quicker in some areas — stops and starts, and transitioning from side to side. After 25 minutes with the rest of the team, he left before full-contract drills began.
“He looked good to me,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “It was a step in the process, and I think he’s going to stay on a similar plan this week.”
The Leafs have made several additions at forward, including Nick Ritchie, Ondrej Kase and David Kämpf, but Matthews will be central to any success they have this coming season. There was a buzz in the air as he returned to practice and demonstrated that his wrist is healing well.
“I know he wants to improve, and not rest on what’s made him successful,” Leafs captain John Tavares said of Matthews, “but what’s really impressive is the way he battled through the injury last year. Just his ability to adapt his game to it.
“He has such a unique shot — and it’s talked about all the time — but his ability to adapt to all that is something that will always be with him.”
Matthews and the team had hoped the wrist would heal without surgery — with a strict off-season health regimen and regular checkups — but when he reported discomfort midway through the summer, the decision was made.
“I’ve always found off-season injuries were easier to deal with, because you don’t feel like you are rushing them,” the 38year-old Spezza said. “That’s probably why they chose to get the surgery at the time they did … to give him time to get back.
“In the season, sometimes you push the envelope so you can get back quicker. But I think they’ll make sure he’s taking the right steps and feels good. It was great to see him back on the ice, and it always feels better when you are back with the group.”
Matthews remains on schedule to return to the lineup in time for the Leafs’ season opener Oct. 13 against Montreal.
The debate has already resumed over where he ranks among the stars of the game. Spezza and Tavares both said “the sky is the limit” in terms of how good the 24-year-old Matthews can be.
“I think he can be the best player in the game,” Spezza said, adding that Matthews made strides in his defensive game last season while also winning the Rocket Richard Trophy.
“He’s great on both sides of the puck, even when he doesn’t score goals, and I think that’s something that gets lost a little bit — how hard he tracks pucks and how hard he is to play against, and how good he is when we have the lead.
“He’s a big man who covers a lot of ice, so he can do a lot of things.”