Auston Matthews looked like the driver of Toronto’s attack again Tuesday, finishing with a goal and three assists before ending the night himself in a 5-4 overtime win over the Nashville Predators. For a Maple Leafs club still finding its footing at 2-2-0, the captain’s pace, puck work and finish offered an early sign that his left leg may finally be behind him.
Matthews had surgery March 19 after a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion in his left leg, injuries sustained in a knee-on-knee collision with then-Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas on March 12 at Scotiabank Arena. Toronto won that game 6-4, but the injury became part of a difficult stretch that followed for its franchise center.
Over the previous two seasons, Matthews averaged 30 goals and missed 37 games while dealing with several physical issues. He also travelled to Germany in November 2024 for treatment on an upper-body injury, prompting questions about whether he could reclaim the level that made him one of the League’s most dangerous scorers.
From 2021 through 2024, Matthews averaged more than 56 goals a season and set a Toronto single-season mark with 69 in 2023-24. Against Nashville, coach Jim Hiller saw more than a highlight-reel overtime goal.
“His game from the opening shift to the finish was special,” Hiller said. “The winner was big, obviously, but it was the complete game that stood out. Go back through his shifts and you will see why so much has been said about him as a player.”
William Nylander saw the same thing from his teammate: Matthews winning pucks, staying around the play and repeatedly creating offense.
“He was all over the puck, winning his battles and making things happen offensively,” Nylander said. “He was cooking.”
After the horn
The encouraging start is not limited to Matthews’ health. General manager John Chayka said last month that the captain was close to fully healthy, and Matthews’ first four games have supported that assessment.
There has also been a noticeable shift around the team after a turbulent 2025-26 season. Toronto finished last in the Atlantic Division at 32-36-14, dismissed general manager Brad Treliving and entered the spring without a clear management structure. At April exit meetings, Matthews was asked about his long-term future with two seasons remaining on his four-year, $53 million contract, which carries a $13.25 million cap hit.
At that point, Matthews said he could not predict what would happen until the club put new leadership in place.
Toronto has since hired Chayka, brought Mats Sundin into a senior advisory role and named Hiller coach. The roster has been reshaped with the arrivals of forwards Jack Roslovic, Nick Paul and Kirill Marchenko, defenseman Darren Raddysh and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. The Maple Leafs also won the Draft Lottery and selected Gavin McKenna first overall.
Matthews endorsed the changes when camp opened, pointing to the players and staff brought in over the summer and describing the atmosphere around the rink as positive.
His role has been visible away from the ice as well. Matthews hosted players and members of management at his home during a preseason Arizona bonding trip. He and John Tavares have helped McKenna settle in, with Matthews having the rookie over Sunday to watch football and eat sandwiches. Matthews also led what had been scheduled as an optional skate earlier that day.
Hiller first worked with Matthews as an assistant under Mike Babcock from 2015 to 2019, after Toronto drafted the center first overall in 2016. The coach said he recognized early on that Matthews had the qualities to become the Maple Leafs captain.
“It has been everything I hoped it would be,” Hiller said. “When he was younger, I could see the possibility of him one day wearing the C here, leading properly and playing the right way.”
Road test ahead
Toronto’s four-game sample is still small, and Matthews knows the next trip will provide a sharper measuring stick. The Maple Leafs begin a three-game swing Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights at 10 p.m. ET, followed by visits to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday and the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday.
“We are only four games in and still trying to build chemistry,” Matthews said. “Getting away together, spending time as a group and facing very good teams is a great opportunity. It will be a real test for us.”
It will also test whether Tuesday’s version of Matthews — healthy, engaged and dictating play — is becoming Toronto’s everyday version again.
