Rampant speculation has circulated regarding Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews injury sustained on Thursday night against the Anaheim Ducks.
During the second period of the Leafs’ 6-4 win, Anaheim captain Radko Gudas bowled into Matthews, resulting in a frightening knee-on-knee collision. The hit left the Leafs’ captain on the ice in evident pain.
Matthews left the game and did not return. Meanwhile, various opinions have circulated regarding the Matthews injury. One notable physician, Dr. Harjas Grewal, offered his expert medical opinion regarding the situation.
In Dr. Grewal’s medical opinion, Matthews was fortunate to evade the worst part of the collision. However, there might be concerns about a potential knee ligament injury.
If Dr. Grewal’s assessment proves accurate, an MCL strain could be the outcome of this situation. Injuries such as this one can vary in recovery time depending on the severity. In the worst of cases, they tend to be week-to-week recovery time frames.
The Leafs’ course of action will depend on the severity of the Matthews injury. Given the relatively optimistic medical opinion, the Maple Leafs might not miss their captain for very long.
Nevertheless, the team will likely be overly cautious, especially since knee injuries can be extremely difficult to recover from.
Maple Leafs Should Be Extremely Careful with Matthews Injury
At this point, the Maple Leafs don’t have much to play for. As such, the club must be extremely careful with this Matthews injury.
Given the way the team’s season is trending, it makes no sense to rush Matthews back. So, if he’s ready to play, the club should bring him in. Otherwise, the club must take its time in bringing Matthews back.
The narrative would be quite different if the Leafs were gearing up for a playoff run. But in this season, that’s not the case. That’s why a cautious approach is the best way to go.
Further updates on the severity of the Matthews injury will determine if he even plays at all the rest of this season.
Making the Case to Shut Matthews Down for Rest of the Season
There is a legitimate case to shut down Auston Matthews for the remainder of the season. As mentioned earlier, the Leafs really have nothing to play for at this point. While it’s certainly important to nurse Matthews back to health, it wouldn’t make a difference if the team shut him down for good.
This latest Matthews injury is just one in a slew of ailments. The former Hart Trophy winner has missed playing time over the last couple of seasons with various injuries. In one instance, Matthews traveled to Germany to seek medical treatment there.
That’s the level of complication that Matthews and the Maple Leafs have faced. So, it wouldn’t be the craziest idea in the world to keep him off the ice. With little on the line left, the team can plausibly give Matthews plenty of time to rest and recover.
The team can then get back on the ice next fall, ready to turn things around after this disappointing season.
Matthews Injury Might Not Be That Serious, Medical Opinion
