Auston Matthews makes first on-ice appearance as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs

After another season where the Leafs disappointed their fans in the first round of the playoffs, MLSE and Brad Treliving decided to shake up the leadership group of the team. They did this by taking the captaincy away from John Tavares and giving it to Auston Matthews instead. They had a whole ceremony for it earlier in the offseason with both Tavares and Matthews in attendance so they could officially have a transfer of responsibility. Matthews became the 26th captain in Leafs history with the move.

Many fans were expecting bigger changes to come this summer. Yes, taking the captaincy away from a respected player who is still on the team is a big deal. Moves like that send a strong message to the locker room. However, many Leafs fans were hoping for changes to the roster. Of the core-four players Mitch Marner appeared to be the easiest the move, and he still is. However, at this point there has been no indication that a trade is coming, so we should all expect him to still be with the team come opening night. This may very well be the last chance for this group however.

Now we are entering a new era of Leafs hockey with Matthews as the proper face of the franchise. Many would argue that he already was the face of the franchise, but in a sense, earning the captaincy makes it official. Naturally, Leafs fans are excited about this next chapter and today they got their first look of what number 34 will look like on the ice with his new jersey.

Last season was one for the record books for Matthews, as he set a career high with 69 goals. Could he be extra motivated to hit that coveted 70 mark now with the added responsibility as team captain? Perhaps, but fans should not expect performances like that every season. After all, even hitting the 60 goal mark is a rare feat that Matthews himself has only managed twice in his career.

Hopefully, The Leafs will find some more success in the playoffs this year with their new captain at the helm. After all, another first round exit would almost certainly mark the end of the "core-four" era in Toronto. Who knows though, maybe that's just what they need to get this monkey off their back.