Toronto Maple Leafs Forced to Make Roster Move Involving Auston Matthews as Injury Persists

Auston Matthews has been out of the Maple Leafs lineup for almost a week, and now the team have made his move to Injured Reserve official.

For the past two games, the Toronto Maple Leafs have taken the ice without captain Auston Matthews, with many expecting him to miss further time after suffering a hip injury. After trying to delay it, the team have now had to make the move to place him on Injured Reserve, with the move being made official on Friday, retroactive to November 3rd.

The move will see the team recall Connor Dewar, who will likely slide into the bottom-six for the Maple Leafs if needed, but with the team going 1-0-1 in Matthews' absence, it's clear that they've still got the team to compete. It's unclear at this point how long No. 34 will be out, but given the lofty expectations this team has in 2024/25, it's easy to see why they want to be patient with his return until he gets to 100%.

With Matthews out of the lineup, the team have pushed Max Domi to centre their top line alongside Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner, and to this point it has been very successful. Through 14 games this year, Toronto have posted a 7-5-2 record, even without Matthews being at his best and the team dealing with other injuries, but with their off-season signings paying off big, the optimism is high in Toronto as they look to chase a Stanley Cup.

In 13 games played, Matthews is off to a slow start by his standards, tallying just 5 goals and 11 points, and if he can get himself fully healthy and back on the ice, it adds another layer to one of the deepest and most talented teams in the league. For now though, Toronto will take the ice without their captain for a few games at least, with updates expected to come in the next few days on the length of his stint on the sidelines.

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