- May 21, 2026
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A lot of things have to go right for the Toronto Maple Leafs to get back to the playoffs this season after a bitterly disappointing 2025-26. Offseason additions such as goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and defenseman Darren Raddysh have to step right in and be difference makers. First-overall pick Gavin McKenna has to be a legitimate top-six winger as a teenager. First and foremost, however, captain and top-line center Auston Matthews has to return to his dominant form from a couple of years ago.
In order for Matthews to have the bounce-back year Toronto craves, he has to physically get back to full strength. He is coming of a knee injury that prematurely ended his 2025-26 season, and various ailments over the past couple of seasons have seemingly diminished his typical explosiveness.
The good news for Leafs fans, at least according to Toronto general manager John Chayka, is that Matthews’ skating has returned to peak form, or maybe even eclipsed it.
“Obviously it was a long summer for him,” Chayka told reporters following practice on Monday. “I thought he looked great coming in. He’s lighter, he’s leaner. I think he worked with some of the best people in the world on his rehab and I think that just paid dividends for him. All of our internal skating data suggests this is the best he’s skated over the last five years.”
Aside from Matthews’ physical status, there were rumblings coming out of last season that he wasn’t happy with the trajectory of the team. That noise has quieted after Toronto’s transformative offseason that produced new management, a new head coach, and an overturned roster.
Chayka has had no complaints about Matthews’ demeanor through training camp.
“He looks good, looks healthy, looks like he’s in good spirits,” Chayka said. “”From our side, he’s been nothing short of a perfect captain, and I expect that when the puck drops.”
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In order for Matthews to have the bounce-back year Toronto craves, he has to physically get back to full strength. He is coming of a knee injury that prematurely ended his 2025-26 season, and various ailments over the past couple of seasons have seemingly diminished his typical explosiveness.
The good news for Leafs fans, at least according to Toronto general manager John Chayka, is that Matthews’ skating has returned to peak form, or maybe even eclipsed it.
“Obviously it was a long summer for him,” Chayka told reporters following practice on Monday. “I thought he looked great coming in. He’s lighter, he’s leaner. I think he worked with some of the best people in the world on his rehab and I think that just paid dividends for him. All of our internal skating data suggests this is the best he’s skated over the last five years.”
Aside from Matthews’ physical status, there were rumblings coming out of last season that he wasn’t happy with the trajectory of the team. That noise has quieted after Toronto’s transformative offseason that produced new management, a new head coach, and an overturned roster.
Chayka has had no complaints about Matthews’ demeanor through training camp.
“He looks good, looks healthy, looks like he’s in good spirits,” Chayka said. “”From our side, he’s been nothing short of a perfect captain, and I expect that when the puck drops.”
Continue reading...