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The Toronto Maple Leafs might be with out Auston Matthews for at the very least three weeks attributable to a knee harm, the staff introduced on Friday. Matthews, the 2021-22 Hart Trophy winner, suffered a knee sprain within the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 extra time win in opposition to the New York Rangers on Wednesday evening.
Through 47 video games this season, Matthews has recorded 25 objectives and 28 assists. It is stating the plain that this might be an enormous loss for Toronto.
However, if Matthews is compelled to overlook just a few weeks, that is the perfect level within the season for it. The All-Star break is the primary weekend of February, and the Maple Leafs get a bye week instantly after that. Because of these prolonged gaps within the schedule, Toronto is slated to play simply six video games between now and Feb. 16, which might be three weeks from when the staff introduced Matthews’ absence.
Four of these video games come in opposition to groups that at present sit within the backside 10 of the NHL standings, together with two matchups with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who sit in final place. The first two video games after Matthews is slated to return are in opposition to two extra bottom-feeders within the Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens, so it would not be a disaster if Matthews wanted just a few additional days to get absolutely wholesome.
Matthews was purported to compete within the 2023 NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 4, however his harm opened up an Atlantic Division roster spot. The NHL has introduced that Florida Panthers heart Aleksander Barkov will change Matthews on the occasion. That means Barkov will now get to compete in entrance of his residence crowd at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla.
