How Matthews' injury affects the rest of the Maple Leafs season

"After all, Matthews hardly ever stays down after taking a physical hit, let alone needing assistance to remove himself from the game. That suspicion became a reality as it was later learned that Matthews will be done for the rest of the 2025-26 NHL season due to a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion."

"With the playoffs now practically out of the picture for Toronto, losing Matthews shouldn't change that. In fact, one would expect the Leafs to fall further down the standings without their franchise star for the rest of the season. That effect, in a way, should help pave way for Toronto to keep their conditional first-round pick for 2026."

"However, one thing of note is the fact that the Maple Leafs have had a prominent history of playing better without Matthews in their lineup over the course of his tenure with the club. In fact, the Leafs are actually a stellar 47-26-4 when their captain was absent from the lineup."

Auston Matthews suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion from a knee-on-knee hit by Radko Gudas, ending his 2025-26 season. The Toronto Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup hopes were already diminished following their post-Olympic losing streak and trade deadline player exodus. Without Matthews, the team is expected to fall further in standings, which could benefit their conditional first-round pick situation with Boston if they finish in the bottom five. Notably, the Leafs have historically performed well without Matthews, posting a 47-26-4 record in his absence, which could complicate their draft positioning strategy.

Read at Editor In Leaf