Toronto analyst opines Auston Matthews needs to regain his lost spot alongside other upper echelon NHL superstars

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has shown flashes of his goal-scoring ability but has been inconsistent this season, partly due to adjusting to lineup changes.

Matthews is currently dealing with a lower-body injury after exiting Tuesday's game against the Boston Bruins following a hit from behind by Nikita Zadorov.

On a recent episode of OverDrive on TSN 1050, analyst Bryan Hayes raised concerns about Auston Matthews' current standing among the NHL's top players, suggesting the Maple Leafs captain has slipped from the top tier and needs to reclaim his spot.

"I'm nervous about the big guy. I got to be honest. Last year, he could chalk it up to he was injured, and that's true. This year, he was healthy prior to last night. I don't know what this is going to mean for him. We're 17 games in. It looked like it was going to be a 40-goal, 85-point season," Hayes said.

He continued:

"Really good season. Really good player. You need him to be with the McDavids and the MacKinnons and the Draisaitls. Like, that's where he's got to be, right? That's what you need. You need that out of him."

He added:

"Auston Matthews needs to prove it when he gets back that he can get back there, because he's done it his whole career. He's done it his whole career, and he's still a very effective player. But he's probably a microcosm of the whole team. He is capable of a lot more."

Auston Matthews' status remains unclear for next game

Following Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to the Boston Bruins, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube did not have an update on the extent of Auston Matthews’ lower-body injury.

"We’ll see tomorrow. Right now, it is lower-body. We will just see tomorrow how he is," Berube said. "I don’t know exactly. I really can’t give you guys a timeline or tell you how serious it is right now. I am not sure when he got hurt, to be honest with you."

For now, he is listed as day-to-day, and there’s no clarity on whether he’ll suit up for Thursday’s game against the LA Kings. Matthews has accumulated 14 points through nine goals and five assists in 17 games this season.