Auston Matthews: Toronto Maple Leafs superstar set to return to action

Toronto Maple Leafs fans can rejoice as superstar forward Auston Matthews is set to return to action tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks. Matthews is back in the lineup after missing the previous five contests due to his knee injury. With Toronto in the thick of the playoff race, this will be welcome news for the club.

"Good news Leafs fans, Auston Matthews will make his return tonight versus the Blackhawks." - theScore Bet

Matthews has been sidelined with a knee sprain he suffered on Jan. 25 against the New York Rangers. In his absence, Toronto posted a 2-3 record, dropping must-win games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators.

Prior to the injury, the Maple Leafs superstar scored 25 goals and registered 53 points over 47 games played. He was replaced by Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov for the NHL All-Star Game.

Not only will his return benefit the entire team as a whole, but it should give Toronto's powerplay a bump. The superstar center recorded 18 of his 53 points on the powerplay, which should help the Leafs fight their way toward the top of the Atlantic Division.

"Toronto Maple Leafs powerplay: Pass Pass Pass Pass pass pass Rielly shot misses, line change, Pass pass pass pass, shorthanded chance against, line change, pass pass pass pass. Powerplay over" - Alejandro Kirk 2023 MVP Season

While Auston Matthews remains one of the top players in the NHL, he has endured a bit of a down season compared to last year. During the 2021-22 season, Matthews scored 60 goals and had 46 assists in 71 games played with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

A look at Auston Matthews' career in the NHL so far

The prize of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Matthews was selected by the Maple Leafs as the first overall pick of the draft. He was taken ahead of several other stars, including Patrik Laine, Matthew Tkachuk and Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Matthews has lived up to the hype built around him entering the National Hockey League.

Throughout 454 games with the Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews has posted 284 goals, 226 assists and 510 points. One-hundred and thirty-nine of those points have come while on the powerplay, which is reason to believe that his return tonight against the Blackhawks will benefit the club.