Craig Berube praises "outstanding" $77M Leafs star for stepping up in Auston Matthews' absence

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been forced to play without captain Auston Matthews for several games as he deals with an upper-body injury.

In the meantime, the team has fared incredibly well despite his absence, winning six of the seven games Matthews has missed.

This success is largely due to the contributions of former captain John Tavares, who has recorded four goals and four assists without Auston Matthews in the lineup.

Tavares’ efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by head coach Craig Berube, who praised his “outstanding” work ethic.

"Since he's got feeling good again, he's been great. I think he's so good and tight and positionally and really strong on a stick, winning one-on-one battles," Berube said. "His work ethic is outstanding, and you know that he's just going to be solid all the time because of his work ethic."

"And I think, you know, his experience as a player ... on both sides of the puck, he's done a real good job for us," he continued.

Tavares and the Leafs will continue their schedule on Sunday when they host the Utah Hockey Club at Scotiabank Arena.

John Tavares has elevated his game for the Maple Leafs in Matthews' absence

John Tavares has not only continued to display leadership despite no longer wearing the captain’s “C” on his jersey but also rebounded his statistics.

He is on pace to reach 38 goals this season, which would be his highest total since his 47-goal campaign in 2018-19, his first year with the club.

Despite this, Tavares said he and his teammates want Auston Matthews to return to the ice as soon as possible.

"I think our record's got to be pretty good with him (Auston Matthews) in the lineup too. So, he's obviously a hell of a player and we miss him, and we want him back as soon as possible. I know he's doing everything he can to do that," Tavares said.

"For everyone, no one's going to replace him or fill his shoes," he continued. "But you just, whatever your opportunity, your role is, you go out there and try to do it at the highest level. So, like I've always said, just love to go out there and compete and play the game. ... So, I just go out there and do my job and worry about it one day at a time."

The future of Tavares with the Leafs remains uncertain, as he's playing on an expiring contract and can become a free agent on July 1, 2025.