Matthew Tkachuk's dad Keith makes his thoughts extremely clear on Auston Matthews' "down" year

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is not scoring as much as expected this season. In Thursday’s game against the Florida Panthers, he played 21:42 minutes and recorded three shots on goal but did not score. This was his third straight game without a goal.

Matthews has scored 23 goals this season, far below last year's 69-goal performance. Since he is one of the best goal-scorers, this drop is disappointing. However, NHL veteran Keith Tkachuk still believes Matthews is an elite player.

Tkachuk spoke about Matthews on "Leafs Morning Take," and he praised Matthews’ overall play.

"I’ve known Auston for a lot of years,” Tkachuk said on the podcast. "He played with Matthew at the (USNTDP) program. Comes from a great family. He’s 6-foot-2, 6-foot-3, he can skate. It’s the details I love in his game.

"Yeah, everybody looks at the goal-scoring, he’s an incredible goal-scorer, he’s got a great shot. His two-way details are what makes him such a great player. He’s tough to play against, he’s stripping pucks, he does the little things, he skates for a big man with ease.

"Sometimes it takes a few years to learn from things. He’s going to be that guy. He’s a legit No. 1 centre, and he makes people around him better. I think you’ll see a different Auston Matthews, for sure. He’s still 27 years old and he’s got another 15 years in his career at least."

Matthews has recorded 56 points (23 goals, 33 assists) this season but missed 15 games due to injuries on two separate occasions combined. He also captained Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, losing to Team Canada in the final.

The Maple Leafs are in a crucial playoff push. Matthews and other stars like Mitch Marner and John Tavares will need to perform.

Keith Tkachuk on Auston Matthews receiving boos during 4 Nations

Previously, in February, Auston Matthews was booed during the Four Nations Face-Off in Montreal. He expected it as a Maple Leaf and Team USA captain. Matthews said he saw it as respect and enjoyed the atmosphere.

After the tournament, Keith Tkachuk, Matthew and Brady Tkachuk's father, spoke about the reaction.

"If I'm Auston, I'm honored. That means he's good-it means he matters, right? If they don't say anything to you, maybe you should pick up the pace. Canadians are loyal people, and they want to beat the US." Keith said, per Yard Barker.

Auston Matthews was not the only player booed. William Nylander, another Toronto Maple Leaf, also faced the same reaction.