NHL analyst urges Maple Leafs to make crucial decision involving $53,000,000 superstar

The Toronto Maple Leafs were hit by more bad news as captain Auston Matthews has been ruled out for at least the next two games. The star center, who has already missed two games due to an upper-body injury, will sit out against the Detroit Red Wings and the Washington Capitals.

With frustration rising among fans, NHL analyst David Pagnotta has urged the Maple Leafs’s management not to rush to get the $53 million superstar back on the ice.

“Make sure he's ready to go. Even if he misses the next 10 games, the team is going to be fine. You want him as healthy as possible come playoff time,” Pagnotta said in an interaction with Nick Alberga on the sports podcast Leafs Morning Take.

Toronto went 7-2-0 without Auston Matthews last month, and Pagnotta added that the Maple Leafs should take the time to recover fully.

“I understand there's not a lot of transparency around his injury, which can be frustrating, but at the end of the day, you just want the guy healthy... They've got enough weapons right now where you don't need to worry about not having Auston in the lineup," he said.

Matthews missed nine games last month and took a five-day trip to Germany to consult with a specialist. According to reports, he has been managing an injury since the preseason. Alberga raised growing concerns about Auston Matthews’s long-term fitness and how the Toronto Maple Leafs would handle it.

Maple Leafs’ HC Craig Berube promises an update by tomorrow

Speaking to the media during the pregame conference before their match against Detroit, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube stated that Matthews was doing better but ruled him out of playing against the Capitals.

Maple Leafs HC said they would know more about Auston Matthews tomorrow. (Credits: IMAGN)

"He's doing better, but I would say no to tomorrow, too," Berube said. "Again, he's doing better, which is good, but I can't give you much more than that, to be honest. We'll update you again tomorrow."

Auston Matthews did not participate in the full morning skate prior to last week’s game against the Buffalo Sabres but also scored and played till the end. He took two hard hits during the match, reportedly leading to him missing the next two games before the holiday break. Berube and Matthews remain tight-lipped about the specifics of the latter’s latest injury.

Matthews led the NHL with a career-high 69 goals and 107 points last season and has been one of the Toronto Maple Leaf’s most consistent performers over the past five years. And despite struggling with injury, he is fourth on the Maple Leafs scoring chart with 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 24 games this season.