Sports

$22,566,770 Maple Leafs defenseman makes his feelings known about impact of Auston Matthews’ absence through injury

$22,566,770 Maple Leafs defenseman makes his feelings known about impact of Auston Matthews’ absence through injury – Source: Imagn

The Toronto Maple Leafs were without team captain and superstar forward Auston Matthews during their recent 4-0 victory over their divisional rival Boston Bruins. He’s dealing with an upper-body injury and has been designated as day-to-day by the team.

Despite the win, the absence of Matthews is a major hole in the lineup. Naturally, the Leafs who are healthy enough to play want to pick up the slack until he’s able to return.

Defenseman Jake McCabe spoke about the importance of putting in the work when a key player is absent, and that it’s a chance for everyone to be better as a group.

“I think everyone wants to just step up and pull that extra weight that we’re missing,” he said. “And you can’t divert to one of our superstars; you gotta do it yourself, and you gotta do the work yourself. I think that maybe has something to do with it. We know we’re missing one of the best players in the world, so you gotta be that much better. I’m not really sure. I can’t put a finger on it.”

“But I’ve definitely felt that,” he continued. “I think everybody just knows they’ve gotta give that much more when you’re missing one of your top dogs. Guys divert less to our top dogs, and I think that’s a good mentality to have, especially when he comes back.”

Jake McCabe signed a five-year contract worth $22,566,770 with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 28. As per Spotrac, this also includes a signing bonus of $14,525,000.

The Maple Leafs hit the ice on Friday against the divisional rival Detroit Red Wings. Right now, the status of Matthews for the matchup hasn’t been confirmed.

Auston Matthews considered day-to-day with his upper-body injury

Matthews, who is the reigning Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL’s leading goal scorer after lighting the lamp 69 times last season, has been “fighting” through his upper-body injury, according to Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube.

“He’s been fighting through it a little bit, so obviously he’s out tonight,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said after the morning skate Tuesday. “[It has been lingering] a little bit.”

Matthews also became the first American-𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 captain in Maple Leafs history. The leadership role was officially ceded to him during the offseason by former captain John Tavares, who had held the role for the last five seasons.

So far this season for the Maple Leafs, Matthews has scored five goals with six assists. The Leafs have managed a record of 36-19-2 all-time when Matthews was unavailable to play, including the win over Boston.

Related Posts

“He’s really underrated”: Leon Draisaitl makes his feelings about Edmonton Oilers X-factor extremely clear

Leon Draisaitl praised teammate Vasily Podkolzin after the Oilers victory over the New York Rangers (Credits: Getty) Vasily Podkolzin’s first point of the season came after 22 games,…

William Nylander makes his feelings known about playing alongside brother Alex in their first NHL game

William Nylander makes his feelings known about playing alongside brother Alex in their first NHL game (Image Source: Getty) This comes after the Nylander siblings played their first…

Connor McDavid and wife Lauren Kyle reconnect with parents of deceased superfan Ben Stelter after Oilers’ Hockey Fights Cancer night

Connor McDavid and wife Lauren Kyle reconnect with deceased superfan Ben Stelter’s parents [via IG/@mcdavid97] Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid made a touching tribute to the Stelter family during Hockey…

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor referee reveals what he was thinking during infamous brawl

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor’s post-fight brawl was one of the ugliest scenes in MMA history. After months of bitter build-up, ‘The Eagle’ defended his lightweight title by tapping…

‘I can beat anybody in the world’… Khabib Nurmagomedov gives a fascinating insight into why he’s refusing to make a UFC comeback

Khabib Nurmagomedov is insistent he’s still the best fighter on the planet, as he explains why he has no interest in returning to the sport of mixed martial…

Before the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Max Verstappen Enjoys Some Downtime with Girlfriend Kelly Piquet and Her Daughter

As anticipation builds for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Formula 1 sensation Max Verstappen has been spotted enjoying some downtime with…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *