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Auston Matthews has 1 goal in the last 5 games. That's a 16 goals/82 game pace, and over the past 5 games it's a S% of 4.8%.
Here's his S% over the past 5 seasons:
2020-2021 = 18.5% (41g in 52 games)
2021-2022 = 17.2% 60g in 73 games)
2022-2023 = 12.2% (that was his problematic season but still managed 40 goals in 74 games)
2023-2024 = 18.7% (69 goals in 81 games)
2024-2025 = 11.5% (currently at 23 goals and his S% is dropping)
He's not getting better playing through this right now, he's getting worse.
Nobody here is a doctor, ok well one is, but nobody here has really any idea what medical issue Matthews is currently playing through. But like you said whatever it is and whatever plan the Leafs have him on currently clearly isn't working. Matthews playing like this basically guarantees an early playoff exit. Something has to be done to get him closer to 100% and I just can't see how constantly playing him over 20 minutes a night including top PK minutes is going to do that.He's not getting better playing through this right now, he's getting worse.
I think the best AM34 goal this year was a bank shot to hit an open net.And the goals he's scoring are ones that any competent player can score. No butt-elevating OMG goals as in years past.
Nobody here is a doctor, ok well one is, but nobody here has really any idea what medical issue Matthews is currently playing through. But like you said whatever it is and whatever plan the Leafs have him on currently clearly isn't working. Matthews playing like this basically guarantees an early playoff exit. Something has to be done to get him closer to 100% and I just can't see how constantly playing him over 20 minutes a night including top PK minutes is going to do that.
Matthews took two extended breaks this season. After his first one he scored 5 goals in 8 games. After his second one he scored 9 goals in 10 games. That's 14 goals in 18 games coming off breaks. That means he has 9 goals in the other 32 games this season. Maybe this is being a little too simplistic but it's hard to think that another break wouldn't benefit him again.
The team should carve out a 10 game, 24 day stretch late in the season and place him on LTIR for that. Maybe make it so he has a game or two at the end of the season to play in to shake off some rust prior to immediately going into the playoffs. That will also give the Leafs obviously a good chunk of cap space so they can bring up some reinforcements if they want to give any other players (Tanev and McCabe specifically) a game or two off heading into playoffs.
Sure, it'd suck to lose Matthews for a 10 game stretch and maybe that ends up costing us the division, but I'd take a healthier Matthews in playoffs over the top seed any day of the week.