Auston Matthews injury update: Maple Leafs captain placed on IR

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has been placed on injured reserve, insider Chris Johnston confirms.

Matthews missed the Leafs' last game against the Boston Bruins Tuesday night as a precautionary measure. However, the club decided to place the star on IR due to an upper-body injury that has apparently not healed sufficiently.

As a result, Matthews will miss Friday night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings and Saturday night’s matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. Both games are set to take place at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Unfortunately, the extent of Matthews’ upper-body injury is not yet known. Moreover, there’s no telling precisely when the injury occurred. Leafs head coach Craig Berube hinted the injury is something Matthews has been dealing with for some time.

As such, Berube’s comments seem to indicate Matthews has been trying to play through the injury. Nevertheless, the issue has gotten to a point where the team cannot afford to have its captain hit the ice.

Johnston added there does not seem to be any setbacks in Matthews’ recovery. Thus, Matthews’ placement on IR is about “roster management.” What that means is the Maple Leafs are now able to recall a player or two from the AHL on an emergency basis to fill the void in the lineup.

Thus far, the Leafs have not announced any callups. If so, the callups would most likely suit up for Saturday night’s game against the Habs.

Max Domi filling in for Matthews

Maxi Domi has taken Matthews’ spot in the lineup with Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner. Domi skated on the top line in Tuesday night’s game against the Bruins. Overall, Domi played well showing speed and versatility.

Domi is a natural playmaker with high-end agility and hockey smarts. He complements Knies and Marner well, especially with Knies becoming a dangerous presence in front of the net.

The Hockey News’ David Alter reported Domi continuing on the top line, with John Tavares as the second-line center, Pontus Holmberg on the third line, and David Kampf on the fourth unit. Alter also reported Ryan Reaves coming into the lineup on the fourth line.

Ultimately, it will be up to the remaining players in the Leafs’ lineup to pick up the slack for their injured captain. With Domi in the top line, the Leafs will look to replicate the success they found in their last outing against Boston.