Former NHL player Jay Rosehill spoke about Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews on Tuesday's episode of Leafs Morning Take. Matthews didn’t look like himself last season. He missed 15 regular-season games because of an injury that he had been carrying since training camp. Matthews had 33 goals last season, his lowest in nine years (after scoring 69 goals in 2023-24).Nick Alberga, Rosehill’s co-host, questioned whether Matthews can be a Hart Trophy candidate again without the presence of Marner, who was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. In return, the Leafs received forward Nicolas Roy. Losing Marner is a big loss because he had 102 points last season and 13 in the playoffs.Rosehill believes Matthews can still carry the team, but needs to show more."Yeah, he's the captain of the team," Rosehill said. "He's the best player on the team. He's the one who can pull the team. He's one of a few guys who can single-handedly win again. If he's playing his best hockey. There's not much stop in you, and I just didn't see it last year. I didn't think he was capable of doing that, very often, and you could tell he wasn't himself."Matthews' injury, despite not demanding surgery, created serious difficulties for him. He had to go to Germany for treatment, where he consulted his trusted doctor. Matthews said the injury affected many parts of his game."There were some stretches where I didn't feel very good," Matthews said, via NHL.com.In his season-end interview, he said he is confident that time off will help him recover.Former Auston Matthews' linemate Mitch Marner hailed Vegas as a "winning team"Mitch Marner, who used to be Auston Matthews' linemate, signed an eight-year, $96 million deal with Toronto before his trade to Vegas. In his statement following the move, he said he wanted to join a team with a strong chance to win.“You want to be in a place where you want to win,” Marner said, via NHL.com. “That’s the whole goal of why we do this ... This team, since it’s entered the League, has really pushed the boundaries to be that winning team, that’s where I want to be.”The Leafs need Matthews to step up in Marner’s absence. Teammates like Matthew Knies will still be on the line after signing a six-year, $46,500,000 contract. However, it will be up to coach Craig Berube to reshuffle the line to see the best fit during the training camp.But Toronto’s success will largely depend on how well Auston Matthews adjusts without Marner.