Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube mentioned that he doesn’t believe Auston Matthews’ upper-body injury is serious and expects the captain to recover well.
Matthews practiced on Thursday after taking a few days off for what Berube described as maintenance. He was not set to play in Toronto’s home preseason game against Montreal that night.
“We don’t want any injuries that could linger,” Berube told reporters. “So, we have to be smart about it.”
Matthews had an impressive season last year, leading the NHL with 69 goals. He is currently in the first year of a $53 million contract.
In August, the team named him captain, taking over from John Tavares. The Leafs will start their regular season on October 9 against the Canadiens.
