Auston Matthews will not need to undergo surgery this offseason for an undisclosed injury that bothered him throughout the Toronto Maple Leafs\' season. Toronto was eliminated by the Florida Panthers in Game 7 on Sunday.
Matthews declined to comment on what the injury was specifically, but called it “a very tough season” and “a bit of a rollercoaster, unfortunately, throughout the whole season, throughout playoffs” as a result of the ailment.
“I got injured in training camp,” Matthews explained, later adding that the injury “impacted a lot of different things” throughout the year.
“Obviously, I wasn’t feeling great throughout the first month or so of the season, took some time off, went to Germany (to see doctors), did all these things to try to feel better. Then kind of got to a place where I felt like I could manage it.
“There was obviously some good stretches where I felt good. There were some stretches where I didn’t feel very good. Definitely a tough year physically, but with some time off and just going through my own process and treatment and everything, I’m really confident I’ll be back 100 percent come next season. And there’s nothing to worry about.”