Insider Chris Johnston reveals what injury led to Auston Matthews' absence from the Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are off to a horror start this season, as seemingly everything that could go wrong for them early in 2025/26, has gone wrong as they look up at the standings from 15th place in the Eastern Conference.

The team have battled through struggles to adjust to off-season departures as well as poor defense and goaltending, but most of all, it's been injuries that have held them back early in the year.

Unfortunately, their captain has been sidelined as well, as Auston Matthews has been placed on Injured Reserve early in the year, suffering what has been described as a lower-body injury following this hit from Nikita Zadorov.

Recently, Craig Berube shared an update on the captain, revealing that while he's not going to return in the next few days, he's getting better and won't be out long-term.

Now, NHL Insider Chris Johnston has revealed some further details on the injury, reporting that he has heard the injury was to do with a muscle, rather than being a break of any bones.

As of right now, there's been no official revelation from the Maple Leafs on what the injury is, as they aim to protect their captain from targeting by opposing teams when he returns, but this certainly isn't good news for the team and their captain.

Ultimately, if this team is to make a push to turn their season around, they'll need No. 34 at his very best, so the hope is that he can get back to 100% and return to the ice soon for this team.