ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Auston Matthews didn’t join his Toronto Maple Leafs teammates at the U.S. Navel Academy for Saturday’s outdoor game, but he continues to make progress towards a return.
The star centre has been nursing a second-degree shoulder sprain since getting sandwiched with a hit on Feb. 22 and is skating on his own back in Toronto.
"He’s doing good," Leafs coach Mike Babcock said before Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals. "He’s skating every single day. He’s working hard on his conditioning. The good thing about this injury, when you come back from this injury you have your legs. When you come back from the previous injury, you don’t have your legs because you didn’t do anything.
"So, I think jumping right in and being ready to go when it’s time to come back will be positive for him. He won’t have to get his conditioning back, he’ll have it back already."
The Leafs haven’t issued a firm timetable on his recovery, but Nick Kypreos reported on "Hockey Night in Canada" that Matthews would be out anywhere from two to four weeks.
This is his third injury absence of the season after dealing with a suspected back issue in November and a concussion in December. He continues to lead the Leafs in goals (28) and sits second in points (50) despite sitting out his 14th game on Saturday.
Matthews made a big impact during his only NHL outdoor experience – scoring twice, including the overtime winner, in Toronto’s 5-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at last year’s Centennial Classic.
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