Leafs HC Craig Berube updates on captain Auston Matthews health ahead of NHL preseason

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is healthy and ready for the 2025-26 NHL season. He missed nine games in November and six in late December due to injury. His drop in performance led to another second round playoff exit.

However, Leafs coach Craig Berube shared a positive update on Monday. He reveaed that Matthews looks stronger and added weight over the summer.

"I saw him (Matthews) here in Toronto a couple times," Berube said on Monday, via The Athletic.

"He does look very good. I think he’s stronger this year; he’s put a little weight on. I think he talked about maybe he thought he was a little too lean last year. And he’s feeling a lot better than he has, which is a very good sign."

Matthews confirmed in May that he played through an injury last season. Surgery was not required, but he vowed that he would return to 100%.

"Definitely a tough year physically," Matthew said. "But I'm confident with some time off and just going through my own process and treatment. I'll be back 100 percent next season. And it's nothing for me to worry about."

Despite the injury, Matthews recorded 33 goals and 78 points in 67 games. For a normal player, these stats are above average, but not for Matthews, who scored 69 goals in 2023-24.

Toronto was eliminated by the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the 2025 playoffs. The Leafs struggled with low scoring, among other issues. Matthews and Mitch Marner had limited offense, contributing to the series loss. However, Matthews is once again healthy and ready to give it all this year.

Auston Matthews' comments on Mitch Marner's trade to Golden Knights

One thing fans will notice in the upcoming season is the absence of Auston Matthews' linemate, Mitch Marner. He got traded to Vegas on July 1, and it will just be Matthews and Matthew Knies on the top line.

Matthews discussed Marner's trade in August.

"We'll obviously miss him," Matthews said, via TSN. "He's a great friend, a great teammate. That's kind of the business side of it, that's tough. Wish him nothing but the best. We'll just keep it moving."

Matthews and his team will aim to advance further in the playoffs. Fans will be watching the preseason closely to see the Maple Leafs’ form.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience in the writing industry. He has expertise in sports, product, and travel content writing. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez