Toronto Maple Leafs emerging from Auston Matthews shadow

When Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews left the team about two weeks ago due to an upper-body injury, Leafs Nation went into full crisis mode. The loss of the team’s best player and leader sent shockwaves throughout the organization.

A myriad of questions emerged, most notably, who would step up to take Auston Matthews place on the Toronto Maple Leafs as a scorer and leader.

Now seven games since Matthews last hit the ice, the Leafs are 6-1. Mitch Marner has taken the reins as the team’s best player, John Tavares looks rejuvenated, and the youth movement has gradually grabbed hold of the club.

The best example of how successful the Matthews-less Leafs have been came on Wednesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Leafs played a grinding game that wore the Golden Knights down, leaving them with little room to maneuver. Joseph Woll was fantastic and the Maple Leafs physicality shone through.

Toronto Maple Leafs emerging from Auston Matthews shadow

Following the Vegas game, Sportsnet tweeted that the Leafs are 41-20-2 without Matthews.

Frankly, the numbers startled me. You see, one would think that the Leafs would crumble without Matthews. The scoring would dry up and the club would descend into a tailspin.

But as they did every time this has happened, everyone has sucked up Matthews’ absence and picked up their share of the slack. And, the results have been evident. Entering Thursday night’s action, the Leafs sit atop the Atlantic Division with a one-point lead over the Florida Panthers. The Leafs are on a three-game winning streak, and don’t look like they’re cooling down any time soon.

It’s not that Matthews isn’t important, he’s crucial to the team’s success, but this recent run without Matthews has proven that the Leafs are much more than just Matthews and company.

When Matthews returns to the lineup, the Leafs may actually see a disruption in their current rhythm. While I’m not saying Matthews shouldn’t play, he shouldn’t be the only name on the billboard. Perhaps Matthews could take on more of a secondary role like John Tavares did.

That’s the price you pay when you’re the captain. You must do whatever you need to do to help your team win, even if it means giving up the best seat at the table.