Maple Leafs Provide Update on Auston Matthews After MCL Surgery

The Toronto Maple Leafs star is set to miss the remainder of the season due to an MCL injury.

Mar 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) skates against the New York Rangers during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Toronto Maple Leafs have put out an update regarding the status, and recovery timeline, of star center and captain Auston Matthews.

Per an X post from the Maple Leafs, Matthews has officially underwent surgery for a grade 3 MCL tear in New York City and has been given a recovery time of right around 12 weeks.

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— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 19, 2026

Matthews' injury stems from a hit delivered by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas in a matchup between the two teams on March 12.

Gudas was handed a major penalty for kneeing as a result. He was also subsequently suspended for five games by the NHL Department of Player Safety and is still currently serving it.

Matthews, on the other hand, will remain out for the rest of the regular season as Toronto is set to miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign, and the hope is that he can return close to full health in time for the 2026-27 season.

Feb 22, 2026; Milan, Italy; Auston Matthews #34 of Team United States celebrates after the game against Team Canada during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Matthews' Prolific Career

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Matthews has been a bona fide star from the first time he ever stepped on the ice for the Maple Leafs, scoring foul goals in his league debut and winning the Calder Memorial Trophy that same year.

From there, Matthews has annually ranked near the top of the points leaderboard while establishing himself as one of the NHL's top players.

Over 689 career games for the Maple Leafs, Matthews has notched 780 points (ninth-most since entering the league) on 428 goals and 352 assists.

A two-time 60-goal scorer, doing so in 2021-22 with 60 and in 2023-24 with 69, Matthews led the league in that category on both occasions while simultaneously crossing the 100-point mark each time as well.

Matthews and the Maple Leafs have never been able to translate their regular season success into fortune in the postseason, never making it past the second round, though the 28-year-old recently shined on the international stage.

Serving as the captain of Team USA at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics last month, Matthews scored seven points (three goals, four assists) in the six games he appeared in as he helped take down Team Canada in the gold medal game, marking the first time that the United States won the event since 1980.

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