{"id":10814,"date":"2025-01-03T17:26:57","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T16:26:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/?p=10814"},"modified":"2025-01-03T17:26:58","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T16:26:58","slug":"should-maple-leafs-place-auston-matthews-ltir","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/should-maple-leafs-place-auston-matthews-ltir\/","title":{"rendered":"Should the Maple Leafs Place Auston Matthews on LTIR?"},"content":{"rendered":"

This season, Auston Matthews has been a shadow of his usual self. After being placed on the injured list for the second time this season last Tuesday, the Maple Leafs are undoubtedly facing a significant dilemma regarding their superstar.<\/p>

Following the Lightning’s Playbook?<\/strong><\/h2>

As the trade deadline approaches, the Leafs’ decision will define their strategy for the rest of the season.<\/p>

It’s important to note that if the Leafs place Auston Matthews on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), his salary cap hit would be removed from the books for the remainder of the regular season. This would grant the franchise critical flexibility to make acquisitions at the trade deadline.<\/p>

Additionally, it would relieve Matthews of the pressure to rush his return just ahead of the playoffs.<\/p>

This strategy mirrors the Tampa Bay Lightning’s approach in 2021 with Nikita Kucherov. <\/p>

The Florida-based franchise placed Kucherov on LTIR until the end of the regular season and reactivated him just in time for the playoffs. The Golden Knights followed a similar tactic with Mark Stone, ultimately achieving the same result: a Stanley Cup championship<\/a>.<\/p>

With potential upgrades available on defense, it might be wise for the Leafs to keep Matthews sidelined to strengthen their roster and increase their chances of advancing past the first round of the playoffs.<\/p>

A Blow for Team USA<\/strong><\/h2>

Matthews’ absence is also a significant setback for Team USA, with the pressure mounting ahead of the upcoming Four Nations tournament.<\/p>

With Team Canada expected to feature all its top talent, the absence of Matthews will undoubtedly hurt Team USA’s chances. Once again, the Leafs’ decision could have far-reaching consequences.<\/p>

Auston Matthews’ Limited Impact This Season<\/strong><\/h2>

This season, Auston Matthews has appeared in just 24 games, tallying 11 goals and 12 assists.<\/p>

<\/p>

Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This season, Auston Matthews has been a shadow of his usual self. After being placed on the injured list for the second time this season last Tuesday, the Maple Leafs are undoubtedly facing a significant dilemma regarding their superstar. Following the Lightning’s Playbook? As the trade deadline approaches, the Leafs’ decision will define their strategy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10815,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_mux_skip_reasons":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[2359,164],"class_list":["post-10814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nhl","tag-auston-matthews","tag-toronto-maple-leafs"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nShould the Maple Leafs Place Auston Matthews on LTIR? - The Playoffs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Maple Leafs will face tough choice regarding the situation of Auston matthews after placing him a second time on IR\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/should-maple-leafs-place-auston-matthews-ltir\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Should the Maple Leafs Place Auston Matthews on LTIR? 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