Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe gives update on star forward Auston Matthews

Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews practiced with the team for the first time since undergoing wrist surgery on August 13, participating in puck-handling drills and taking shots. 

Thanks to his historic campaign, Matthews became the first Leafs player in 75 years as well as the first United States-born player in 24 years to lead the NHL in goal scoring. Unfortunately, that success wouldn't carry over to the postseason, as he failed to make any significant impact for Toronto during their stunning Round 1 series loss against the Canadiens, registering just one goal and four assists in the seven games played. 

Toronto's goal is to have Matthews ready to go by the first game of the regular season. How does coach Sheldon Keefe feel about his recovery process? 

Keefe: "A really good step. He did a lot more today than we were expecting him to, frankly. He wanted to keep going. He felt good. He shot the puck a lot harder today. It was the first time I saw him really leaning into one-timers and such. It was very clear he was feeling good."

As  I said, he chose to continue going through drills and going through some contact stuff, which we didn’t expect him to do today and he wanted to. He felt very good. Of course, that is positive.

How valuable might it be getting him into a preseason game?

Keefe: "I think there would be value in that, but we are not pushing for that or anything like that. When he says he is ready and the medical team says he is ready, he will be in. Whether that is in preseason or if it’s game one, we don’t know. We are trending in the right direction for sure."