Toronto Maple Leafs Make Shock Roster Move With Captain Auston Matthews

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been without their captain for the last two games, with fans worrying that a hip injury may end up being more serious than initially expected. Unfortunately, the team confirmed that to be true on Friday, as they have now placed Matthews on Injured Reserve, meaning he will miss the Hall of Fame showdown with the Detroit Red Wings.

The move is retroactive to November 3rd, and in his place the team have recalled Connor Dewar, who will likely slide into the bottom of the lineup if the team want to make a big change. In Matthews' absence, the team have gone 1-0-1 in two games against tough opponents in Boston and Minnesota, with Max Domi sliding up to the top line alongside Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner, forming a solid trio without one of the NHL's best players.

At this point there's been no major update on how long this could keep Matthews out, but making the official move to Injured Reserve means that the team will have at least another three games without their captain, potentially more if things don't improve rapidly.

This season, the Maple Leafs have posted a solid 7-5-2 record through 14 games played, and with their improvements on the blue line and in net making them a genuine threat once more, having that success without Matthews being at his best. In 13 games, No. 34 has tallied just five goals, a very slow start by his own standards, so if he can get back to 100% and play his best upon his return, this team could be one of the best we've seen in recent years.