Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs is injured late in the game against the Carolina Hurricanes during a game in 2022. Getty Images

Auston Matthews was concise. Article content

“Good.” Article content Article content

That one-word answer was all the Maple Leafs captain offered when we asked him about the status of his health three weeks ago, before he took part in the Hockey Night in Brampton charity event.

Matthews would have spent a good portion of his off-season in recovery mode after he acknowledged in May, a couple of days after the Leafs were eliminated by the Florida Panthers, that the 2024-25 year was “a very tough season, physically.”

Injuries have nibbled at Matthews’ participation during his nine-year National Hockey League career to the point he has played in

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