How long is Auston Matthews out? Maple Leafs captain set to miss at least rest of season with MCL tear

· Yahoo Sports

How long is Auston Matthews out? Maple Leafs captain set to miss at least rest of season with MCL tear originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Visit asg-reflektory.pl for more information.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' season has been anything but what they expected, and the news isn't getting any better.

Auston Matthews exited Thursday night's game against the Anaheim Ducks with a knee injury after taking a hard hit from Radko Gudas, dealing the Maple Leafs another blow as they try to salvage the final weeks of the regular season.

Toronto won the game but woke up Friday still sitting last in the Atlantic Division at 28-27-11 after dropping its first eight games out of the Olympic break. Now, the Maple Leafs might have to try to finish strong without a former Hart Trophy winner.

Here's what you need to know about Matthews' injury and how long it will keep him off the ice.

MORE:Could Auston Matthews be done with Maple Leafs?

How long is Auston Matthews out?

The Maple Leafs announced Friday that Matthews will miss the remainder of the season with a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion.

Toronto couldn't come away from its first post-Olympic win without another hit of bad news, losing its star for the remainder of the season with the playoffs nearly out of reach. Matthews suffered the injury on a direct hit from Gudas, who received a five-minute major penalty for the blow.

Matthews has never missed more than 20 games in a season, but that is set to change after Friday's announcement. He finishes the 2025-26 campaign with 53 points on 27 goals and 26 assists across 60 games. 

What happened to Auston Matthews?

Matthews took a direct hit to his knee from Ducks D Radko Gudas on Thursday and did not return to the game. Gudas received a five-minute major penalty.

Matthews was officially diagnosed with a torn MCL and quad contusion as a result of the hit, but he avoided an ACL tear.

Gudas, meanwhile, will have a hearing with the NHL's Player Safety Department and could face a suspension for the hit. Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube told reporters Thursday that he believes a suspension is warranted.

"That’s a dirty play," Berube said. "The league is obviously going to look at it and see what the suspension will be, or whatever happens."

A hit from Gudas also injured Penguins star Sidney Crosby in the Olympics when the Ducks defenseman was playing for Czechia. Crosby has not yet returned to the ice for Pittsburgh.

MORE:Updated NHL Draft lottery odds

Grade 3 MCL tear recovery timeline

A Grade 3 MCL tear is a complete tear of the ligament, but the recovery period is still not nearly as long as that of an ACL repair or even a meniscus repair. An individual can recover from a Grade 3 MCL tear in about six weeks, according to the Cleveland Clinic, with more time potentially needed if surgery if necessary.

It might take a bit longer for an NHL player to return to game action, as he would have to first get his feet under him with on-ice activities before going full speed, but the regular season doesn't last long enough for a Matthews return to be realistic. With the Maple Leafs out of contention, they will let Matthews heal up and go through a normal offseason before he gets back on the ice next season.

Could Auston Matthews miss some of next season?

The injury is not expected to impact Matthews' availability for next season. A long-term injury, such as an ACL tear, was feared by some fans, but an MCL tear should allow Matthews to have a mostly normal offseason once he fully recovers in the spring.

As the Maple Leafs reach a crossroads, the biggest storyline following the franchise this offseason could be whether they would shop Matthews on the trade market as the free agent class continues to thin out. 

Read full story at source