Kyle Dubas backs Auston Matthews amid the Toronto Maple Leafs' playoff backlash
The Toronto Maple Leafs' 2024-25 playoff run ended in an all-too-familiar way, a second-round exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers. Once again, the loss placed Auston Matthews, the captain, under intense scrutiny.
Despite tallying 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) in 13 playoff games, Matthews appeared to seize the wrong moments that truly mattered. The extended lack of an Eastern Conference Finals appearance for the Leafs only made those criticisms hot again from the fans, reopening discussions about his postseason effectiveness.
Kyle Dubas
commends Auston Matthews' maturity
Speaking on The Cam & Strick Podcast, the former Maple Leafs general manager, who is serving the same post for the Pittsburgh Penguins today, took exception to some of the appraisals.
Kyle Dubas joins the show to talk core four, Mike Babcock, Pittsburghs future and more
'You've seen the evolution as a leader and the evolution on the defensive side as well. Of course, everyone knows about the goalscoring, but to see him named captain there, captain of Team USA, he puts a lot into his craft." Dubas remarked, stating that Matthews' development has much more to do with things outside his offensive numbers.
He went further to explain that Matthews is not driven by external criticism but rather that 'I don't think any of the stuff that people talk about, the pressure, the market, his pressure is probably internal and trying to be at his absolute best, and you saw different steps that he took throughout his career.'
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According to Dubas, it has been a brush with growth throughout Matthews' career: 'He took constructive criticism well, especially as he got into his mid-20s, so it's been great to see him continue to evolve, and I hope that he gets back to 100 percent.'
A challenging season for Auston Matthews
The 2024-25 season parted ways from the usual production-wise for Auston Matthews, with him ending up with 33 goals against a staggering 69 just the year before. Dubas considered this not as a dip in performance but an upward, hard challenge, harder because expectations are higher for him.
Also Read:
Chad Ruhwedel announces retirement from NHL after a steady 11-year career
Auston Matthews, 401 career regular-season goals, remains one of the NHL's top goal scorers. Therein lies some truth to what Dubas said: Matthews' legacy should not be judged by one playoff series but rather by his personal development into a better leader and well-rounded player.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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