<p>The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed Auston Matthews on injured reserve retroactive to November 3 and have activated Connor Dewar from long-term injured reserve, the team announced Friday.</p>
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<p>Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube confirmed <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/auston-matthews-will-not-play-vs-red-wings-due-to-upper-body-injury">Matthews would be ruled out of Friday&#8217;s game</a> against the Detroit Red Wings. He previously missed Tuesday&#8217;s 4-0 win against the Boston Bruins.</p>
<p>&#8220;We’re going in the right direction. It’s good news,&#8221; Berube said Friday morning.</p>
<p>With the IR designation retroactive to November 3, Matthews is ruled out of Saturday&#8217;s game against the Montreal Canadiens and is eligible to return Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MapleLeafs</a> have placed F Auston Matthews on IR (retroactive to November 3). </p>
<p>F Connor Dewar has been recalled from LTIR conditioning loan and activated from LTIR.</p>
<p>&mdash; Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeafsPR/status/1854977329686065399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Matthews has recorded five goals and 11 points in 13 games, last playing during Sunday&#8217;s 2-1 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild. In Matthews&#8217; absence, Max Domi has operated as Toronto&#8217;s first-line centre, with Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner on the wing. Marner played his best game of the season against the Bruins with two assists, Knies recorded a power play goal and Domi provided some two-way stability throughout the game.</p>
<p>Toronto has posted a cumulative 36-19-2 record when Matthews has been out of the lineup throughout his career. Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly offered his reasoning Friday morning as to why the team has played so well without their best player.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think it’s just a matter of guys trying to take on more responsibility,&#8221; <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/auston-matthews-will-not-play-vs-red-wings-due-to-upper-body-injury">Rielly said</a>. &#8220;You realize that you’re at a loss without him. And guys have to step up and pull more weight. The goal will always be to have that mentality when everyone’s healthy and playing. But when you lose a player and an extremely important player like him, you need more from everyone.&#8221;</p>
<p>Red Wings forward Patrick Kane also likened Matthews to Pavel Datsyuk, when asked who resembles Datsyuk&#8217;s qualities the most in the modern NHL. Datsyuk headlines this year&#8217;s Hockey Hall of Fame class, which will be celebrated throughout the weekend.</p>
<p>&#8220;I guess I could see Auston’s game in his,” <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/patrick-kane-says-auston-matthews-may-be-most-similar-to-pavel-datsyuk-in-modern-game">Kane said Friday morning</a>. “Maybe Auston’s more of a shooter, but as far as playing both ends of the ice and being able to strip guys of the puck and turn it into offense, I think that’s where they’re pretty similar. I don’t know if anyone — he’s a pretty unique player, you know? There’s not really anyone like him.&#8221;</p>
<p>Dewar could potentially make his season debut Saturday against the Canadiens. He was not seen at Friday&#8217;s optional morning skate but he would likely slot onto the fourth line if he was placed into the lineup. Dewar recorded one goal and five points with the Maple Leafs in 17 games last season, after being acquired at the 2024 trade deadline. In any event, Matthews&#8217; injury designation opens up a spot for Dewar in the short-term.</p>
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed Auston Matthews on injured reserve retroactive to November 3 and have activated Connor Dewar from long-term injured reserve, the team announced Friday.
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Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube confirmed <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/auston-matthews-will-not-play-vs-red-wings-due-to-upper-body-injury">Matthews would be ruled out of Friday's game</a> against the Detroit Red Wings. He previously missed Tuesday's 4-0 win against the Boston Bruins.

"We’re going in the right direction. It’s good news," Berube said Friday morning.

With the IR designation retroactive to November 3, Matthews is ruled out of Saturday's game against the Montreal Canadiens and is eligible to return Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators.

&nbsp;

https://twitter.com/LeafsPR/status/1854977329686065399

Matthews has recorded five goals and 11 points in 13 games, last playing during Sunday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild. In Matthews' absence, Max Domi has operated as Toronto's first-line centre, with Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner on the wing. Marner played his best game of the season against the Bruins with two assists, Knies recorded a power play goal and Domi provided some two-way stability throughout the game.

Toronto has posted a cumulative 36-19-2 record when Matthews has been out of the lineup throughout his career. Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly offered his reasoning Friday morning as to why the team has played so well without their best player.

"I think it’s just a matter of guys trying to take on more responsibility," <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/auston-matthews-will-not-play-vs-red-wings-due-to-upper-body-injury">Rielly said</a>. "You realize that you’re at a loss without him. And guys have to step up and pull more weight. The goal will always be to have that mentality when everyone’s healthy and playing. But when you lose a player and an extremely important player like him, you need more from everyone."

Red Wings forward Patrick Kane also likened Matthews to Pavel Datsyuk, when asked who resembles Datsyuk's qualities the most in the modern NHL. Datsyuk headlines this year's Hockey Hall of Fame class, which will be celebrated throughout the weekend.

"I guess I could see Auston’s game in his,” <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/patrick-kane-says-auston-matthews-may-be-most-similar-to-pavel-datsyuk-in-modern-game">Kane said Friday morning</a>. “Maybe Auston’s more of a shooter, but as far as playing both ends of the ice and being able to strip guys of the puck and turn it into offense, I think that’s where they’re pretty similar. I don’t know if anyone — he’s a pretty unique player, you know? There’s not really anyone like him."

Dewar could potentially make his season debut Saturday against the Canadiens. He was not seen at Friday's optional morning skate but he would likely slot onto the fourth line if he was placed into the lineup. Dewar recorded one goal and five points with the Maple Leafs in 17 games last season, after being acquired at the 2024 trade deadline. In any event, Matthews' injury designation opens up a spot for Dewar in the short-term.
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