The Toronto Maple Leafs return home to face the Minnesota Wild after a four-game road trip that saw them go 2-1-1, to help improve the team’s overall record to 24-16-8 through 48 games. They currently find themselves sitting one point out of the final wild card spot in the jammed up Eastern Conference. 

The road-trip saw Maple Leafs’ captain Auston Matthews score three goals and two assists to improve the 28-year-old’s point total to 40 through 42 games played. Assistant captain John Tavares spoke Monday morning about the overall play Matthews has shown as of late. 

“He’s a special player, not just goal scoring, but he’s dominating the puck and controlling the play, doing so many things well,” Tavares said. “He’s just such a driver and does so many things well. He drives the team in so many facets, whether it’s offensively or defensively. He has the will to compete, to find the way to earn results and continue to grind things out.”

The determined play has been shown in both the offensive and defensive zone, as Matthews sits plus-six on the season, good for a tie for fifth amongst all Leafs skaters. Matthews’ goal in Colorado was a prime example of what the captain can do with time and space, showcasing the wicked wrist-shot that Leafs fans have become accustomed to seeing over the forwards 10-year career. 

“He is elite at what he can do with the puck, especially when it comes to putting it in the back of the net,” Tavares continued. “Obviously just a special finisher and we’re really lucky to have him.”

Another Leafs forward who has had a big impact on the team has been Scott Laughton. After missing the first month of the season with a lower-body injury, Laughton has returned to record six goals and two assists over 30 games. 

“He plays a major role for us, does so many little things well and is the life of the locker room,” Tavares said of Laughton. “Anytime you play with a guy like that, it’s a lot of fun.” 

Laughton has showcased an ability to score this season, whether it has been in big moments or on breakaways, the scorer’s touch is there for the 31-year-old. In recent years, depth scoring has been an issue, so this has been a welcomed sight in 2025-26. 

“He has a lot more play-making and offensive ability than people give him credit for,” Tavares said. “He’s got real soft hands, a real understanding of the game and I think you see it a lot when he gets in alone on the breakaways, his ability to finish and how smooth he is.”

Due to the Olympic break in February, the month of January has been packed for the Leafs with 16 games having to be played to make-up for almost a full month away from the National Hockey League. This is a real test for the Maple Leafs as they try and return for the playoffs for the tenth straight season.

“This month has been crazy, we don’t have two days off between games,” Tavares said. “It’s a lot but we need to be excited about the challenge of what that brings and find a good way to approach it.” 

Puckdrop is set for 7:30 p.m EST at Scotiabank Arena. 

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