The big story of the week remains the Radko Gudas hit on Auston Matthews, a collision that ended the star player’s season. Everyone is talking about the short-term consequences from the suspension and whether five games were enough for Gudas for the injury, which has the Toronto Maple Leafs season going from bad to worse.
Related: Lack Of Response To Matthews Hit Exposes Leafs Dysfunction
It will have bigger implications, specifically for the Maple Leafs. They must handle the Matthews injury and whether his knee will be the same after this. It’s a look in the mirror moment as a franchise. Tom Wilson changed the perspective and mindset of the New York Rangers when they were building their roster in the earlier part of the decade, and the same will apply for the Maple Leafs moving forward.
Where Do The Maple Leafs Go From Here
The big shock for many in the hockey world was how the entire team just stood there and didn’t respond when Matthews went down. The Maple Leafs saw Gudas take out their best player, and usually when that happens, everyone goes after that player.
An explanation for why nobody went after Gudas is that nobody wanted to be the player who took him on. Like Wilson in 2021, the Rangers didn’t have a player who could keep the Capitals’ power forward in check. It’s why the Maple Leafs must find that player who can go out there and protect their stars and, more importantly, bring toughness back to the team.
The Boston Bruins were criticized for their recent offseason moves. They added Nikita Zadorov and Mark Kastelic in the 2024 offseason and acquired Tanner Jeannot in 2025. Those players didn’t add skill but in the big picture, made them a better team and brought back the “Big Bad Bruins” reputation for the first time in a while. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if the Maple Leafs look for their version of a modern-day enforcer, someone who can bring a physical element but that’s not the only thing they provide.
Where Does Matthews Go From Here?
Some talent evaluators and other hockey minds expressed concern about Matthews before the injury. He was having a down year by his standards with 27 goals and 26 assists in 60 games, putting him below a point-per-game pace for the first time since his rookie season. At 28, he’s in his prime but there’s a good argument to be made that his best years are behind him.
Now, he’s coming back from a rough knee injury. While it’s not a long-term one, there’s always the question about how he’ll look when he’s back. Matthews had a shoulder issue in the middle of last season that took time to recover from, and the same can happen with this injury.
From his perspective, the clock is ticking for him to win the Cup. He’s no longer the young player with plenty of years in front of him, and the Maple Leafs are further from contention than they’ve been since they drafted him. Matthews has two years left on his contract, and suddenly, there’s doubt about what his future with the Maple Leafs looks like, especially if the team starts to rebuild and move away from the Core Four era.
Sabres Are Back & Wow is it Fun
It’s been a long time, and it’s easy to forget what hockey is like when the Buffalo Sabres are good. A few fanbases fall into this category, including the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings, which are long-time hockey markets that have waited years for a good team. The Sabres are finally one, and it brings a new energy, a revitalized energy to the NHL.
The game last Sunday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning felt like a playoff game. It had everything, except for defense and goaltending, that is. The Sabres wrapped up the homestand on Saturday night against the Maple Leafs in a game that shows how bizarre this season has been.
The Sabres had their home crowd show up big for the game, one that usually is a Maple Leaf home game, considering how many fans travel across the border to Buffalo. They also found a way to come away with the win when in past seasons, they’d find a way to squander a game like that. The Sabres success is unexplainable, yet it’s become one of the best stories in the NHL.
Quick Hits
The Red Wings have hit a wall. They’ve lost three games in a row and five of their last six, going from a top team in the Atlantic Division to barely clinging to a wild card spot. It raises the question about whether general manager (GM) Steve Yzerman did enough at the trade deadline to get over the hump.
The St. Louis Blues played the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday in a matchup of two resurgent teams. With the Jets winning the game, they are only five points out of a wild card spot in the Western Conference, and with the way Connor Hellebuyck is playing, they are the team none of the top teams will want sneaking in.
Cole Caufield scored his 39th goal of the season on Sunday. He’s second in the NHL in goals behind only Nathan MacKinnon, who has 44. Caufield won’t win the Rocket Richard but it would be something if he did. The last time someone on the Montreal Canadiens led the NHL in goals was Guy LaFluer in 1977-78. Since the Rocket became an award in 1999, Jonathan Cheechoo is the only one to win the award and never make an Olympic, World Cup, or Four Nations roster. Maybe Caufield will be the second?
