Maple Leafs' Matthews in Munich to receive treatment for injury
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Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is currently in Munich, Germany receiving treatment from a doctor for his injury, general manager Brad Treliving revealed to the media on Tuesday.
Treliving says there is no setback to Matthews' status, who remains day-to-day, but has missed six games with an upper-body injury. Matthews has worked with the doctor in Munich in the past and is being accompanied by a team physician.
"We want to share as much as we can, but anything that may put the player at jeopardy, I'm not going to do that. There's not surgery. There's not any speculation like that," said the general manager.
""I'm not concerned at all," head coach Craig Berube added. "I know Tree talked to you guys about that already so I got nothing to say about it."
The 27-year-old centre had already been ruled out of Wednesday's game against the visiting Vegas Golden Knights and hasn't played since Nov. 3 against the Minnesota Wild. Treliving said Matthews could still play in Sunday's game against the Utah Hockey Club.
Matthews, who signed a four-year, $53 million extension in August 2023 and was named team captain this past summer, hasn't skated in over a week.
The Maple Leafs have played well with Matthews sidelined, posting a 5-1 record, including a 4-3 overtime victory over Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
In 13 games this season, Matthews has five goals and 11 points. He led all goal scorers a season ago, when he finished with 69 - the most in a single season since Mario Lemieux finished with 69 in the 1995-96 season.
Kampf injury further tests Leafs centre depth
Earlier on Tuesday, the Maple Leafs recalled forward Fraser Minten from the AHL's Toronto Marlies on Tuesday and announced that centre David Kampf has been placed on injured reserve.
Kampf is dealing with a lower-body injury, with the move to IR being retroactive to Nov. 16, when he logged 14:22 of ice time in Saturday's overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers.
The 29-year-old forward has three assists in 18 games with the Maple Leafs this season.
Minten, 20, appeared in four games with the Maple Leafs last season, failing to register a point before returning to the WHL's Saskatoon Blades. He joined the Marlies earlier this month after a stint on season-opening IR and has two goals and four points in five games.
The Vancouver native was selected by the Maple Leafs in the second round of the 2022 draft.
Minten was on the ice for Tuesday's practice along Max Domi, who had missed the previous two practices due to maintenance.
Treliving reiterated that Domi, who continues to play, is also dealing with an injury.
“(Domi's) going through a lot right now," Treliving said. "He’s banged up a bit.”
Minten worked at centre during Tuesday's practice on a third line with Nick Robertson and Pontus Holmberg. With Kampf absent, Steven Lorentz took over the role of fourth-line centre between Connor Dewar and Alex Steeves.
"To be perfectly honest with you, I would have preferred to leave him down there for a little bit longer," Treliving said of calling up Minten. "You gotta be careful, especially with young guys, bumpin'em up & down, but he's had a great start"