Something is wrong with Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Toronto Maple Leafs fans are getting worried.Auston Matthews, the captain, their beloved number 34, doesn’t seem quite right.Anecdotally, he’s just not being as assertive. And even in his passivity, he’s struggling.Watch this clip from Tuesday night’s game:Not breaking news here but 34 is not the same guy pic.twitter.com/oQ9tieIfFS— Sam McKee (@SamAMcKee) December 3, 2025MORE: Inside the kind of college basketball win that only happens in Syracuse, N.Y.That doesn’t particularly look like one of the world’s best players.The stats reflect a slightly slow start to the season. Matthews has averaged more than a point per game every year since his second season, but this year, he’s got 17 points in 20 games.He’s also on pace for a career-high in giveaways, currently averaging more than one a game for the first time in his NHL career.The stats aren’t terrible. There are many worse players in the league than Matthews.But the Maple Leafs count on Matthews being transcendent, and right now, he’s falling a bit short of that. MORE: Famous rapper Toosii commits to play college football in the ACCIt’s not clear whether anything specific is to blame, or if it’s just a bit of a rut that Matthews can get out of.But Toronto needs him to figure it out if the Maple Leafs are to reach the heights they want to reach.More news:Vandy, Miami urged to play 13th game in Hawaii as a CFP qualifierGiants need Jaxson Dart to learn a lesson from Drake MayeRajon Rondo’s son is getting buckets as an 8th grader on varsity4-star WR FatRat Brown just made a college commitment flipTom Brady’s niece is the No. 1 pick as a superstar in her sport’s draftGiannis Antetokounmpo’s social media changes point to a trade request