Toronto has never been a city short on opinions, especially when it comes to its hockey heroes. For Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, the spotlight has never burned brighter—or harsher.

After a season riddled with injuries and relentless scrutiny from analysts, Matthews finds himself at the center of a media storm, with critics questioning not only his health and performance but his very ability to lead.

TSN’s OverDrive panel, NHL Network rankings, and outspoken voices like Dave Feschuk have all fueled a narrative of doubt, casting shadows over Matthews’ reputation after what many consider an underwhelming year.

But behind the scenes, something is brewing. Matthews isn’t just hearing the noise—he’s ready to answer it in a way that could redefine his legacy. With a reshuffled roster, new coaching philosophies under Craig Berube, and the pressure of carrying Toronto’s hopes on his shoulders, the stakes have never been higher.

Will Matthews rise above the skepticism and ignite a new era for the Maple Leafs, or is the weight of expectation too much for even a superstar to bear? The answer might surprise you, and the journey promises to be anything but predictable. Dive deeper to see how one season could change everything for Auston Matthews.

Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is ready to silence his doubters after some serious disrespect that continued with TSN’s OverDrive Panel; mainly Dave Feschuk.

With a lot of debate already this season over whether or not Auston Matthews is a) going to be healthy and b) come back to form after a tough year that saw him score only 33 goals and deal with multiple injuries.

He’s without his right-hand man now and with a brand new looking roster, there are going to be some growing pains.

How Media Doubt Could Fuel Matthews’ Best Season Yet

Some controversy was sparked recently when the NHL Network placed Matthews 7th on their Top-20 Centers list, with analyst Mike Rupp actually preferring a healthy Jack Hughes over the Leafs captain.

It was a bit of an egregious statement that seemed to undermine Matthews after one bad season, though it continued on with TSN’s Overdrive panel.

Speaking on Matthews’ ranking on the NHL Network’s list, host Dave Feschuk was asked if he agrees with the placement, and proceeded to put the Maple Leafs leader on blast:

Sometimes he gives you the idea he isn’t concerned or he’ll do his thing. But his things being 33 goals, and only four gaols in 18 playoff games; that’s why he is 7th.

You look at the other guys ahead of him; they all won Cups and while McDavid and Draisaitl haven’t they can produce in the playoffs.

Why would Matthews be grouped with them when a team he captained didn’t show up for Game 4, 5 or 7? To me it makes sense why, but it would be great to see him take it personally, but he never seems to take anything personally.

It seems that the main caveat of Matthews’ career is that while as good as he is, the Stanley Cup has eluded him and being in Toronto is offering him no favors. The other players certainly have more playoff accomplishments, and McDavid and Draisaitl are inevitable.

Auston isn’t deaf, nor is he dumb. He hears the chatter around the league, and knowing how good he is, it should spark him to come out of the gates flying, which in turn should benefit guys like Max Domi and Matias Maccelli.

There also seems to be an issue with Matthews’ attitude as captain, where a lack of fire might lead to some believing he’s a bit too cool under the collar and can’t spark the team when needed.

Why the Maple Leafs Need Matthews to Deliver More Than Ever

But he’s a captain who leads by example, and he dealt with a lot of injury issues last year, with mounting pressure to be a star for the USA in the 4 Nations, lead the Maple Leafs to a Cup; and do it knowing Mitch Marner was likely gone.

That’s a lot of pressure to put on a player in his first season as captain, and he’s at least a better defensive forward than the majority of the players placed above him. However, Feschuk also noted that’s a bit issue as well:

There are guys who dominate and say ‘Not tonight. This is my game, we are winning, and I am going to do it.’ They need to dominate every shift at both ends of the ice, and right now we haven’t really seen any of that from Matthews.

Well, considering the fact that he had Sheldon Keefe as his head coach the majority of his career, there was less of a focus on him playing a complete game and more so just being that insane scoring threat.

But playing under Craig Berube is a different beast, and we already saw strides in both his defense and playmaking last season with his new coach. A healthy Matthews plus a full season under Berube again can only benefit his two-way game, which in turn should end up earning him some more respect.

They need him to not only be as good offensively as he has ever been (though 69 goals is a bit of a stretch) and he’ll need to add a bit more playmaking to his arsenal to hopefully make up for losing Marner.

He’s their leader, and he leads by example. When he gets going, so does the rest of the team. This is his second season as captain and there were growing pains last season.

In 2025-26 however, look for Matthews to start strong, finish strong, and prove all of his naysayers wrong.