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Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews Struggling in Playoffs Yet Again

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Rupert McDonald | Last updated May 14, 2025 1:50 PM ET

Once again, Auston Matthews is struggling in the playoffs. The 27-year-old is one of the best goal scorers the NHL has ever seen, and arguably the best pure goal scorer in the league. That is, at least in the regular season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are having their most successful playoff run in recent history, with their Second-Round series against the Florida Panthers tied at two games apiece. Those two second-round wins are the furthest the Maple Leafs have gone in the Matthews era, and they are in a position to move on to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2002. However, they need their best player to be their best player.

Matthews Struggling to Put Pucks in the Net

Matthews provides far more than goal scoring. He makes life difficult for his opponents by using his large frame, which helps open up space for his linemates. He’s also an exceptional defensive player, which is often not the case for elite offensive stars. It’s not his effort that’s lacking from his game. He is doing what he can to help the Maple Leafs win. That said, his impact is nothing remotely close to what should be coming from a player carrying a $13.25 million cap hit. Granted, his salary doesn’t make a difference in the postseason, but it has prevented the Maple Leafs from adding other pieces might help them get over the hump.

Through 10 playoff games, Matthews has found the back of the net just twice. He has eight assists to put himself at a point-per-game pace, but at the end of the day, the American-born centreman is paid to put the puck in the net, and yet again, he’s failing to do so when his team needs him most.

The lack of playoff production is nothing new for Matthews, and it’s one of the main reasons the Maple Leafs continue to exit the playoffs early despite their regular-season success. Through 65 postseason games, Matthews has 25 goals. Those are decent numbers, but not for a player of his calibre. In his playoff career, Matthews is averaging 0.38 goals per game. Meanwhile, he’s scored 401 goals in 629 regular-season games, translating to 0.64 goals per game.

The good news is that Matthews’ teammates have stepped up and carried their weight in this year’s playoffs. William Nylander has done the heavy-lifting up front with 15 points through 10 games, while the 22-year-old Matthew Knies has five goals. Matthews’ offence has been noticeably absent, however, further perpetuating the narrative that he struggles under the playoff spotlight.

Maple Leafs Can’t Win Without Matthews

The Maple Leafs simply cannot win a Stanley Cup without Matthews playing at his best. As with any team, their star players need to be their star players when the stakes are at their highest, and Matthews hasn’t been that. While there have been whispers regarding a potential injury, few players are fully healthy at this time of the year. If this were an outlier, Matthews would likely be given a pass, but his lack of playoff production has been a trend throughout his NHL career.

To be considered amongst the league’s greatest, like Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, Nikita Kucherov, and even still Sidney Crosby, Matthews needs to prove he can deliver on the big stage. When he does, he will be considered one of the truly elite players in the NHL. As long as these struggles continue, however, he can’t be mentioned alongside those who elevate their game in the playoffs.