The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially placed their captain, Auston Matthews, on the injured reserve list due to an upper-body injury. This decision, retroactive to December 20, comes just hours before the Leafs are set to face off against the New York Islanders. According to a team spokesperson, the move is precautionary, as Matthews has not faced any setbacks. This action also allows the team to recall a player from their AHL affiliate.

Matthews has been dealing with this unspecified upper-body issue for a significant portion of the season. Before his injury, he had recorded 11 goals and 12 assists over 24 games. In addition to Matthews, the Maple Leafs announced that defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and forward Pontus Homberg will also be absent from the matchup against the Islanders due to illness. To fill the gap left by these absences, defenceman Marshall Rifai is being called up from the Leafs' AHL affiliate.