Something wasn’t quite right with Auston Matthews two seasons ago.

From the earliest days of the 2022-23 campaign, Matthews didn’t look like his dominant self, not like the guy who had captured the first Hart Trophy by a Toronto Maple Leaf in almost 70 years with a remarkable 60-goal season.

Matthews later revealled to me that he had been playing through an injury to his hand, among other apparent bumps and bruises which had dogged him from the start of the season.

Things feel eerily similar with Matthews right now.

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