Overview

• Speaking before the Hockey Night in Brampton charity game, Matthews said the team will miss Mitch Marner, calling the move the tough business side of hockey.
• He reiterated he expects to be fully healthy for 2025-26 after an injury-affected year that limited him to 33 goals in 67 games.
• Matthews voiced optimism about the roster changes, citing depth additions Matias Maccelli, Nic Roy, Dakota Joshua and Michael Pezzetta, with John Tavares locked in on a new deal.
• With Marner gone, top-line roles remain unsettled; Matthews praised Matthew Knies, who earned a USA Hockey Olympic orientation invite and is expected to take a larger role.
• External chatter continues around Toronto’s direction, as analyst Spencer Lazary predicted a 60-plus goal rebound for Matthews and ex-Leaf Jay Rosehill questioned the likelihood of a splash trade for Erik Karlsson.