No question looms larger for Maple Leafs than Auston Matthews

With the Florida Panthers on-ice celebration still raging in full force, with the crushing end to another Toronto Maple Leafs playoff run having just been slammed on his shoulders, Auston Matthews could easily have sat slumped on the bench or looked skywards for answers. “Maybe I’ll keep the specifics between us, but I think he’s coming together as a leader,” said Woll, when asked about the exchange. No question looms larger for this franchise than the Matthews one. In a sombre Leafs dressing room following an epic series-deciding game Friday night, Matthews said he didn’t know what the immediate future held for the organization. The Leafs were extremely fortunate to win the NHL’s draft lottery in 2016 and have him around these last seven years.