The Toronto Maple Leafs needed to see something from Auston Matthews on Wednesday night, and, well, they got it.
Matthews looked like the player Toronto expects him to be in the Maple Leafs’ final preseason game, recording a goal and two assists as the Leafs dominated the Ottawa Senators 6-1 at Scotiabank Arena.
The numbers are certainly nice.
But they’re not the whole enchilada.
Matthews looked dangerous every time he touched the puck. He was involved. He was creating. Most importantly, he was driving play instead of simply waiting for opportunities to come to him. And that goal, boy, that took everyone back to the good old days.
And that might have been the most encouraging part of the entire night.
Auston Matthews Looked Like a Superstar Again
There was a point last season when it became difficult to recognize Matthews.
After years of being one of the NHL’s most dangerous goal scorers, he finished 2025-26 with just 27 goals and 53 points in 60 games.
That wasn’t just a down year.
It was the lowest-scoring full season of his career.
So, understandably, there has been plenty of attention on how Matthews would look heading into this season.
His first preseason appearance against Montreal wasn’t exactly overwhelming. In fact, Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller admitted before Wednesday’s game that he wanted to see more from Matthews’ line.
Hiller specifically noted that Matthews had been dangerous off the rush but said the line needed to create more offensive-zone time.
Well, it did exactly that against Ottawa.
Auston Matthews wasn’t simply finishing plays. He was helping create them.
He finished the night with three points, including two assists, before scoring a beautiful goal in the third period. Matthews took a pass from the left side and snapped the puck bar down to the far side to make it 6-1.
That is the kind of goal that reminds everyone why Matthews remains the most important player on this roster.
The Maple Leafs Needed This Before Opening Night
There is another reason Matthews’ performance matters.
Toronto has spent the offseason trying to build something different around its stars.
The Leafs added Jack Roslovic to Matthews’ line alongside Matthew Knies, while Gavin McKenna, John Tavares and William Nylander formed an intriguing second unit.
Suddenly, there are legitimate questions about how dangerous this forward group could be.
Roslovic had three points of his own against Ottawa. Tavares also finished with three points. Nylander added an assist, while McKenna picked up his first preseason point.
But Auston Matthews remains the engine.
If he is once again driving play at this level, the Maple Leafs become a completely different team.
That’s particularly important after Toronto finished last season outside the playoffs and underwent a significant roster overhaul.
Nobody should be pretending one preseason game guarantees anything. It doesn’t.
But this was exactly what the Maple Leafs wanted to see.
The Leafs wanted Auston Matthews looking dangerous. They wanted the top six creating offense. And they wanted the new pieces to start looking comfortable around their established stars.
They got all three.
And Matthews may have been the biggest reason why.
The regular season doesn’t begin until September 29, when Toronto hosts Montreal.
Yes, there is still plenty to figure out.
But if this is what Auston Matthews looks like when the games start counting, the Maple Leafs suddenly have a much more interesting ceiling than they did a few days ago.
Auston Matthews Just Gave Maple Leafs Something Exciting