The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be without Auston Matthews for Tuesday’s game against Ottawa, but NHL Insider Chris Johnston did give an idea of when he’s back.

As Toronto heads into Tuesday riding a three-game winning streak, they will be doing so again without captain Auston Matthews, who is still sidelined with an upper-body injury. Toronto would love to have him back sooner than later but it’s not imperative to rush him either.

As fans wait for when Matthews will touch the ice again, it’s a worry why Toronto has been so secretive regarding the extent of the injury or even exactly what it is beyond upper-body. All we know is it’s not his wrist, an issue that gave him trouble in the past.

We Now Have A Timeline…Sort Of

Now we may have a better understanding of a timeline as to when Auston Matthews is going to return. Per Maple Leafs Insider Chris Johnston on TSN’s Overdrive, Matthews is going back to work come the weekend:

“But, you know, we’ll kind of have to see where he’s at. I still don’t think it’s a long, long term thing. I do think very likely chance you see him on Saturday. But, you know, a bit of a surprise, I’d say today, it just seemed like he was trending towards coming back early this week.”

Toronto plays back-to-back games again this week against Ottawa on Tuesday then Washington on Wednesday. It would be foolish to rush Matthews back for Wednesday if he isn’t ready for Tuesday. If Toronto’s also riding more wins, they may not want him returning just yet either.

Matthews’ return will be a positive for Toronto no matter what, but they should act cautiously with their captain, not only to make sure he stays healthy but so the team can stay rolling. Their powerplay has exploded since his injury and messing with a good thing could have dire consequences.

It will be great to see Matthews on the ice again for Toronto, and it’s a special game too: He goes head-to-head against Connor McDavid, another generational player who has dealt with his injury struggles this season.