After Tuesday’s practice, GM Brad Treliving discussed Auston Matthews’ trip to Germany for treatment, the call-up of Fraser Minten, the situation at center ice with David Kampf out for Wednesday’s game, and Mitch Marner’s play during Matthews’ absence.
Do you have an update on Auston Matthews?
Treliving: We haven’t been trying to be cryptic with all of this stuff. We have been calling him day-to-day because that is what he has been. We have looked at the schedule and what we are trying to do is use this week to hopefully get this thing behind him. As part of that, he and our doctor, Noah Forman, went over to see a doctor he has used in the past — more as a general checkup, but also to get some work done on his thing.
It is not alarming. It is something we have been discussing, knowing that he is going to be getting time this week. We are hopeful that once we get through the week here, we will be back up and skating. His return to play would be after that.
There is nothing new. There have been no setbacks. Everything is going quite well. We are just trying to use the days we have here with fewer games being played to try to get this behind us.
Has he been training off the ice?
Treliving: Yeah, he has been doing off-ice stuff.
How is Auston doing as he sits out and waits to get back?
Treliving: He is doing well. We have the long game in mind here. He is doing all of his workouts and all of that stuff. He wants to play. That is what he does, right? But he will be back, hopefully, in the not too distant future.
Can you tell us about the nature of the injury? Is it upper body?
Treliving: I am protective of our players. We want to share as much as we can, but we are not going to do anything that is going to put the player in jeopardy. There is no surgery. There isn’t any speculation like that.
I think we are in a good spot here to get beyond it. We are going to use this time to get this behind us.
Do you have a target for the return date?
Treliving: W’ere kind of looking… We play Sunday, so it is it that? Maybe. Maybe not. We go after Florida after that, so that is where I feel more comfortable. Maybe Sunday, but it will probably be after that.
With Matthews out and now Kampf out, are you concerned at all about being thin down the middle?
Treliving: Well, thin down the middle, but we have a lot of guys who can play center. If you look at it now, we have a lot of centers out, but we have guys — Dewar and Lorentz — who can play. We brought Minten up.
David is going to miss Wednesday’s game. We will see how he is, but he might be an option for Sunday.
I think we have a lot of guys who can play the position. We are lucky. Max has jumped in there for a while. We are going to see Fraser.
No one is going to feel sorry for you in the league. Injuries are a part of the NHL. If you can’t sustain them, you are probably not going to have a lot of success. I like how the guys have rallied around them. We have been able to put some points on the board.
What do you think of Mitch Marner’s elevation of his play in Matthews’ absence? He’s scored four goals in his last five games. What sort of potential for growth do you see from him as a goal scorer?
Treliving: As I have said, Mitch is a star in the league. He is a special, special player. You can do it all. You are seeing it right now. In a lot of ways, he is putting the team on his back.
There are not too many guys who can do it on both sides of the puck. He can check. You saw the play in overtime that he made. Two pretty good players coming down on a 2-on-1, and the best move was to close your eyes and pray. He made a great play, and he finished it off. It shows what he can do. Special player.
With all of the injuries at forward, how active are you in the trade market? We saw Lars Eller move. Are those discussions happening?
Treliving: Are you asking if I am making trade calls? I am probably not going to share that. We have a chance also to see what kind of depth we have here. Fraser gets an opportunity. Steeves is up and is going to get an opportunity. There are some other guys down with the Marlies, who are off to a good start. This is where your organization depth gets tested.
We like that we have depth. I’ll repeat that. Some people think it is not a good thing, but we think it is good. We like that we have depth. It is showing. You always have conversations and all of the rest of it, but it gives other people an opportunity to see what we have in the organization.
What stands out to you about Minten’s potential?
Treliving: To be perfectly honest with you, I would’ve preferred to leave him down there for longer just to stabilize. You have to be careful, especially with young guys, about bumping them up and down. He is coming off of the injury. But he has had a great start.
He is a smart, smart player. What jumps out is his hockey IQ. He talks on the bench like a coach. You see that even in the start that he has had with the Marlies. He is really intelligent, sees the ice, and knows the game.
It is a tough injury to get over, and he missed a lot of time. He is off to a great start down there, so we will give him a look-see here. We think he has a great future in front of him.
