More signs of back trouble for Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews.

Ever since putting up 69 goals during the 2023-24 NHL regular season, Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Auston Matthews has seemingly lost a step in his game. There's been plenty of speculation as to why that might be but most seem to believe that a lingering back injury is at the root of the problem for Matthews, although the Maple Leafs have never officially confirmed that.

In some ways the Maple Leafs got a blessing in disguise when they missed the Stanley Cup playoffs this season, not only because they landed first overall pick Gavin McKenna, but also due to the fact that a long summer layoff should in theory give Matthews time to fully recover.

It seems Matthews is doing his best in that department with a recent social media post featuring the Maple Leafs superstar gaining a good bit of traction online. That post comes from chiropractor Shawn Robek on Instagram and would appear to indicate that Matthews' back does in fact continue to be a lingering issue for the Maple Leafs captain. Although the post itself made no direct mention of back issues for Matthews, Robek's tagline on his Instagram account is "Healing Back Pain." which is kind of a dead giveaway.

From Robek:

One of the best parts of surviving the 115-degree Scottsdale heat is getting to work with this guy during the summer. Auston always brings a smile, works hard, and is an absolute pleasure to have in the office.

Wishing you an incredible 2026–27 season, Auston!

You can see his original post and the accompanying photo just below: