TORONTO (AP) Auston Matthews will miss the Toronto Maple Leafs' game Saturday night against Boston because of a shoulder injury.
''He's day-to-day,'' Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said after practice Friday. ''He'll get looked at more today, and then we'll know more about the day-to-day tomorrow.''
The star forward had an MRI on Friday morning and a clearer indication of the severity of the injury is expected Saturday.
One shift after scoring his 28th goal of the season Thursday night in a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders, Matthews left the game following a hit in which he was sandwiched by defenseman Adam Pelech and forward Ryan Clutterbuck.
Matthews has 28 goals and 22 points in 53 games this season. His departure from the lineup will result in a shifting of lines.
William Nylander will move from the wing to center to fill Matthews' spot. Connor Brown will be elevated to play on the right wing to fill Nylander's spot on the team's top line.
Matthews missed 10 games this season due to injury. On Nov. 8, he missed four games with an upper-body ailment. On Dec. 9, Matthews collided with teammate Morgan Rielly in a game against Pittsburgh. He missed the next six games due to a concussion.
Either Josh Leivo or Matt Martin will enter the lineup for Toronto on Saturday. Leivo has been a healthy scratch for 23 consecutive games. He last played a game on Dec. 31 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Leivo has also been the topic of trade speculation as Monday's NHL trade deadline approaches.
