Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs faces criticism over his decline in performance this season. NHL insider Mike Kelly attributes it to fatigue or potential injury. Despite Matthews scoring significantly fewer goals than in prior seasons,

"Both are (were) centers," said Maple Leafs historian Kevin Shea, "and both are (were) big, athletic men who played the game with a skill that elevated them to the upper reaches of the NHL during their respective eras."

A weekly gauge of the players who are controlling substantial buzz around the league. When a player is included on this list it may not be a good thing -- it means that they are capturing a large amount of the hockey world's attention.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to face the Florida Panthers on Tuesday in what will be a battle for first place in the Atlantic Division.

NHL insiders James Mirtle and Jonas Siegel of The Athletic has linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs to signing Auston Matthews' hero.

Auston Matthews set an extraordinary benchmark last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, scoring 69 goals to capture his third Rocket Richard Trophy in four years. This season, however, his offensive numbers have dipped noticeably; Matthews has tallied just 29 goals through 59 games.

NHL insider Darren Dreger praised Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews' performance during the team's back-to-back games this weekend.