Auston Matthews is now the official leader in the Maple Leafs locker room, and one player that's been there before has now opened up on the new captain. The Toronto Maple Leafs have shown so much promise in recent years, but in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they've just struggled to get it done, with the need for change becoming very clear. That has happened in several ways this summer, with Craig Berube taking over as Head Coach, and now, Auston Matthews becoming the captain after John Tavares stunningly stepped aside. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1823737479624843367'> </a></blockquote></div> Now, several different voices have shared their opinion on the situation, with former captain Rick Vaive being the latest, offering nothing but support for Matthews in the new role. <q>«I think when you look at the entirety of everything, this was inevitable that it was going to happen,» the former Leafs captain told TSN 1050's First Up on Thursday. «He leads by example on the ice and you can't argue with what he's done of the years.»</q> However, given that John Tavares remains a key part of this roster, Vaive predicts that very little will change, despite Matthews needing to become a more vocal leader for this incredibly talented group on and off the ice. <q>«I don't think it really changes that much,» said Vaive. «A lot more is going to be expected out of Matthews with the leadership role but Tavares is still there and he's still going to be one of the main leaders. Matthews may have to be a little more vocal in the room than before but it's the same leadership group.»</q> There's absolutely no doubting that Matthews is one of the NHL's most talented and best current players, but now comes another huge challenge for his career, and if he can step up and be the leader that Vaive and many others expect, it could mean big things for this team when the playoffs roll around. Source: Hockey Feed <a href='https://www.hockeyfeed.com/nhl-news/ex-leafs-captain-gets-honest-about-auston-matthews?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3oHipd-Vmkfmu0MuKmO1Hf6npg2qfmOH4Lw33txdj1v0V-WrItZEsuizE_aem_7qHZr1j_H3ksdESUtJ5U_A' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'> Ex-Leafs captain gets honest about Auston Matthews</a>