An NHL analyst doesn't believe Leafs' Auston Matthews is fully healthy based on his recent play, and he provides clarification on how he feels this will play out. On Sportsnet 590 'The FAN,' Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne welcomed in Leafs writer Joshua Kloke from 'The Athletic' onto 'Real Kyper and Bourne' as they discussed Auston <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/toronto-maple-leafs/maple-leafs-auston-matthews-is-officially-back-we-now-know-the-line-he-will-play-on' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Matthews since returning from injury</a>. Auston Matthews was sidelined for most of November after an upper-body injury he sustained against the <a href='https://www.nhl.com/lightning/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Tampa Bay Lightning</a> on November 3rd <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/toronto-maple-leafs/brad-treliving-clarifies-everything-behind-all-the-secrecy-of-leafs-auston-matthews-injury' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>sent him to Germany for treatment</a>. <a href='https://torontosun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/woll-shines-while-maple-leafs-third-line-domi-nates-in-win-over-stars' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>During one of the periods against the Stars</a>, Joshua Kloke said he thinks Matthews may be slow because injury issues are lingering on his mind. I wonder if there's something nagging him like an injury. He looked like he was slower than normal last night. I mean, the backcheck on the one goal, doesn't that get other players benched for a few shifts. Doesn't that effort get a fourth liner stapled to the bench for the rest of the period? - Joshua Kloke <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/FAN590/status/1869864569868320782'> </a></blockquote></div> The Leafs' captain just isn't the same superstar returning and indeed is a half-step behind where he customarily operates. One such was when Dallas Stars forward Sam Steel had a goal and Matthews was unable to keep up with Sam Steel's speed but also to stop him from scoring. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/DLLS_Stars/status/1869910594251547044'> </a></blockquote></div> Sometimes the right answer is the easiest, it just looks like he's carrying a little something, some kind of injury or some kind of ache. - Joshua Kloke <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1869546465216852031'> </a></blockquote></div> The signs all point to him having something to deal with underneath the surface, Kloke said. Again, 10 goals and 22 points in 23 games isn't awful by any measure of the thing, it just is not amazing for an elite-level player like <a href='https://www.nhl.com/mapleleafs/player/auston-matthews-8479318' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Matthews</a>. Matthews has done at least a point-per-game pace every season since his rookie year, so that probably is one of the reasons that this kind of output looks a little underwhelming. There's been no official word yet whether he will miss more time. For a player of Matthews' caliber, being good simply does not cut it. The source of this must be found so that he may take it back to his superhuman level.