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Toronto Maple Leafs: Time to Take the Training Wheels Off Auston Matthews

The pressure, the fishbowl atmosphere, and the trappings of fame and fortune are a lot for an 18 year old to handle. If you keep that in mind, it makes sense that the Toronto Maple Leafs have done their best to bring Auston Matthews along slowly.

Slowly, you say? Yes. For example, Matthews ice time has always been limited compared to other players of his skill level, the Maple Leafs have not named him captain despite it being common practice in the NHL to name similar players the captain of their teams, and the Leafs signed John Tavares and essentially made Matthews a second line player.