TORONTO -- Auston Matthews skated prior to practice Saturday and did not rule out returning from an upper-body injury for the Toronto Maple Leafs this coming week.
The center, who has missed the past eight games, recently returned from a five-day trip to Germany for consultation on his injury.
The Maple Leafs defeated the Utah Hockey Club 3-2 on Sunday and will play at the Florida Panthers on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, SNW, SNO, SN1). Matthews participated in an optional morning skate before the Utah game.
"Today was a good day to get back on the ice," he said Saturday. "It's been probably over a week since I've been on the ice, so we will take day to day, continue to try to progress in the ice and see how this week looks and feels. Obviously, I want to get out there. Tomorrow [is] not realistic but Wednesday [is] possible, but we will just see how the week goes."
Matthews, who has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 13 games this season, last played Nov. 3, a 2-1 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild. Toronto has gone 7-1-0 without him in the lineup.
"It was great," Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said of having Matthews back on the ice. "He's feeling a lot better, which is good. He skated today and he will probably get on the ice again tomorrow."
After his recovery was not progressing as hoped, he and the team decided he should travel to Germany to visit the doctor, who Matthews and other Maple Leafs players have consulted in the past, for further consultation.
"I just wanted to be proactive about it, not that it was getting worse, it just didn't feel like I was progressing like I needed to or wanted to," Matthews said. "I think the team and I just tried to collaborate and their support obviously meant a lot to get that done and go on the trip and just be proactive about the whole situation."
Matthews declined to offer any specifics about the nature of it apart from it being an upper-body injury, although Berube previously said it was not related to a wrist injury that led to Matthews having surgery to correct the issue after the 2020-21 season.
"It kind of flared up a little bit in preseason and then it felt better and then it was just kind of getting worse, so I thought it was time to kind of take a step back and kind of re-evaluate it and take it day by day," Matthews said. "It hadn't necessarily gotten worse but it wasn't really getting better, so I wanted to be proactive."
The Maple Leafs captain said he is "night-and-day" different from where he was initially, and is confident the injury is behind him.
"I'm feeling a lot better," Matthews said. "It's good to be back and see the guys. I think that was the toughest about being away and being hurt was not being around the team as much. … I'm feeling a lot better now and we're just going to continue to progress over the next couple of days and see where we are at."
When Toronto general manager Brad Treliving first announced Tuesday that Matthews had traveled to Germany for consultation, speculation was that it was a for a more serious injury.
However, the team said there was no cause for concern and that it was a day-to-day issue.
"I mean, I'm not sure it's so different but in this market, it gets a little bit blown out of proportion," Matthews said. "I think you see it in the NHL as well as other leagues that maybe seek second opinions or go seek advice from other areas outside the team, and it was very supportive from the team here and everything went smoothly from that point of view."
Matthews led the League with a career-high 69 goals last season and has scored at least 40 goals in each of the past five seasons. Since entering the NHL in the 2016-17 season, he leads the NHL with 373 goals, 30 more than Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, who is second.
"It was great to see him back skating and I asked him, he's feeling good," forward William Nylander said. "We're missing him a lot out there and the leadership he brings and everything he can do on the ice."
Toronto has won four games in a row. It is 42-20-2 all-time without Matthews in the lineup since he entered the League.
"Just guys stepping up and playing some good teams along the way as well," Matthews said. "I think that's the sign of a great team. Even the other night against Vegas, six forwards out of the lineup and having to call guys up, guys were stepping in and making an impact and the leaders on our team have been stepping up, too, so it's been great to see."
