That was the latest from Leafs' coach Craig Berube on Monday when questioned about the status of his team's captain, who hasn't played since Nov. 3. Matthews clocked over 22 minutes that night in Toronto's overtime loss to Minnesota before being put on the shelf with an ailment he began dealing with in the preseason.

As important as Matthews is to his team's success, the Maple Leafs have survived life without him. Berube's club owns a 5-1-0 record across his six-game absence heading into Wednesday's showdown with the Golden Knights.

The Maple Leafs have been without captain Auston Matthews for the past six games. But Toronto's other star players have taken pressure off Matthews to return to action.