Auston Matthews carries more weight on his shoulders this season than any other Maple Leafs player, and everyone in Toronto knows it.
The captain posted just 53 points in 60 games last season, his lowest full output in years, before a knee injury ended things early.
Radko Gudas' hit tore his MCL and required a 12-week recovery, and the lack of any immediate response from Toronto only added fuel to the fire.
"This was a tough year. It was a frustrating year. We didn't meet the goals or expectations we set out," Matthews said at locker cleanout in April.
He didn't stop there. "Ultimately, that's on me. That's on us as players. We didn't do that well enough this year."
Toronto finished 32-36-14 last season, 28th overall, closing on a seven-game losing streak that summed up the whole campaign.
Matthews still carries a $13,250,000 cap hit, the largest number on Toronto's books, and that number only raises the stakes further.
Chayka's message on Matthews' captaincy and commitment
GM John Chayka pushed back on any trade speculation surrounding his captain.
"We've had several conversations with him and his representatives, and what I saw was a happy captain," Chayka said. "Someone who wants to win in Toronto."
The supporting cast looks different now too. William Nylander posted 79 points in 65 games, and John Tavares added 71 points of his own last season.
Matthew Knies chipped in 66 points, and rookie addition Gavin McKenna is expected to fill some of the playmaking void left behind in Toronto's forward group.
Darren Raddysh brings another element from the back end after posting 70 points in 73 games, a number that should help ease pressure up front.
Nobody's asking Matthews for 60 goals again. But anything under 50 this season gets labeled a failure, fair or not.
He's the reigning Olympic gold medalist and still just 28 years old. Whether that knee and that pride translate into a bounce-back campaign is the whole story of this Leafs season.
Will Auston Matthews score 50 or more goals this season?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Maple Leafs' trade is backfiring and fans are furious
