Maple Leafs face new Auston Matthews concern as ESPN analyst raises questions about lingering effects from his knee injury

Auston Matthews is heading into a pivotal season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and now there's a new wrinkle to watch. ESPN analyst Ray Ferraro used his own injury history to raise doubts about whether Matthews has fully bounced back from his knee troubles. Speaking on TSN's OverDrive alongside Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan, Ferraro didn't hold back. The conversation also touched on Matthews' next contract, with Hayes and Ferraro landing in very different places on what the star center is worth right now.What did Ray Ferraro say about Auston Matthews' health?Ferraro drew from personal experience when talking about Matthews. He recalled his own knee surgeries and how camp-ready confidence sometimes gave way to reality once the games actually started counting. "I know you guys have had injuries that have lingered from one year to the next. And oftentimes it takes you a while; even though you feel pretty good, you're like, you're just not quite right for a while," he said.He wasn't done there. Ferraro added a more personal layer, drawing directly from what he went through during his playing days. "And I don't know if that's the case. You know, I just know with the knee trouble that I had and the surgeries I had, I always felt like I was ready to go, and then in September, October, I'm like, wow, I don't quite feel like I think I should feel. And maybe there'll be some of that too."That's a fair warning for Leafs fans hoping Matthews looks like his old self from day one. Ferraro went further, noting the overall uncertainty surrounding the franchise. "I would say there are more unknowns around the Leafs than there have been in quite some time," he said, and that comment alone says a lot about where things stand in Toronto right now.How does Auston Matthews' health tie into his next contract?Money entered the discussion too. Hayes argued that fifteen million might actually undersell Matthews if he puts together a strong 2026-27 campaign. Ferraro pushed back, pointing out that kind of money would come easily elsewhere "for fun," given Matthews' pedigree. Still, Hayes raised a sharper question: after two down years and major surgery, does a third disappointing season mean his prime has already passed? Ferraro wasn't ready to go that far, but he didn't dismiss the contractual stakes either.None of this settles anything before puck drop. But it does frame the season ahead differently. Every shift Matthews takes early on will now be watched a little closer, not just for production, but for signs of how his body is actually holding up.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.