Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews took part in practice as a full participant on Tuesday morning.
It was the 27-year-old’s first full skate since he left the lineup with an upper-body injury on Nov. 3 against the Minnesota Wild.
After Tuesday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube told reporters there are “a lot of signs pointing in the right direction” for Matthews’ return, but was non-committal as to when that will be.
The superstar centre, who sat the past eight games, recently returned from Germany where he received consultation for his injury.
Once back in North America, Matthews participated in an optional morning skate before Toronto defeated the Utah Hockey Club 3-2 on Sunday.
“[It] was a good day to get back on the ice,” Matthews said at the time. “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.”
Matthews, who last played in Toronto’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Wild, has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 13 games this season. The Maple Leafs have gone 7-1-0 without the forward in the lineup.
Next up, Toronto visits the Florida Panthers on Wednesday, with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
