Craig Berube on the expectation of more goals from Auston Matthews: "It was an off year, and he wasn't a fully healthy player... He's healthy, looking good, and shooting the puck really well"

"It was an off year. There were things behind the scenes that we all sort of know about. He wasn't a fully healthy player, but he fought through it. I thought he played extremely well for what he was going through. He doesn't just score goals. He does a lot of things. He penalty kills. He goes up against top lines. He is a great defensive player. And there is his work ethic."

"Nothing different than what he has always been told. He is a good power-play player. He has been a good power play guy here for a long time. We went to five forwards last year, and it clicked. It worked, so we stuck with it. Now, it has changed. He is up top. He needs to establish his shot more than anything. Getting a shot from the top early in the power play does a lot of good."

Auston Matthews was not fully healthy last season but fought through it and is now healthy, looking good, and shooting the puck well. Matthews contributes beyond goals by penalty killing, facing top lines, playing strong defense, and showing notable work ethic. The team emphasizes winning through balanced contributions while still needing Matthews to score. Morgan Rielly will run the power play from the top, and he must establish his shot early to be a shooting threat rather than always distributing. Simon Benoit returns to the lineup. Morning skate lines and the goalie group (Stolarz, Hildeby, Reimer) were set as final roster decisions remain pending before camp ends.

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