from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun,

Take Mike Babcock’s word that Auston Matthews is really on this three-game trip with the Maple Leafs.

But the head coach is not saying much else about the absent Matthews, his suspected head injury and when he might play again.

The leading scorer wasn’t available here Tuesday against the Flyers, the second game he’s missed after a collision with teammate Morgan Rielly on Saturday in Pittsburgh.

Babcock, the only coach in the organization allowed to talk about Matthews’ condition, danced around the sensitive topic Tuesday morning when asked if Matthews will make it back Thursday in Minnesota or Friday in Detroit.

“I think he’s playing (soon), he’s day-to-day,” Babcock began. “So I think he’s playing every day. Day-to-day is normally 10 days (often the case when the team medical staff overrules the coach’s enthusiasm for fast-tracking injuries), but we’ll go day-to-day.

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Below, watch Elliotte Friedman say no with a clip of the collision Matthews had...