TORONTO -- Auston Matthews participated in his first full practice with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday and could return from an upper-body injury when they visit the Florida Panthers on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, SNW, SNO, SN1).

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been without their superstar captain Auston Matthews for nearly a month thanks to a lengthy upper-body injury. Despite being fully

Matthews will miss his ninth straight game with a mysterious injury, but Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said "he's feeling good."

Whenever he does return, though, the Maple Leafs are counting on Matthews to pick up from where he left off. The San Ramon, California native amassed five goals and six assists in 13 games before disaster struck and leads the NHL with 373 career goals since making his debut nine years ago.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will not have Auston Matthews in the lineup for a powerhouse divisional clash with the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been winning without Auston Matthews in the lineup. He is now returning. What does the team do?

Defeating the defending Stanley Cup Champions won't be easy, which is why Maple Leafs fans are hoping that Matthews will be healthy enough to face the Panthers. The Toronto captain has been sidelined with an upper-body injury since Nov. 3, however, Tuesday's return to practice sparked optimism regarding his outlook.

Matthews flew to Munich, Germany to get treatment for his upper-body injury and returned to skating on Saturday.

Auston Matthews is a key player for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and while his absence has been noticeable, his return to the NHL is drawing closer.

When you’ve waited nearly all of November to get better and missed eight games, another few days won’t matter. By early Wednesday, it was clear Auston Matthews was not going to jump back into the Maple Leafs’ lineup for the evening game against the Florida Panthers with just one full practice under his belt.