Auston Matthews Leads Top Line Against Islanders Rookie Victor Eklund

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews faced off against Islanders rookie Victor Eklund as Toronto secured a 2-1 season-opening victory on Sept. 30, 2026. Leafs coach Jim Hiller matched his top line featuring Matthews, Kirill Marchenko, and Jack Roslovic directly against Eklund's line in the hard-fought contest, putting the rookie straight into the fire during the opening night matchup.