Auston Matthews says that Jacob Trouba was just doing his job.

The Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston met the media on Monday for the first time after the team announced that he would be out of action for at least a month with a shoulder injury incurred in Saturday night's 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets following a hit from the defenceman.

"He took the body," Matthews said of Trouba, "which is what you're supposed to do and caught me on a weird angle."

This marks significant shoulder injuries for the 21-year-old in successive seasons. Matthews missed 20 games a season ago with an injury to the other shoulder. Because of that, Matthews knows what's ahead of him on the road to recovery.

"It's a challenger, I think, just because you want to be out there so bad," Matthews said of his impending time away from the team. "It sucks. I think watching the game is probably the worst part."

If there is a silver lining for Matthews, it's that his injury will not require surgery, which would have likely increased the recovery time.

The Leafs play 15 times before December 1, Matthews' projected return date. Currently leading the Atlantic Division, the Leafs host the Calgary Flames on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena.