Auston Matthews

[ZBBM]

I think that this could be a discussion if the Leafs somehow drop from a top 6 or 7 team in the league to a bottom feeder. I don't think that's very likely with the talent that is on this team.

I also question what the "Dubas thing" is. What players has he held onto instead of trading at the deadline?

Definitely should have traded Tyson Barrie at the deadline in 2020. There were rumours the Leafs were shopping him and I'd argue the Leafs would have been a better team without his presence. Whatever asset they could have secured would have been better than letting him walk.

Obviously looking back, hindsight 20/20, yadda yadda...

And as Nik or somebody has been reminding us, getting nothing for JVR, Bozak, and I think one or two more.

 

[Guilt Trip]

I think that this could be a discussion if the Leafs somehow drop from a top 6 or 7 team in the league to a bottom feeder. I don't think that's very likely with the talent that is on this team.

I also question what the "Dubas thing" is. What players has he held onto instead of trading at the deadline?

Definitely should have traded Tyson Barrie at the deadline in 2020. There were rumours the Leafs were shopping him and I'd argue the Leafs would have been a better team without his presence. Whatever asset they could have secured would have been better than letting him walk.

Obviously looking back, hindsight 20/20, yadda yadda...

And as Nik or somebody has been reminding us, getting nothing for JVR, Bozak, and I think one or two more.

Those were on Lou..add in Uncle Leo

 

[rdowdall]

Since Matthews came into the league in 2016 up to around Jan 20th, he's 2nd in GWG, 5 behind McD in 38 less games and 1 ahead of Drai in 43 less games.

Matthews was 64 5v5 goals ahead of Drai,(43 less games), 33 ahead of McD (38 less games), 41 ahead of Ovi (32 less games).

Those are great stats as well.  I used the career stats because I think it points to a consistency in goal scoring that is pretty remarkable.  He started well, and he hasn't really ever fallen off.

One of the things that I have found interesting lately, is the way the narrative around Crosby and Ovechkin has changed.  When the two of them came into the league, they were both touted  as faces of the league, but I always thought that people put Crosby out in front of Ovechkin, mainly due to the cups that Crosby won.  Lately though I feel the narrative has shifted more towards Ovechkin being the better player, and it's probably because he is going to be the greatest goal scorer of all time.  Of course Sid will have great numbers and probably finish in the top 10, maybe top 5, of point getters in the history of the NHL.

Now lets fast forward 10 years, and lets say that Matthews is in striking distance of Ovechkin, with a chance to catch him and McDavid looks like he'll finish around 3rd all time in points, does that change the narrative on the two players?

 

[Guilt Trip]

Since Matthews came into the league in 2016 up to around Jan 20th, he's 2nd in GWG, 5 behind McD in 38 less games and 1 ahead of Drai in 43 less games.

Matthews was 64 5v5 goals ahead of Drai,(43 less games), 33 ahead of McD (38 less games), 41 ahead of Ovi (32 less games).

Those are great stats as well.  I used the career stats because I think it points to a consistency in goal scoring that is pretty remarkable.  He started well, and he hasn't really ever fallen off.

One of the things that I have found interesting lately, is the way the narrative around Crosby and Ovechkin has changed.  When the two of them came into the league, they were both touted  as faces of the league, but I always thought that people put Crosby out in front of Ovechkin, mainly due to the cups that Crosby won.  Lately though I feel the narrative has shifted more towards Ovechkin being the better player, and it's probably because he is going to be the greatest goal scorer of all time.  Of course Sid will have great numbers and probably finish in the top 10, maybe top 5, of point getters in the history of the NHL.

Now lets fast forward 10 years, and lets say that Matthews is in striking distance of Ovechkin, with a chance to catch him and McDavid looks like he'll finish around 3rd all time in points, does that change the narrative on the two players?

Disagree. Crosby was and still is ahead because he's just a better player. Nothing to do with cups for me. Despite playing 168 games less Crosby is 4pts ahead of Ovi. That's almost 2 seasons. Sid for me and it isn't close.

As for Matthews and McDavid. It probably  wont change because McD is so dominant on the offensive side of things so if he can keep this up...

 

[rdowdall]

Since Matthews came into the league in 2016 up to around Jan 20th, he's 2nd in GWG, 5 behind McD in 38 less games and 1 ahead of Drai in 43 less games.

Matthews was 64 5v5 goals ahead of Drai,(43 less games), 33 ahead of McD (38 less games), 41 ahead of Ovi (32 less games).

Those are great stats as well.  I used the career stats because I think it points to a consistency in goal scoring that is pretty remarkable.  He started well, and he hasn't really ever fallen off.

One of the things that I have found interesting lately, is the way the narrative around Crosby and Ovechkin has changed.  When the two of them came into the league, they were both touted  as faces of the league, but I always thought that people put Crosby out in front of Ovechkin, mainly due to the cups that Crosby won.  Lately though I feel the narrative has shifted more towards Ovechkin being the better player, and it's probably because he is going to be the greatest goal scorer of all time.  Of course Sid will have great numbers and probably finish in the top 10, maybe top 5, of point getters in the history of the NHL.

Now lets fast forward 10 years, and lets say that Matthews is in striking distance of Ovechkin, with a chance to catch him and McDavid looks like he'll finish around 3rd all time in points, does that change the narrative on the two players?

Disagree. Crosby was and still is ahead because he's just a better player. Nothing to do with cups for me. Despite playing 168 games less Crosby is 4pts ahead of Ovi. That's almost 2 seasons. Sid for me and it isn't close.

As for Matthews and McDavid. It probably  wont change because McD is so dominant on the offensive side of things so if he can keep this up...

That's fair,  I wasn't saying who was actually better in my mind.  I was talking more about the general narrative, which at the end of a career usually starts to revolve around what records you have accomplished, and in Crosby's case, it is harder for him to break records around points due to the crazy seasons that Gretzky put up, but Ovechkin has a very real possibility to become the leading goal scorer of all time.  He may become the first player to score 900 goals in a career, and while that might not move the needle for you, for the media, they want something to talk about, so they are going to talk about the guy that is close to scoring 900 goals, over the guy that will probably settle into the top 5 in scoring.  The more a player is talked about, the more they have to build up this player which moves the needle on how that player is perceived, rightly or wrongly.

For me, an interesting case is Jagr.  What would the narrative have been if he had gotten to 2000 points, and became only the second player ever to achieve that?  I think he would have been talked about more than he was, even though as it stands today he is the second leading point getter of all time.

I can see a scenario where if McDavid is chasing 2000 points at the end of the career, that is the main storyline that the NHL wants to run with when it comes to a Matthews-McDavid comparison, but if he isn't close, and Matthews is poised to eclipse 900 goals, I think that Matthews becomes the bigger headline.

 

[Arn]

I can see a scenario where if McDavid is chasing 2000 points at the end of the career, that is the main storyline that the NHL wants to run with when it comes to a Matthews-McDavid comparison, but if he isn't close, and Matthews is poised to eclipse 900 goals, I think that Matthews becomes the bigger headline.

What?s even better is when Matthew?s 900th goal as a Leaf is assisted by McDavid?s 2000th career point with the Leafs on a late power play.

 

[rdowdall]

I can see a scenario where if McDavid is chasing 2000 points at the end of the career, that is the main storyline that the NHL wants to run with when it comes to a Matthews-McDavid comparison, but if he isn't close, and Matthews is poised to eclipse 900 goals, I think that Matthews becomes the bigger headline.

What?s even better is when Matthew?s 900th goal as a Leaf is assisted by McDavid?s 2000th career point with the Leafs on a late power play.

In overtime against the Calgary Flames.  Gonna be awesome.

 

[Zee]

I can see a scenario where if McDavid is chasing 2000 points at the end of the career, that is the main storyline that the NHL wants to run with when it comes to a Matthews-McDavid comparison, but if he isn't close, and Matthews is poised to eclipse 900 goals, I think that Matthews becomes the bigger headline.

What?s even better is when Matthew?s 900th goal as a Leaf is assisted by McDavid?s 2000th career point with the Leafs on a late power play.

In overtime against the Calgary Flames.  Gonna be awesome.

In the same season where the Leafs are chasing their 6th straight Stanley Cup?

 

[rdowdall]

Matthews scored 60 goals last year in 73 games, and McDavid scored 60 in 72 games this year.  I read somewhere that McDavid looked at how Matthews and Pastrnak scored most of their goals and tried to work it into his repertoire.

 

[L K]

I can see a scenario where if McDavid is chasing 2000 points at the end of the career, that is the main storyline that the NHL wants to run with when it comes to a Matthews-McDavid comparison, but if he isn't close, and Matthews is poised to eclipse 900 goals, I think that Matthews becomes the bigger headline.

What?s even better is when Matthew?s 900th goal as a Leaf is assisted by McDavid?s 2000th career point with the Leafs on a late power play.

In overtime against the Calgary Flames.  Gonna be awesome.

You mean shorthanded then!