Are the Leafs a better TEAM without Matthews?

[34]

Toronto is a better team with Matthews in the lineup obviously, but I do think that this will be his lowest goal scoring season since he entered the NHL. There is definitely something missing from this guy for sure.

 

[Welsh Maple Leaf]

Much better team without our best player.

Moronic.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Unless you replace him with McDavid, it's pretty obvious the team is better with him.

But I think it's also pretty obvious that the team plays better when he and Marner are separated.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Much better team without our best player.

Moronic.

Is this guy worth 13M?

 

[Racer88]

Depends on what you get back in a trade for him.

If you think removing Matthews from the team is addition by subtraction you're wrong. This isn't Jacob Trouba we're talking about. Despite their winning record with him out of the lineup the Leafs are definitely a much better team with Matthews than without.

A stud franchise centre is an absolute must, must, must have to win the cup.

They might not win with Matthews but they definitely won't win without him. There is no overstating just how important Auston Matthews is to this organization as a result. He is the Captain of the team and face of the franchise.

He is literally re-writing the history books in front of our eyes.

If, for some ungodly reason, the Leafs decide to trade Matthews they may as well just start the rebuild. Because even if another #1C were to come back he would be a lesser player than Matthews. Teams aren't gonna let the Leafs rip them off so the throw-ins wouldn't be enough to improve Toronto over status quo.

It's pretty hard to imagine any scenario where this team would be better off long term without Matthews than with him.

A stud centre is for sure a necessity. It doesn’t have to be Matthews but someone. Yes he is rewriting the record books on personal stats but so far it has not helped the team in the playoffs.
As far as a lesser centre than Matthews it makes no difference because every year since he has been in the league a team has won rounds and cups without him.
saying that we couldn’t win without Matthews is not accurate

 

[mjd1001]

I think the question is more interesting when asked from a slightly different perspective....

Do the rest of the players, collectively, play better when Matthews is not on the ice?

Meaning, they aren't better overall as a team without Matthews as they are with Matthews. But when you take him away. He is better than the player that replaces him. But, the 'other 19' step up their game when he isn't on the ice, and they take a step back when he is there.

 

[thewave]

Put him on with Domi and Knies ffs. Let MM and WN run a line.

Stop relying on Rielly as a vector for offense, he blows

 

[Aashir Mallik]

I’d take around 5-10 players over him.

He’s too bipolar to build around. Year to year, month to month, game to game you don’t know what you’ll get

You shouldn’t be able to say this for a guy making 13.25 but here we are.

 

[cyris]

I don’t think the Leafs are a better team without a healthy Matthews.
But this clearly isn’t a healthy version of Matthews.
Matthews found a way to still be effective without being at the top of his game 2 seasons ago so hopefully he can at least get back to that. But until then they need to reduce his minutes and responsibilities imo.

 

[DutchHockeyGuy]

Not a better team likely, but for sure a lot more likeable. They have become as uninteresting to watch again as they have been for long stretches in every other season with Marner and Matthews running the show.

 

[Stephen]

Not a better team likely, but for sure a lot more likeable. They have become as uninteresting to watch again as they have been for long stretches in every other season with Marner and Matthews running the show.

A couple of things I found interesting this week with Matthews and the team energy levels.

The Leafs were sluggish and terrible vs New Jersey but won on that Matthews OT breakaway where he came in charging down the ice at 100 km/h, took control, there was so much energy in that moment, kind of Exhibit A of what a Matthews led offense is supposed to do for Toronto.

When he scored the one timer in Detroit to tie the game at 1-1, it was so nonchalant, like silent killer, assassin mode and it was just so flat.

Now I'm not going to draw any conclusions from goal scoring celebrations and what they mean, but you can see the difference when your best player and captain is playing with emotion, building emotional energy vs not. It's definitely a skill and something they need to be aware of as a factor in how the group behaves, feels, etc.

 

[Aashir Mallik]

With stolarz out we are going to need him and nylander to step up.

Can’t run woll into the ground and Hildeby shouldn’t be expected ti do much right now

We need him to start scoring some goals and leading the team.

If not, depending on the stolarz injury the standings could start to look ugly

 

[Antropovsky]

@Stephen The gdt was closed before I could respond to your post about Marner driving his own line.

This year Marner wasnt controlling play when Matthews was injured.

Marners on ice stats this year without Matthews pretty much across the board show that his line has been largely outplayed by the opponent:

Corsi without Matthews 42%

FF% without Matthews 41%

Xgf% without Matthews 37%

SCf% without Matthews 43%

HDCF% without Matthews 39%

Tavares stats are better with Marner not on his line this year.

I'm mystified where this narrative about Marner "driving his own line" is coming from.

 

[Stephen]

@Stephen The gdt was closed before I could respond to your post about Marner driving his own line.

This year Marner wasnt controlling play when Matthews was injured.

Marners on ice stats this year without Matthews pretty much across the board show that his line has been largely outplayed by the opponent:

Corsi without Matthews 42%

FF% without Matthews 41%

Xgf% without Matthews 37%

SCf% without Matthews 43%

HDCF% without Matthews 39%

Tavares stats are better with Marner not on his line this year.

I'm mystified where this narrative about Marner "driving his own line" is coming from.

I think one would look at Marner’s 8 G 11 A and the Leafs vying for first place in the Atlantic in November largely without Matthews and just be generally okay with those results. Without having to go look for reasons to be upset with Marner.