Player Discussion Auston Matthews (Captain Edition)

[mjd1001]

Even with this injury-filled season, still has an outside chance at becoming only the 3rd player in NHL history to score 500 goals before the age of 30.

He SHOULD do it.

He has about 200 regular season games left to accomplish it. 118 goals to score. That is 0.59 goals per game. Over the past 5 years, he has averaged 0.73. Last year he was at 0.85.

If he just scores at his career rate (nothing like last season) and didn't miss any games, he would be close to 530 career regular season goals before he turns 30.

Lets say he can average 0.7. He could miss up to 32 regular season games and hit 500 before he is 30.

If he drops down to 0.65...He could still miss almost 20 regular season games over the next 2.5 years and get it done.

I hope my math doesn't have any major errors, but i'm pretty sure I got it right.

 

[Aashir Mallik]

last night was a masterclass night from matthews. He tilted the ice severely whenever he stepped foot. He knew how to disappear from coverage and reappear right at the time for a goal.

Too bad all of that was for carolina

 

[Antropovsky]

Red flag. If he does that it's a slap. May as well move on from him and go for Rantanen or McDavid later

It's a red flag and sucks for us Leaf fans, but for owners and NHL from a business standpoint it's a good decision. Owners want to grow the game, to increase revenue and value of their teams unfortunately. Growing the game around the world, especially USA is critical to the sport.

Tampa putting Kucherov on IR and activating him in the playoffs was bad for other teams but great for the NHL. LA, Tampa and now Florida winning I'm sure is accelerating NHL growth. Meanwhile teams like the Thrashers and Coyotes didn't sustain any winning and failed.

 

[francis246]

at this point for me, if he goes to the 4N I think I might actually stop cheering for him

he's been broken for the entire season, if he decides to 'fix himself' up for the 4N than I lose all respect for him.

Lmao why? He’s gonna be there. It’s a league event, if he’s healthy the league will push for him to be there. The league wants all the stars there. It’s a revenue push, if he’s there it’s because of that and who doesn’t want to represent their country when you’re considered one of the best American players?

 

[Larcos_Unal]

I think that if Auston shits the bed in the playoffs again, this time with the C on his chest, the honeymoon is gonna be over and he's finally gonna take some heat.

 

[Aashir Mallik]

Lmao why? He’s gonna be there. It’s a league event, if he’s healthy the league will push for him to be there. The league wants all the stars there. It’s a revenue push, if he’s there it’s because of that and who doesn’t want to represent their country when you’re considered one of the best American players?

my take hasn't aged the best, but I still somewhat stand by it

He has been battling injury the entire season and should rest every opportunity he can, this is the feeder tournament into the 2026 olympics which matter more. It's a nothing tournament with no stakes, he should take that time to rest up. The other stars can go as they haven't been this injured.

 

[Apex Predator]

my take hasn't aged the best, but I still somewhat stand by it

He has been battling injury the entire season and should rest every opportunity he can, this is the feeder tournament into the 2026 olympics which matter more. It's a nothing tournament with no stakes, he should take that time to rest up. The other stars can go as they haven't been this injured.

In your defense when you made that take no one had any idea when Matthews was going to be back. It was feeling like he would be back to play a few games and then go to 4 nations.

 

[Stephen]

The Carolina game was abysmal but given he’s looked normal and has been productive you just give him the benefit of the doubt and move on. But it does underscore the point I was making earlier that Matthews defensive ability is inconsistent and can be unreliable.

 

[Stephen]

Not good again. Just an extremely frustrating player to lead your team.

 

[wingman75]

I prefer non-captain Matthews. There, I said it.

ps - I also prefer non-captain Tavares lol

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Two poor games in a row isn't a long streak in the grand scheme, but it is frustrating given the context surrounding these last few games. You'd think after going -6 against Carolina, he'd come out flying against a Canucks team on a back to back with travel, but alas. He and the team in general need a shakeup of the lines. Things have gotten stale, and Nylander especially is brutal right now. Reuniting Matthews and Willy could be a good dose of medicine.

Knies-Matthews-Nylander
McMann-Tavares-Marner
Robertson-Domi-Lorentz
Dewar-Kampf-Holmberg

 

[Stephen]

I prefer non-captain Matthews. There, I said it.

ps - I also prefer non-captain Tavares lol

It feels like they transferred the captaincy over as a status accessory but functionally you don't get any kind of additional leadership growth out of Matthews... his leadership and energy traditionally comes from scoring big goals at big moments and with the offense dried up, there isn't another way that he's leading.

 

[Antropovsky]

Why does Berube continue to march Matthews out with Marner? Last year Matthews was dreadful until Keefe separate him and Marner...than he got hot. Last two seasons, Matthews p/60 have been better with Marner not on his line.

Nylander and Marner both won't go to the net. So put them together and let the rest play Berube hockey.

Knies Matthews Domi
Patches Tavares Mcmann
Robertson Nylander Marner

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

Why does Berube continue to march Matthews out with Marner? Last year Matthews was dreadful until Keefe separate him and Marner...than he got hot. Last two seasons, Matthews p/60 have been better with Marner not on his line.

Nylander and Marner both won't go to the net. So put them together and let the rest play Berube hockey.

Knies Matthews Domi
Patches Tavares Mcmann
Robertson Nylander Marner

Matthews calls the shots, and that's what he wants.

 

[Racer88]

Matthews calls the shots, and that's what he wants.

Matthews and Marner calls the shots and anyone who doesn’t think that hasn’t been paying attention.

 

[frizzer1]

Wasn’t Matthews mostly with Nylander in last year’s playoffs?

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

Wasn’t Matthews mostly with Nylander in last year’s playoffs?

New coach, that means everything is reset except for the fans' time and money.

 

[Jojalu]

Matthews and Marner calls the shots and anyone who doesn’t think that hasn’t been paying attention.

Who are they calling the shots to? Third coach, 3rd GM.

So you would have to believe they have Shanahan's ear and he over rides everyone and then Dubas and Keefe, Tre and Tre, Babcock and Lou were all just puppets. So all the hate towards them was misguided because they had no control. It was just Shanny, Matthews and Marner

 

[ACC1224]

Who are they calling the shots to? Third coach, 3rd GM.

So you would have to believe they have Shanahan's ear and he over rides everyone and then Dubas and Keefe, Tre and Tre, Babcock and Lou were all just puppets. So all the hate towards them was misguided because they had no control. It was just Shanny, Matthews and Marner

Berube has always seemed like the type to be told what to do.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Same line combinations being put together... What should we do?
Blame Berube in the same way we blamed Keefe for the same thing? Nah.
Reflect on our position that contradicts multiple NHL coaches and the data? Nah.
Create wacky conspiracy theories about players running line-up decisions? Bingo!

Though I'm not sure if the people claiming this realise that it would make Berube an incompetent fool.

 

[Racer88]

Who are they calling the shots to? Third coach, 3rd GM.

So you would have to believe they have Shanahan's ear and he over rides everyone and then Dubas and Keefe, Tre and Tre, Babcock and Lou were all just puppets. So all the hate towards them was misguided because they had no control. It was just Shanny, Matthews and Marner

 

[Racer88]

Who are they calling the shots to? Third coach, 3rd GM.

So you would have to believe they have Shanahan's ear and he over rides everyone and then Dubas and Keefe, Tre and Tre, Babcock and Lou were all just puppets. So all the hate towards them was misguided because they had no control. It was just Shanny, Matthews and Marner

Probably not in so many words but in my opinion they want to play together and Berube has now become on more coach that bows to their will.
They have been tried together for years and no team success. Marner was dynamite when Matthews was off, I even started to like him. Matthews comes back and Marner takes a step back into to the shadows. None of us can deny that there has been no team success no matter how many times the multiple GM’s, coaches and 18 other players have been changed.
It’s time to break them up for minimum 15 games and see what happens but we all know that won’t happen. Management and coaches are afraid of how they will react.

Same line combinations being put together... What should we do?
Blame Berube in the same way we blamed Keefe for the same thing? Nah.
Reflect on our position that contradicts multiple NHL coaches and the data? Nah.
Create wacky conspiracy theories about players running line-up decisions? Bingo!

Though I'm not sure if the people claiming this realise that it would make Berube an incompetent fool.

The multiple coaches and data spread sheets, heat maps etc have been wrong.
1 single round win in 8 years with what many of you say are super talented core.
Cue the excuses

 

[Jojalu]

Probably not in so many words but in my opinion they want to play together and Berube has now become on more coach that bows to their will.
They have been tried together for years and no team success. Marner was dynamite when Matthews was off, I even started to like him. Matthews comes back and Marner takes a step back into to the shadows. None of us can deny that there has been no team success no matter how many times the multiple GM’s, coaches and 18 other players have been changed.
It’s time to break them up for minimum 15 games and see what happens but we all know that won’t happen. Management and coaches are afraid of how they will react.


The multiple coaches and data spread sheets, heat maps etc have been wrong.
1 single round win in 8 years with what many of you say are super talented core.
Cue the excuses

At this point it's crazy that they havn't tried. Especially on the PP.

 

[Chief Leaf]

Still haven't seen Matthews use a slap shot, meaning his injury is obviously still nagging.
Ya, some may say 1/2 a Matthews is better than none at all. (wrong)

I'm leaning on him cancelling the nations tourney, going on the LTIR (giving us cap relief) and closely being "watched" by the NHL for misuse of the LTIR.

imo,..if rest is all he needs to accomplish himself to getting back to a full 100 percent recovery, then sometimes that type of rest allows the body to recover easier.

He may be back allright but until he starts useing his slapshot (that he seemed to like standing to the side of the net for the one timer) whereas we are not seeing apply it, and his wrist shots don't even have as much ummmph to them shows that he just may be testing himself now to show the NHL that maybe he may go on the LTIR.

That's my gut feeling anways. We will have to see how it all plays out, but no matter what, if he does LTIR it, hopefully he gets the recovery time to allow him to play in the playoffs for us and no nasty surgery that keeps him off the ice with no hope of coming back this year.

I'm all for the Vegas and Tamp approach btw. If it helps attain a cup, go for it.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Multiple coaches and data spread sheets, heat maps etc have been wrong.
1 single round win in 8 years with what many of you say are super talented core.
Cue the excuses

Instead of everything and everyone else being wrong, perhaps consider that you're wrong. You're still mistaking correlation for causation, and it doesn't even work here, because they've been separated in half of our playoffs. Berube makes the line-up decisions, and he has a lot of good reasons to put them together. But cue the conspiracy theories...