- Oct 23, 2014
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Auston Matthews: Closer to Joe Sakic or Dany Heatley?
- Thread starter Filthy Dangles
- Start date
BlueMed
Registered User
- Jul 18, 2019
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Matthews in the same sentence as Joe Sakic? Bro...
Varan
Registered User
If you’re talking about all-time rank, Matthews needs a few more seasons like 2021 under his belt. He’s far too young in his career to be with Sakic.
If you’re talking about play-style, then well, they have no similarities whatsoever
If you’re talking about play-style, then well, they have no similarities whatsoever
Coaches Coroner
Member
- Mar 12, 2009
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One thing I know for certain is that Auston Matthews plays hockey.
Matthews is already better than Heatley ever was. Also Matthews had a better first 5 years than Sakic did. Both were 12th in PPG. Matthews won the Calder. Sakic finished 8th. Sakic had a 7th place Hart finish. Matthews had a 10th and 2nd. Sakic made no end of the year All Star teams. Matthews has an All Star 2nd team finish. Matthews has a Rocket and a 2nd place finish by 1 goal. Sakic never came close. Sakic was at best 13th in GPG over those first 5 years (there might be others ahead but I didn't feel like seeking them out and doing the math. NHL.com really should let you sort by GPG). Matthews has the best GPG
Last edited:
avsfan9
Registered User
- Jul 28, 2011
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Sakic played in a league with Gretzky, Lemieux,Jagr , Yzerman and Lindros just to name a few of the greatest players of all time. Plus it’s hard to win a Hart when you play on a team as great as the avs were when your team was stacked with players like Roy, Forsberg and Ray Bourque
I said better first 5 years. That's 2 years before QC even moved Colorado. Forsberg wasn't in the league yet. Roy was 2 and a half years from being on the Avs. Bourque was close to a decade away from the Avs and let's also not act like a 40 year old Bourque hurt Sakic's Hart chances. Bourque played 1 full season with Sakic and it's the only year Sakic won the Hart (Forsberg and Roy were the team as well). That was Sakic's 13th year so Matthews has another 8 to match that. Sakic's best finish outside that win was 6th. Also Lindros rookie year was Sakic's 5th year. Jagr only played 3 seasons and his best point finish was 27th. So it's not like either of them were competing with Sakic yet. Matthews had the better first 5 years. That's not to say he'll have the better next 15 and match Sakic's career but he had the better start
While true, Sakic also had an unusually late prime and peak for a player of his caliber. His best years were his mid-20s to early 30s, and his best year was at 31. I'd be surprised if Matthews ends up the same. It's very possible last year ends up his best offensive year relative to the league.
Matthews has had a stronger start but sakic durability is what likely prevails. Matthews has been injury prone and he won’t stand the test of time like sakic did.
The playoffs is what really separates Sakic and Matthews. We need to see Matthews win a playoff round before he's closer to Sakic than Heatley. It looks like he's a good comparison to Heatley.
Legionnaire
Help On The Way
How so? Matthews put up 7 more points in 12 more games their rookie seasons. Sakic started hitting 100pt seasons by his sophomore. AM clearly has the edge on goal scoring but otherwise Sakic has the edge.
Sorry I hadn’t looked at sakic numbers, pretty similar start, I don’t see matthews keeping up with sakic regular season or playoff success. Not to mention international success to. Sakic today and forever
Xspyrit
DJ Dorion
Is it Heatley we're talking about here?
Well, one of the very few hockey players I actually despise but Heatley was very good at this. He ruined himself for several reasons, and one being that tragic accident but I have no idea how can someone refer to Heatley as an "average guy"
He was a beast early with the Thrashers and then scored 180 goals with Ottawa, in 4 seasons, which is an average of 45 goals per year
- May 3, 2021
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Matthews will need team success to rival Sakic. He isn’t that good without cups.
TruePowerSlave
Registered User
- Jun 27, 2015
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Need to see a lot more from AM to compared him to Sakic.
Sakic was great for a long time, even posted 100 points on a non playoff team as a 37 year old. Not to mention being one of the best playoff performers in league history.
Sakic was great for a long time, even posted 100 points on a non playoff team as a 37 year old. Not to mention being one of the best playoff performers in league history.
HyperX
Fire Ruff and co. !
- Jul 21, 2021
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So your reasoning is..
since Sakic had a late peak, that Matthews will for some reason decline earlier too?
late peak or not, if Matthews continues to play this way for a decade he will be the better player.
i dont see how Matthews getting a headstart is somehow a negative for him
Bounces R Way
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2005
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Just to remind everyone, it took 8 years for Sakic to even win a playoff series or score 50 goals.
Matthews would have scored 50 goals in each of the last 2 seasons if not for Covid.
Matthews is tracking to have a better career than Sakic.
Matthews would have scored 50 goals in each of the last 2 seasons if not for Covid.
Matthews is tracking to have a better career than Sakic.
Buck Naked
Can't-Stand-Ya
- Aug 18, 2016
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I terms of scoring goals, perhaps. He might wanna start assisting some as well in order to play in the same league as Sakic.
You missed part where one started carrer on ~60 points team and other on playoffs team. But that was surely irrelevant to their production/trophies finishes.
Still Matthews had obviously great start of carrer, but imo wont be able to establish himselt in Sakic/Forsberg/Malkin category when it's all done.
Arthur Morgan
Registered User
you make winning the cup sound like it's just a simple thing to do.
guy's only been in the league 5 years lol
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