Auston Matthews: Closer to Joe Sakic or Dany Heatley?

[The Abusement Park]

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.

I don’t think he’s tracking better than Sakic at all. He’s had a similar start, better goal scoring, but assuming Matthews has a somewhat normal career arc for a elite player he will still fall short of Sakic most likely. Sakics longevity is rivaled by very very few. But it’s really early in Matthews career so there’s a long way will this can be completely answered.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I think the only thing Matthews has shown his first 5 years compared to Sakic's first 5 years is that he's a better goal scorer. I think Sakic was the better passer, better overall point producer, and better defensively.

 

[Connor McConnor]

Heater needs more respect the guy was SICK in his prime. Him and Kovy together were so fun to watch

 

[Foppberg]

Heatley. Doesn't belong anywhere near Sakic.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Heatley but Dany was quite good in the playoffs, 63 points in 77 playoff games.

 

[Flair Hay]

Eh, in terms of talent and peak, I think Matthews is/will be considerably better than Joe Niewendyk.

Was Niewendyk ever really one of the true top players in the league? When you look at his peers and MVP/All star team voting, probably not. I view him like a Jeff Carter. A damn good player but not the cream of the crop.

Matthews I think will be a Top5 player throughout his prime and maybe eek out an MVP win on top of multiple rockets. Now as for how long his 'prime' lasts will determine how comparable he is to someone like Joe SAkic.

You're probably right. Honestly, maybe left handed Mats Sundin is a better player to compare him to, I dunno?

I'm trying to match up someone style wise and numbers wise at the same time. Not easy to do.

No point in comparing him to a guy like Sakic imo. Different size, play style. His talent is more than Sakic undoubtedly. It's all about how he develops off the ice and what team hardware he has in 10 years. He is still young.

 

[wetcoast]

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

Still the other poster made great points and Greztky, Mario and Yzerman all had injuries and were on downsides of their careers for lots of Joe's prime.

Matthews has started his career with a bang and is trending way closer (or perhaps even better than Sakic) than towards Heatley.

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

This poll is insulting to Sakic. Heatley by default.

 

[Sky04]

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.

And the part about passing the puck? Sakic was a significantly better playmaker, Matthews is pretty sub par in that department. Sakic already had 4 60+ assist seasons at the same age as Matthews with a career high of 36. Goal scoring peaks early, playmakers are much more consistent in terms of aging.

Not sure why 50 goals is a benchmark for elite play when Sakic was an even better playmaker than he was a goal scorer. Sakic also spent the first 6 years on one of the worst teams in the league while Matthews on a powerhouse Toronto team that's constantly underachieving.

 

[HarryLime]

No where near Sakic, Heatley by default

This

 

[avsfan9]

Still the other poster made great points and Greztky, Mario and Yzerman all had injuries and were on downsides of their careers for lots of Joe's prime.

Matthews has started his career with a bang and is trending way closer (or perhaps even better than Sakic) than towards Heatley.

Yeah I voted closer to Sakic but Sakic also scored 100 points as a 38 year old. He set the standard for a high level of play and consistency and longevity. Something we don’t see in today’s nhl as younger players play bigger roles and players like Thornton and Marleau take a back seat

 

[jetsforever]

Matthews getting underrated now - he's not at Sakic yet but definitely in that direction

 

[Mulletman]

Sakic also scored 100 points as a 38 year old

Dude, stop making stuff up! Sakic scored 13+27=40 points as a 38 year old!

 

[Colezuki]

Until Auston can put on his big boy pants and win a couple rounds he's not in the conversation with Sakic

 

[avsfan9]

Dude, stop making stuff up! Sakic scored 13+27=40 points as a 38 year old!

Sorry 37! I don’t think Matthews will be putting up 100 points at that age either as he probably won’t hit 100 points in his prime

 

[TheDoldrums]

I think the only thing Matthews has shown his first 5 years compared to Sakic's first 5 years is that he's a better goal scorer. I think Sakic was the better passer, better overall point producer, and better defensively.

Sakic had two years in the top 10 for points in his first five years, a 6th place finish and a 10th place finish

Matthews also has two years in the top 10 for points in his first five years, a 5th place finish and a 9th place finish

I don't see much of a gap in their point production, unless you just look at raw totals and ignore how much easier it was to score in the late 80's/early 90's. Also in their first five years, Sakic's highest placing for the Hart was 7th while Matthews was 2nd this year.

 

[Fatass]

Neatly had two 50 goal 100+ point seasons. Maybe AM has to rise a bit more the get to Heatly?

 

[avsfan9]

Neatly had two 50 goal 100+ point seasons. Maybe AM has to rise a bit more the get to Heatly?

But… but… it was easier to score back then…. Players weren’t as good as today…. People talk like Rick Tocchett couldn’t tie Warren Foeggles skates. Give me a break!

 

[Mulletman]

Sorry 37! I don’t think Matthews will be putting up 100 points at that age either as he probably won’t hit 100 points in his prime

Yeah well it's a little harder to score 100 points while playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs than it is to score 100 points while playing for the Colorado Avalache. 100 points or more has only been done 4 times in NHL history by somebody playing for Toronto, while it's been done 21 times in Colorado Avalanche history. So it's basically more than 5 times harder to score 100 points in Toronto than it is to score it in Colorado...

 

[Juxta Position]

Dany Heatly is a much closer comparison than Joe Sakic. Sakic is an all-time great, one of the bet to ever play, Matthews is nowhere near that yet. Maybe he gets there one day, i doubt he does, but Sakic was was just too good for too many years, and i don't believe Matthews has that career trajectory.

Maybe Mathews should crack 100 points in a season first before we start calling him the next anybody. Sakic did it 6 times, even Heatly broke 100 points twice.

Matthews career high in points is 80.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Sakic had two years in the top 10 for points in his first five years, a 6th place finish and a 10th place finish

Matthews also has two years in the top 10 for points in his first five years, a 5th place finish and a 9th place finish

I don't see much of a gap in their point production, unless you just look at raw totals and ignore how much easier it was to score in the late 80's/early 90's. Also in their first five years, Sakic's highest placing for the Hart was 7th while Matthews was 2nd this year.

Adjusting for era, their production (pace per 82 games) were close. But then you factor in who Sakic had to play with for the first 5 years versus who Matthews had, and the edge leans toward Sakic.

I just think Sakic was an overall more effective offensive player. He could score goals, but he was also a better playmaker than Matthews has shown.

As for "award placements", the flaw in that is you're never really comparing apples to apples because competition differs year to year. For instance, no one would argue Taylor Hall is a better player than Nathan MacKinnon or Auston Matthews, yet Hall's got a Hart trophy and neither of them do.

 

[HockeyVirus]

I just know Matthews is really good and it shows that a lot of neutral fans actually agree with Leaf fans on it lol. There will always be "haters" or fans who won't acknowledge whatever, have their own opinions. That's fine. But using points to compare players for the main argument shows me the player isn't watched.

Only other player that comes close to his physicality and goal scoring in the league right now is Ovi, except Matthews pays center, is actually good at it and a good two way center. Matthews is the definition of a playoff performer in that, his game will translate to it perfectly. Like Sakic, it takes time. Like Ovi, it took time. I truly hope he stays with the Leafs another 8 years at whatever the cost. Best player I have ever seen in a Leafs jersey in 30 years.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Matthews getting underrated now - he's not at Sakic yet but definitely in that direction

The issue is that Matthews is almost guaranteed to not be as good as long as sakic. They may peak similarly but I doubt Matthew will an elite player at 37.

 

[wetcoast]

Nieuwendyk is probably his most similar HHOF player type?

Matthews has the sick new age snipe from a distance you need to beat goalies today. I could see him having that type of career when he rounds out his game even more.

Nieuwendyk is a really poor comparison as he scored goals more on the PP than at ES and his top 10 finishes were 5,5,7,9, 9

Matthews so far has finishes of 1,2,3 and most likely would have been top 5ish in the other 2 years except for injuries.

 

[Flair Hay]

Nieuwendyk is a really poor comparison as he scored goals more on the PP than at ES and his top 10 finishes were 5,5,7,9, 9

Matthews so far has finishes of 1,2,3 and most likely would have been top 5ish in the other 2 years except for injuries.

Who do you think would be the best comparison in both style and numbers