Auston Matthews or Jack Eichel?

Factor in their contracts and terms, who would you want?

  • Matthews

    Votes: 210 73.4%
  • Eichel

    Votes: 76 26.6%

  • Total voters
    286

DomBarr

Registered User
Apr 7, 2014
2,864
988
meh...picked Matthews because he is locked up for 6 yrs not 3. Plus he is jut a better player
 

Toby91ca

Registered User
Oct 17, 2022
2,547
1,907
Does a 22 game sample (last year's playoffs) really impact people's opinions that much? Without that I don't see any argument at all for Eichel.
 
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TS Quint

Stop writing “I mean” in your posts.
Sep 8, 2012
8,604
6,151
Try actually addressing the comments. Why does Eichel get a pass for not getting Buffalo into the playoffs but Matthews doesn't get one for the Leafs only making it out of the first round once. It seems you really have a hard on about the Leafs and not in a good way.
Are you saying if we removed Eichel from the Sabres and Matthews from the Leafs the teams are equal? That sure is an interesting opinion.

Eichel put up more points last playoffs than Matthews has in The last 3 seasons combined. Plus his cap hit is lower which is better for the TEAM, which Matthews and his fans couldn’t care less about, which is fine, I’m not here to tell you how to enjoy hockey.

How many more seasons will it take Matthews to put up 26 playoff points going forward? 3? 4? 5?

Does a 22 game sample (last year's playoffs) really impact people's opinions that much? Without that I don't see any argument at all for Eichel.
You are comparing two players not talking about one.

meh...picked Matthews because he is locked up for 6 yrs not 3. Plus he is jut a better player
Is he $3.25m better?
 

BKarchitect

Registered User
Oct 12, 2017
8,256
14,783
Kansas City, MO
Eichel has never been more than a hair off, if any, from Matthews in terms of toolset. He does it all offensively and I like his vision and use of his linemates better. I think he’s a more complete offensive player when both are going full steam and healthy.

That said, you can’t really argue with how AM has produced and his irrepressible goal scoring ability. I would’ve also given AM a sizable advantage in two-way play but Jack has really rendered that null with his impressive development as a focused, smart two-way center this past season.

For any given season, give me AM still. Track record and ability to be healthy matters. For any given game, it’s a toss up for me. Depends on how the rest of my top six is constructed.
 

WetcoastOrca

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Jun 3, 2011
40,028
25,766
Vancouver, BC
Matthews easily. But if Matthews and Eichel both have similar seasons as last year then I think I’d have to reconsider. Especially if Eichel dominates in the playoffs again and Matthews continues to underperform when the games really matter.
 

HanSolo

DJ Crazy Times
Apr 7, 2008
99,261
35,498
Las Vegas
As a Vegas fan, it's tight but I say Matthews.

The Eichel playoff performance is an argument that has merit but he was the best play driver on a team that won by committee.

Exactly! Who cares if the cap changes or the team changes?

That is why Vegas missed the playoffs because if you can't make the playoffs with Eichel at 10.5, you can't make the playoffs with Eichel at 10.5.



Marchessault > Eichel



Marchessault just led his team to the cup, he is clearly far superior to Eichel.


I know you aren't arguing that, but that is the equivalent of other's opinions.
As much as I'd love to defend Marchessault as someone who goes unappreciated outside of Vegas, winning the Conn Smythe doesn't mean he led the team to the cup. More than half of Marchessault's goals came from premier set ups from Eichel. The team was "led" to a cup win by multiple players: Eichel, Marchessault, Stone, Pietrangelo, Hill, Karlsson, but the guy who led the team to a first cup win was Cassidy. His systems and ability to get the players to execute said systems was a bigger difference maker than any one individual's contribution.

But in a nutshell, to your point and argument, Eichel was a better player for the run and he arguably deserved the Conn Smythe.
 

notbias

Registered User
Feb 16, 2017
11,904
9,936
As a Vegas fan, it's tight but I say Matthews.

The Eichel playoff performance is an argument that has merit but he was the best play driver on a team that won by committee.


As much as I'd love to defend Marchessault as someone who goes unappreciated outside of Vegas, winning the Conn Smythe doesn't mean he led the team to the cup. More than half of Marchessault's goals came from premier set ups from Eichel. The team was "led" to a cup win by multiple players: Eichel, Marchessault, Stone, Pietrangelo, Hill, Karlsson, but the guy who led the team to a first cup win was Cassidy. His systems and ability to get the players to execute said systems was a bigger difference maker than any one individual's contribution.

But in a nutshell, to your point and argument, Eichel was a better player for the run and he arguably deserved the Conn Smythe.

I think Hill and Stone were both better than either, but I understand what you are saying, it was me pointing out that using an award much like PPG is not necessarily the best indicator of who the better player is, or who one should take going forward.
 
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TS Quint

Stop writing “I mean” in your posts.
Sep 8, 2012
8,604
6,151
Yes he is....but that's irrelevant, you are comparing contracts signed 6 years apart.
No, it’s very relevant regardless of the date contracts are signed. This is what Matthews fans don’t understand, contract length matters.
 

Toby91ca

Registered User
Oct 17, 2022
2,547
1,907
No, it’s very relevant regardless of the date contracts are signed. This is what Matthews fans don’t understand, contract length matters.
Matthews is signed through to the 2027-28 season, Eichel is only signed through to the 2025-26 season.

So far in their careers, Matthews has earned (cap hit) $57.879M, 481 games, 299 goals, 542 points. Eichel has earned $61.325M, 476 games, 180 goals, 446 points.
 
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DomBarr

Registered User
Apr 7, 2014
2,864
988
Are you saying if we removed Eichel from the Sabres and Matthews from the Leafs the teams are equal? That sure is an interesting opinion.

Eichel put up more points last playoffs than Matthews has in The last 3 seasons combined. Plus his cap hit is lower which is better for the TEAM, which Matthews and his fans couldn’t care less about, which is fine, I’m not here to tell you how to enjoy hockey.

How many more seasons will it take Matthews to put up 26 playoff points going forward? 3? 4? 5?


You are comparing two players not talking about one.


Is he $3.25m better?
I didn't touch AAV but while he is not "3.25 M better" at this time. However for year 4 through 6 there is a very good chance that Eichel is making more than 13.25 AAV and Matthews will most likely still be viewed as the better player but now making less.
 

Toby91ca

Registered User
Oct 17, 2022
2,547
1,907
I didn't touch AAV but while he is not "3.25 M better" at this time. However for year 4 through 6 there is a very good chance that Eichel is making more than 13.25 AAV and Matthews will most likely still be viewed as the better player but now making less.
Well, as I already noted, Matthews probably is $3.25M better anyway, but for 2023-24, the difference in contracts is only $1.6M, it will be $3.25 different for 2024-25 and 2025-26, but what is Eichel making in 2026-27 and 2027-28?
 

TS Quint

Stop writing “I mean” in your posts.
Sep 8, 2012
8,604
6,151
I didn't touch AAV but while he is not "3.25 M better" at this time. However for year 4 through 6 there is a very good chance that Eichel is making more than 13.25 AAV and Matthews will most likely still be viewed as the better player but now making less.
I doubt that Eichel ever makes as much as Matthews ever.
 

The Devilish Buffoon

Registered User
Dec 24, 2018
12,715
11,505
Matthews, still, by a decent margin. I think that margin will narrow over the next several years, though likely never close.
 

WhataKnight

The KnightMan Cometh!
Jan 6, 2023
1,047
1,159
It would have been be interesting to see what Eichel’s trajectory would have been had the Sabres been run then as well as they are now.

While I would go with Matthews over Eichel, it isn’t by a lot. Matthews’ scoring goes at a pace Eichel’s can’t, but as of this post, Eichel’s 200ft. game and PPG (regs)/ PPG+ (POs) pace did for a roster what Matthews hasn’t - get the team over the top.

Technically, Toronto has to accomplish more than Vegas over the next couple years for me not to get the polling equivalent of “buyer’s remorse.”
 

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