Do you consider Auston Matthews a Top-5 Center heading into next year?

[jonlin]

Yes.

McDavid
MacKinnon
Draisaitl
Crosby
Matthews

 

[voxel]

This is actually false. They played a ton of time together this year.

On the PP - certainly.

They did play together at ES again for a small stretch in the fall but Leon did as well without Connor (because the Nuge-Drai-Yams line was beastly and top-5 in the league IMO).

Line Stats - Natural Stat Trick

Draisaitl played with McDavid as much as Matthews played with Marner. Approx 500mins of ES time.

 

[Mickey Marner]

This season Matthews finished top-5 in scoring among centers and he'll finish top-5 in Hart voting among centers as well. Pretty good odds he does again next year too. Regardless of what some current individual opinions may be, he will be considered a top-5 center in retrospect.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Borderline.
I’d have him in that group with Eichel and Pettersson and Barkov. Behind the big four of McDavid, Mackinnon, Draisaitl and Crosby.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

How can people still rank Malkin as top 5 after the games against Montreal? If Pit really did still have two top 5 centers, then they should have not had any issue moving on. Pitt isn't edmonton, they have more than two good players on the team.

Probably because it's not a smart idea to judge a player based on a 4 game sample size rather than what that player did over the course of the entire season?

 

[LeafsNation75]

On the PP - certainly.

They did play together at ES again for a small stretch in the fall but Leon did as well without Connor (because the Nuge-Drai-Yams line was beastly and top-5 in the league IMO).

Line Stats - Natural Stat Trick

Draisaitl played with McDavid as much as Matthews played with Marner. Approx 500mins of ES time.

Besides the power play Matthews wasn't put on a 5v5 line with Marner until December 21, 2019. So that's the reason for their minutes together at even strength.

 

[Connor McConnor]

He was very good in the play-in and is definitely close to top 5. Him and Eichel are neck and neck. I really just want to see Auston have that huge breakout year (100 pts), especially on that stacked of an offensive team. Still voted yes.

 

[Ace of Hades]

You really can't right now. Pettersson will never produce enough (if he even does produce more) to make up for Matthews size and goal scoring. Both are quite good two way players.

This is silly and you know it. Theres more to the game than size and goal scoring.

 

[Taluss]

Not quite, 6th for me

 

[BAM]

He was very good in the play-in and is definitely close to top 5. Him and Eichel are neck and neck. I really just want to see Auston have that huge breakout year (100 pts), especially on that stacked of an offensive team. Still voted yes.

There is literally no argument for Eichel over Matthews.
1. Eichel's a year older
2. Matthews has outperformed him at every comparative age of their careers

Before you bring up linemates...go check the numbers on Eichel's linemates the last 2 years. Buffalo stacks that top line with him and Skinner so it's not like he's playing with garbage. The numbers also show it's a mutually beneficial line instead of the wingers just leaching off Eichel.

My top 10 Centers are:

1. McDavid
2. Mackinnon
3. Crosby
4. Matthews/Drai
5. Matthews/Drai
6. Malkin
7. Bergeron
8.Barkov
9. Eichel
10. Pick from a hat of Tavares, Stamkos, Coutourier, Point, Seguin, Kuznetsov,etc)

 

[lottster14]

His shitty work ethic/gliding bumps him down several spots for me.

 

[LeafsNation75]

There is literally no argument for Eichel over Matthews.
1. Eichel's a year older
2. Matthews has outperformed him at every comparative age of their careers

Before you bring up linemates...go check the numbers on Eichel's linemates the last 2 years. Buffalo stacks that top line with him and Skinner so it's not like he's playing with garbage. The numbers also show it's a mutually beneficial line instead of the wingers just leaching off Eichel.

Prior to this season some people thought Eichel was as good or better then Matthews since he had 82 points in the 2018-19 season, because at that point Matthews season high in points was 73. However this season we saw Matthews end up with 80 points which would have been 90 points if all 82 games would have been played, never mind the fact he had 47 goals and this was the first time Eichel scored 30+ goals in a season.

 

[BAM]

Prior to this season some people thought Eichel was as good or better then Matthews since he had 82 points in the 2018-19 season, because at that point Matthews season high in points was 73. However this season we saw Matthews end up with 80 points which would have been 90 points if all 82 games would have been played, never mind the fact he had 47 goals and this was the first time Eichel scored 30+ goals in a season.

Then when you factor in Eichel plays more per game which over the course of a season adds up to a lot more time for Eichel to produce and it's not debatable in Eichel's favour.

 

[biturbo19]

No. But i'd say he's right on the fringes.

Crosby.
Draisaitl.
McDavid.
Malkin.
MacKinnon.


Matthews is toward the front end of that next tier of guys. But i think those five have kinda solidly set themselves apart.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

There is literally no argument for Eichel over Matthews.
1. Eichel's a year older
2. Matthews has outperformed him at every comparative age of their careers

Before you bring up linemates...go check the numbers on Eichel's linemates the last 2 years. Buffalo stacks that top line with him and Skinner so it's not like he's playing with garbage. The numbers also show it's a mutually beneficial line instead of the wingers just leaching off Eichel.

My top 10 Centers are:

1. McDavid
2. Mackinnon
3. Crosby
4. Matthews/Drai
5. Matthews/Drai
6. Malkin
7. Bergeron
8.Barkov
9. Eichel
10. Pick from a hat of Tavares, Stamkos, Coutourier, Point, Seguin, Kuznetsov,etc)

Not sure how you can argue there's a separation between Matthews and Eichel while in the same post listing Draisaitl and Matthews as basically interchangeable.

Based on the past two seasons he's had, I don't think there's any argument for Matthews being on par with Draisaitl right now. One guy's had back to back 100 point seasons and just wrapped up winning the Art Ross and likely the Hart and Lindsay as well, while the other guy finally broke the 80 point plateau for the first time.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Then when you factor in Eichel plays more per game which over the course of a season adds up to a lot more time for Eichel to produce and it's not debatable in Eichel's favour.

This was Matthews average time on ice in his first three NHL seasons.

2016-17

17:38

2017-18

18:08

2018-19

18:33

It was after Sheldon Keefe took over from Mike Babcock that Matthews minutes went up and this season he played 20:58 in total average ice time.

 

[6ix]

I have him ranked as #5 going into next season so I voted yes.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Not sure how you can argue there's a separation between Matthews and Eichel while in the same post listing Draisaitl and Matthews as basically interchangeable.

Based on the past two seasons he's had, I don't think there's any argument for Matthews being on par with Draisaitl right now. One guy's had back to back 100 point seasons and just wrapped up winning the Art Ross and likely the Hart and Lindsay as well, while the other guy finally broke the 80 point plateau for the first time.

I think it's fair to say given that Matthews was on pace for 50+ goals and finished with 47 because of a global pandemic, he would have had at least 90 points if it wasn't for that and not end up with just 80 points.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I think it's fair to say given that Matthews was on pace for 50+ goals and finished with 47 because of a global pandemic, he would have had at least 90 points if it wasn't for that and not end up with just 80 points.

Right. And Draisaitl was on pace for like 130 points if it weren't for the pandemic, as well as the Art Ross, Hart and Lindsay. My point still stands that at this point I think people still not acknowledging how good Draisaitl's become is, quite frankly, silly.

 

[BAM]

Not sure how you can argue there's a separation between Matthews and Eichel while in the same post listing Draisaitl and Matthews as basically interchangeable.

Based on the past two seasons he's had, I don't think there's any argument for Matthews being on par with Draisaitl right now. One guy's had back to back 100 point seasons and just wrapped up winning the Art Ross and likely the Hart and Lindsay as well, while the other guy finally broke the 80 point plateau for the first time.

That's because you're looking at their numbers as a whole. I have the opinion that Draisaitl is actually on the Matthews, Eichel, Barkov tier rather than the Mackinnon, McDavid tier. Whether he's playing on the same line as him or centering the 2nd line. He's the only one out of that group that has the luxury of not being the best player on their team and being the primary focus.

You're kidding yourself if you think teams look to stop Draisaitl more than they do McDavid.

 

[JackSlater]

No, but top ten. He could get there depending on how his next season goes.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Right. And Draisaitl was on pace for like 130 points if it weren't for the pandemic, as well as the Art Ross, Hart and Lindsay. My point still stands that at this point I think people still not acknowledging how good Draisaitl's become is, quite frankly, silly.

The difference is we saw Draisaitl end up with 110 points and win the Art Ross Trophy. So I don't feel sorry for him that he wasn't able to get 130 points. When some Leafs fans said how Matthews finished 1 goal behind Ovechkin and Pastrnak for the Rocket Richard we were told too bad.

 

[BAM]

Right. And Draisaitl was on pace for like 130 points if it weren't for the pandemic, as well as the Art Ross, Hart and Lindsay. My point still stands that at this point I think people still not acknowledging how good Draisaitl's become is, quite frankly, silly.

Nobody is saying he's not a great player, he is. You're just getting butthurt because other people believe he's actually a tier lower than the McDavid/Mackinnon types but has the luxury of playing on the same team as the best player in the world. It's not a knock on him. Switch any one of Mackinnon, Matthews, Eichel, Barkov with Draisaitl...forwards that have all been on pace for 90 points or have already done it as the best players on their team with no McDavid. Is it really that insulting to believe those players could achieve similar results if put in Drai's position?

 

[Stamkos4life]

In 2017 and 2018 matthews was ranked as the 4th best center in the league by nhl writers.

This past season, 2019, he was ranked as the 6th best center.

Seems like he was a bit over rated for a couple years and maybe not quite top 5 yet but he's close.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Nobody is saying he's not a great player, he is. You're just getting butthurt because other people believe he's actually a tier lower than the McDavid/Mackinnon types but has the luxury of playing on the same team as the best player in the world. It's not a knock on him. Switch any one of Mackinnon, Matthews, Eichel, Barkov with Draisaitl...forwards that have all been on pace for 90 points or have already done it as the best players on their team with no McDavid. Is it really that insulting to believe those players could achieve similar results if put in Drai's position?

Why do you keep talking about him being on the McDavid/MacKinnon tier when I'm talking about him clearly being ahead of Matthews right now? I didn't say he was on par with those two, I said he's ahead of Matthews, and his production the past two seasons proves that.

I'm also chuckling at "butthurt". I'm not an Oilers fan. Why would I have a personal, emotional stake in what people think about Draisaitl? I just think it's comical that Draisaitl still doesn't get the recognition for what he's done even after he literally just won the Art Ross trophy. If it was Matthews who just won the Art Ross trophy there would be threads insisting he's better than McDavid.