The fact that Kempe has been a far better player than Matthews every playoff, and you can get both him and Danault on the cap for roughly what Matthews costs (even on his previous contract) is pure insanity.
Is Auston Matthews One of the Most Overrated Players in Recent History?
- Thread starter fbuford
- Start date
Ehh Hellebuyck makes it quite close. Practically the same player just at very different positions
Anyone with an even a couple brain cells can tell he’s dealing with an injury affecting his shot and has been the entire year. It’s so blatantly obvious. Sadly, many in this thread don’t meet this low bar.
Despite this, he’s still been very effective and a big part of the Leafs 5 wins so far this playoffs.
Matthews is so overrated he’s won 3 rockets, a hart (been a finalist twice) and been a finalist for the Ted Lindsay 3 times (winning once) by the age of 27. I wonder who pulled the wool over the eyes of all his peers.
Give me a break.
Despite this, he’s still been very effective and a big part of the Leafs 5 wins so far this playoffs.
Matthews is so overrated he’s won 3 rockets, a hart (been a finalist twice) and been a finalist for the Ted Lindsay 3 times (winning once) by the age of 27. I wonder who pulled the wool over the eyes of all his peers.
Give me a break.
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So why does he get outperformed by so many players come playoff time? And no, I dont just mean this year
Greatest goal scorer in the world averages 0.48 gpg in the playoffs.
Matthews averages 0.42 gpg in the playoffs.
What a BUM!
Matthews averages 0.42 gpg in the playoffs.
What a BUM!
PeteEakins
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If we agree that the ultimate measure of a player is how they perform when it matters most, then let’s look at the last four years of playoff production:
AUSTON MATTHEWS:
Games Played: 30
Goals: 12
Assists: 19
Points: 31
Goals/Game: 0.40 → 33 goals over an 82-game season
Points/Game: 1.03 → 85 points over an 82-game season
In comparison, over their last four playoff appearances (including this year):
LEON DRAISAITL
Games Played: 60
Goals: 34
Assists: 59
Points: 93
Goals/Game: 0.56 → 47 goals over 82 games
Points/Game: 1.55 → 127 points over 82 games
MIKKO RANTANEN
Games Played: 45
Goals: 21
Assists: 40
Points: 61
Goals/Game: 0.47 → 38 goals over 82 games
Points/Game: 1.36 → 111 points over 82 games
NIKITA KUCHEROV
Games Played: 39
Goals: 9
Assists: 35
Points: 44
Goals/Game: 0.23 → 19 goals over 82 games
Points/Game: 1.13 → 93 points over 82 games
DAVID PASTRNAK
Games Played: 38
Goals: 19
Assists: 15
Points: 34
Goals/Game: 0.50 → 41 goals over 82 games
Points/Game: 0.89 → 73 points over 82 games
Yet, despite this, nearly every major hockey publication consistently ranks Auston Matthews above these players heading into each season.
Is he in their tier? I believe so. Which is why I wouldn’t call him overrated.
However, the only players who seem to be universally ranked above Matthews are MacKinnon, Makar, and McDavid. And yet, Matthews is often spoken of as if he belongs in this teir of player.
That’s where I believe the perception of him being overrated comes from—it feels like we’re being force-fed a narrative that doesn’t quite match reality.
Who do I blame for all of this?
- The Toronto Sports Network (TSN)
- Sportsnet
- The Hockey (Maple Leafs) News
- Eastern Media
More people would admire Auston for his hockey skills if they stopped force-feeding him to us. He seems like a really great guy and I want to pull for him. It's just so hard to when you want the biased media to fall flat on their collective faces.
I'm not cheering against Auston. I'm cheering against the institution that self-annointed Toronto as "hockey's mecca". As long as this is the case, all of Canada will be cheering for the Leaf's demise.
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What’s insanity is your rationale. But whatever helps you sleep at night bud
Leafs struggles have been well documented in the post season. Not sure why everyone is shocked pickachu that Matthews has less points than the players in his "tier" than in the regular season.
Almost like hockey is a team game and Matthews has played on a flawed playoff team for his entire career up to this point.
People who actually watch hockey (outside of their own team) would know this. Not surprised the majority of HF misses the mark on this.
You really went through a lot of trouble typing this and are obviously extremely mad. What is it, 4 years in a row your team has been dumped by a team starting Calvin Pickard?
The big boys are playing now, time for the little ones to go to bed.
Fake “leaf” fan. Take your satire somewhere else.
Leafs struggles have been well documented and the fact that you’re shitting on him for being PPG and being a lot better defensively than a lot of those players you listed is hilarious.
Rent free, bud.
ManofSteel55
Registered User
Austin Matthews is a funny case. He wouldn't get near the praise he gets if he wasn't a Leaf, but he wouldn't get near the crap he gets from fans if he wasn't a Leaf either.
Why did he play? Because the olympics are next year.
Why are both tkachuk brothers and others who also played in the tournament playing through injury? Playing for their country matters to them.
I swear 95% of people in this thread have never watched a hockey game.
Those of you who are implying he needs to win a cup to be considered good are being absurd. Let’s just stop with that. Leave that toxicity to NBA culture.
Matthews is a beast. One of the best goal scorers we have seen. Gotta get to the playoffs to win in the playoffs. He’s young enough that he has plenty of time to prove his worth in this postseason, despite his struggles so far.
I f***ing hate these stupid ass topics. All they do is cause drama and unnecessary debate. He’s either a GOAT or a goat. Nothing in between. Worthless discussion. What value does anyone get out of two sides arguing that he’s great or he sucks? He scored 69 goals. Dude is obviously ridiculous. He isn’t the only issue with the Leafs in the playoffs. Part of the problem? Sure. Not the only one to blame. People have been bitching about their team composition for years
Matthews is a beast. One of the best goal scorers we have seen. Gotta get to the playoffs to win in the playoffs. He’s young enough that he has plenty of time to prove his worth in this postseason, despite his struggles so far.
I f***ing hate these stupid ass topics. All they do is cause drama and unnecessary debate. He’s either a GOAT or a goat. Nothing in between. Worthless discussion. What value does anyone get out of two sides arguing that he’s great or he sucks? He scored 69 goals. Dude is obviously ridiculous. He isn’t the only issue with the Leafs in the playoffs. Part of the problem? Sure. Not the only one to blame. People have been bitching about their team composition for years
PeteEakins
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Do you see what I mean? You're contributing to the problem—you're doing it too.
Why does Auston Matthews get a free pass when:
a) The Leafs consistently underperform in the postseason, and
b) Hockey is supposedly a "team sport"?
Meanwhile, McDavid and Draisaitl are putting up 130–150-point paces in the playoffs, yet they're labeled as "disappointments."
We, as HF posters, need to settle on a consistent narrative. We can't keep shifting the goalposts just because Matthews plays for the Leafs.
If you're going to criticize McDavid and Draisaitl, then Matthews deserves the same scrutiny. You can't make excuses for one and not the other—that's inconsistent and unfair.
Overrated yes, but still ELITE!
That comes from playing with the Leafs, their players always get pumped up in the news/media/fans.
With that being said I would take him on the Bruins in a heartbeat!
That comes from playing with the Leafs, their players always get pumped up in the news/media/fans.
With that being said I would take him on the Bruins in a heartbeat!
In fairness, in that USA and Canada game, I thought Matthew's was one of their most impactful players. But in the playoffs, he needs to get much better.
LOL ya I'm the problem. Please.
WTF are you on about with McDavid and Drai - they are awesome players. best in the world. No one is "getting a pass", Matthews is a sick player as well. Get over it.
You, and the majority of posters here on this site have 1 thing in common - you make these little fake scenarios in your head about what leaf fans think or feel, like we are a hive mind.
Goal posts have never shifted. You score 69 in a season, you are a special player. McD and Drai are also special players. Not sure what your issue is...
Sidney the Kidney
One last time
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Some folks still can't seem to differentiate between the terms "overrated" and "bad".
JFedol
🅱🅱🅱 M.I.P Pac 1971-1996, Makaveli Tha Don 🐐
100% yes, he's an elite player but he doesn't really take over games or has the ability to just singlehandedly win a playoff series all by himself. Him being a goalscoring center may have made it somewhat easier to shut him down and just let everybody know that he's not really threat if his shot isn't going through.
IIRC, Matthews still is an elite playmaker, but it could be a scenario where his passes aren't being taken advantage of.
The whole playmaker vs goalscorer debate always hasn't been close as much as some people think it is. They'll mention the whole "goals are more valuable than assists" argument but a single player has the showcase the ability to generate pure offense on his own and that's what the vast majority of elite playmakers do compared to goalscorers.
IIRC, Matthews still is an elite playmaker, but it could be a scenario where his passes aren't being taken advantage of.
The whole playmaker vs goalscorer debate always hasn't been close as much as some people think it is. They'll mention the whole "goals are more valuable than assists" argument but a single player has the showcase the ability to generate pure offense on his own and that's what the vast majority of elite playmakers do compared to goalscorers.
Sasha Orlov
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Even 45 year old Corey Perry has more goals than him in the playoffs this year lmfao
The Shadow
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If Matthews wasn’t hurt this wouldn’t be a thread
It’s clear to any human with eyeballs that work that his shot has disappeared. Last year and years prior he had the best shot in the world. Now it’s gone.
Hopefully whatever is ailing him he fixes it in the off-season with surgery or whatever
It’s clear to any human with eyeballs that work that his shot has disappeared. Last year and years prior he had the best shot in the world. Now it’s gone.
Hopefully whatever is ailing him he fixes it in the off-season with surgery or whatever
GlitchMarner
There was a Glitch and my username was switched
He can be frustrating.
I do think he's been hurt often in the playoffs, but that's a problem in itself. For a big guy, he's kind of soft (in the sense of being fragile and easily banged up).
This year he can't shoot normally, and a wicked shot is a big part of the guy's goal scoring.
He's not much of a dangler and doesn't drive to the net with speed or back guys up and isn't that dynamic. He plays a rather simple and straight forward game. You would expect his goal scoring style to translate better in the playoffs than it has. He seems to miss a lot of chances in tight in the post season for some reason. You don't need a great shot to score from right in front of the net (and he does that with relative easy in the regular season when he gets his chances to do so).
I do think he's been hurt often in the playoffs, but that's a problem in itself. For a big guy, he's kind of soft (in the sense of being fragile and easily banged up).
This year he can't shoot normally, and a wicked shot is a big part of the guy's goal scoring.
He's not much of a dangler and doesn't drive to the net with speed or back guys up and isn't that dynamic. He plays a rather simple and straight forward game. You would expect his goal scoring style to translate better in the playoffs than it has. He seems to miss a lot of chances in tight in the post season for some reason. You don't need a great shot to score from right in front of the net (and he does that with relative easy in the regular season when he gets his chances to do so).
bert
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bleedthenorth
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Sasha Orlov
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Crazy how he’s injured every year come playoff time
Menzinger
Kessel4LadyByng
While nobody will be able to answer you, we all should also know by now the NHL is notoriously lacking in transparency about player injury status. The phrase 'upper body injury's gets thrown around ad nauseam
We do know that Matthews mysteriously went to Germany of all places in November to see a specialist and little else is known.
Folks can take that as they will but I won't at all be surprised if he has a surgery this off-season.
Matthews likely deserves legitimate criticism for his lack of delivery in the post season over the course of his career - but that doesn't also mean he hasn't faced health issues some years, this one included.
