That’s a pretty lazy argument if you ask me. It’s not like Nylander has not had opportunities to play with good players on the leafs. Nylander started his career playing with Matthews and even had opportunities to play with him later in his career too.
I mean all you have to do is look at the proof Tavares hit his career high with Marner. Matthews goal totals started going up once he got to play with Marner was well. I think there’s a mutually beneficial relationship there between goal scorers and Marner. He’s great for goal scorers and goal scorers are great for him.
Here are the 5v5 stats for Matthews, ordered by g/60 within each year. Its actually possible Marner is dragging Matthews goal totals down:
Ive added a category indicating number of goals if Matthews played 1200 5v5 mins with each player. 1200 mins was about what he and other top players played this past season:
**2016:**
1. 411 mins w/C. Brown = 2.19 g/60 → 43.8 goals
2. 975 mins w/Hyman = 1.72 g/60 → 34.4 goals
3. 624 mins w/Nylander = 1.34 g/60 → 26.8 goals
4. 70 mins w/Marner = 0 g/60 → 0 goals
**2017:**
1. 718 mins w/Nylander = 1.84 g/60 → 36.8 goals
2. 73 mins w/Marner = 1.64 g/60 → 32.8 goals
3. 790 mins w/Hyman = 1.52 g/60 → 30.4 goals
**2018:**
1. 432 mins w/Marleau = 1.80 g/60 → 36.0 goals
2. 88 mins w/Marner = 1.37 g/60 → 27.4 goals
**2019:**
1. 535 mins w/Marner = 1.79 g/60 → 35.8 goals
2. 541 mins w/Nylander = 1.34 g/60 → 26.8 goals
**2020:**
1. 99 mins w/Galchenyuk = 3.02 g/60 → 60.4 goals
2. 50 mins w/Nylander = 2.32 g/60 → 46.4 goals
3. 315 mins w/Hyman = 2.09 g/60 → 41.8 goals
4. 742 mins w/Marner = 1.94 g/60 → 38.8 goals
**2021:**
1. 850 mins w/Bunting = 2.33 g/60 → 46.6 goals
2. 741 mins w/Marner = 1.93 g/60 → 38.6 goals
**2022:**
1. 735 mins w/Bunting = 1.54 g/60 → 30.8 goals
2. 504 mins w/Nylander = 1.54 g/60 → 30.8 goals
3. 539 mins w/Marner = 1.33 g/60 → 26.6 goals
**2024:**
1. 17 mins w/Kampf = 3.39 g/60 → 67.8 goals
2. 206 mins w/Domi = 3.19 g/60 → 63.8 goals
3. 728 mins w/Marner = 1.54 g/60 → 30.8 goals
*** note that in 2019 his g/60 was highest with Marner but his p/60 were similar ro Marners with numerous players. Meaning he collected more assists with those players than with Marner.
- -Matthews paced 35 even strength goals with Hyman in his rookie season! In a sample size of 975 mins, which is only a couple hundred mins short of the 1200 min total.
- A pace Marner/Matthews only exceeded by more than 1 goal once and it was just 4 goals.
- Marner/Matthews have fallen below Matthews/Hyman rookie g/60 numerous times, including the last two seasons.