Who Would You Rather Have Going Forward? Drai or Matthews

[namttebih]

Contracts shouldn't matter here. The to of them (salaries) are going to be playing leapfrog for the next decade

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Matthews. He's actually shown that he is a capable #1 centre and he performs in the playoffs.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Matthews. He's actually shown that he is a capable #1 centre and he performs in the playoffs.

Better check up on that.
One has 0.87 P/gp in playoffs, and one has 1.46 p/gp.

 

[Duffy13]

Voting Drai, its bad enough already having a couple ex Leafs and having that fanbase inundate every topic whining about the past.

 

[Plural]

They never met in the NHL playoffs.

Draisaitl did however put up this impressive stat line in his first trip to the NHL finals:

0 points in game #1 (Oilers lose 3-0)
0 points in game #2 (Oilers lose 4-1)
0 points in game #3 (Oilers lose 4-3)
2 assists in game #4 (Oilers win 8-1)
0 points in game #5 (Oilers win 5-3)
1 assist in game #6 (Oilers win 5-1)
0 points in game #7 (Oilers lose 2-1)

Connor McDavid does the heavy lifting for the Edmonton Oilers, Draisaitl gets to ride shotgun.

What's Matthews statline in finals?

 

[MessierII]

They never met in the NHL playoffs.

Draisaitl did however put up this impressive stat line in his first trip to the NHL finals:

0 points in game #1 (Oilers lose 3-0)
0 points in game #2 (Oilers lose 4-1)
0 points in game #3 (Oilers lose 4-3)
2 assists in game #4 (Oilers win 8-1)
0 points in game #5 (Oilers win 5-3)
1 assist in game #6 (Oilers win 5-1)
0 points in game #7 (Oilers lose 2-1)

Connor McDavid does the heavy lifting for the Edmonton Oilers, Draisaitl gets to ride shotgun.

Matthew’s stat line in the first round is so pedestrian that he hasn’t even sniffed a finals.

 

[bobholly39]

Neutral fan - Drai. But it's close.

Positives:

- Playoffs. Biggest differentiator - he's been a beast in playoffs
- Higher overall offensive ceiling than Matthews so far

Negatives:

- He's never been #1 on a team. Doesn't mean he couldn't do it - but there's always at least a question mark.
- I suspect Matthews will age better. Just a gut feeling. Still - don't think that has much impact over next ~3-5 years, it's more long-term.

It's really about the playoffs, why I pick Draisaitl.

 

[PuckG]

Draisaitl.

If you remove names/teams and just post their stats over the past 5 years including the playoffs, Draisaitl wins this by a landslide.

 

[Fatass]

Matthews. Both really good, but give me the guy who is better without the puck. Matthews will win a Selke while Draisatl will never be in that conversation.

 

[CanadienShark]

I'm a big fan of Draisaitl. He's my choice, but either is a fair choice.

 

[Duke74]

Matthews. He's actually shown that he is a capable #1 centre and he performs in the playoffs.

Monday morning humor is always a good thing.

 

[wetcoast]

Taking Drai. More versatile offensive player (can playmake and score). Far better playoff performer. Locked up for 9 more years vs 4.

Sure but Draisaitl is 2 years older so there is that.

I'd probably take drai but those 2 years and the going forward part it's hard not to take AM and then surround him with a team that works.

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

Draisaitl
Draisaitl can score goals, is good at playmaking, performs in the playoffs and his name is easier to spell.
Matthews can score goals...

 

[zenator]

Quite easily the guy with 108 points in 74 playoff games over the guy with 48 points in 55 playoff games and 1 goal in his last 10 playoff games.

Not to mention Drai has 8-9 games left on his contract vs 4-5 for Matthews.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Matthews. He is the man on his team. Until we see if drai is Drai without 97. There will always be ????

 

[Three On Zero]

Quite easily the guy with 108 points in 74 playoff games over the guy with 48 points in 55 playoff games and 1 goal in his last 10 playoff games.

Not to mention Drai has 8-9 games left on his contract vs 4-5 for Matthews.

Going to make for an interesting season when they both walk off amidst contract negotiations

 

[hamzarocks]

Sure but Draisaitl is 2 years older so there is that.

I'd probably take drai but those 2 years and the going forward part it's hard not to take AM and then surround him with a team that works.

The failure of the TML's is on Auaton Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly.

You can fault management, ownership, depth guys, but its this group that has been here the longest, this group that is paid very highly to try and deliver and this group that fails repetedly.

There is no surroundung these guys with a team that works.

This is a team that has been tinkered half a dozen times already in 8 years

The core chokes, the stars underproduce, that wont change by changing a 2nd or 3rd liner.

Surrounding Matthews with a better team to win means giving him a Makar and Mackinnon or Kucherov & Hedman so he can go and drop to be the 3rd best player on the team (rantanen and point level) and try to win a cup

Matthews is a current generation/day Stamkos at the moment. Leafs havent got a kucherov, Hedman, Vas and, Point to allow him to become a supporting player on a deep cup winner where the other core guys take pressure and allow him to underproduce and still win.

We cant afford to with how much he makes, and how he us supposed to be our franchise guy ala Crosby, Mcdavid, Mak, Kuch, OV etc

Matthews needs to step up and deliver. Needs to find a way to mantain his regular season goal scoring and play come playoffs. He does that consistently, and he can be said to be better than Draisaitl going forward.

 

[wetcoast]

The failure of the TML's is on Auaton Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly.

You can fault management, ownership, depth guys, but its this group that has been here the longest, this group that is paid very highly to try and deliver and this group that fails repetedly.

There is no surroundung these guys with a team that works.

Sounds like you, like many, have a Maple Leafs problem and can't isolate the player from the team.

This is a team that has been tinkered half a dozen times already in 8 years

Not much tinkering can be done is a salary cap league.

The core chokes, the stars underproduce, that wont change by changing a 2nd or 3rd liner.

Surrounding Matthews with a better team to win means giving him a Makar and Mackinnon or Kucherov & Hedman so he can go and drop to be the 3rd best player on the team (rantanen and point level) and try to win a cup

Okay captain obvious I'm sure most teams that make the playoffs would become a SC contender if you give them a player in the caliber of Makar/Mack/Kucherov/Hedman even more so if that team gets the duo.

Sorry but if your teams best Dman is Morgan Reilly and you don't have an elite goalie you aren't going to win a SC.

Sure the Leafs core is missing something but it's also been exaggerated ad nauseum because it's the Leafs.

The Sharks had similar problems and maybe 10% of the noise.

Matthews is a current generation/day Stamkos at the moment. Leafs havent got a kucherov, Hedman, Vas and, Point to allow him to become a supporting player on a deep cup winner where the other core guys take pressure and allow him to underproduce and still win.

Sure except that he scored more and has better defense then won SC's with the addition of Kuch, Hedman, Point and Vasi like you point out.

We cant afford to with how much he makes, and how he us supposed to be our franchise guy ala Crosby, Mcdavid, Mak, Kuch, OV etc

Matthews needs to step up and deliver. Needs to find a way to mantain his regular season goal scoring and play come playoffs. He does that consistently, and he can be said to be better than Draisaitl going forward.

He has done that at times but I agree something needs to change for his legacy but sadly for some twisted people it's a SC or nothing.

Matthews. He is the man on his team. Until we see if drai is Drai without 97. There will always be ????

This is such a sad and tired false narrative almost as weak as the one where people say AM isn't a top 10 player in the league because of playoffs.

 

[hamzarocks]

Sounds like you, like many, have a Maple Leafs problem and can't isolate the player from the team.


Not much tinkering can be done is a salary cap league.






Okay captain obvious I'm sure most teams that make the playoffs would become a SC contender if you give them a player in the caliber of Makar/Mack/Kucherov/Hedman even more so if that team gets the duo.

Sorry but if your teams best Dman is Morgan Reilly and you don't have an elite goalie you aren't going to win a SC.

Sure the Leafs core is missing something but it's also been exaggerated ad nauseum because it's the Leafs.

The Sharks had similar problems and maybe 10% of the noise.




Sure except that he scored more and has better defense then won SC's with the addition of Kuch, Hedman, Point and Vasi like you point out.


He has done that at times but I agree something needs to change for his legacy but sadly for some twisted people it's a SC or nothing.


This is such a sad and tired false narrative almost as weak as the one where people say AM isn't a top 10 player in the league because of playoffs.

The failure of the TML is on 34, 16, 91, 88, 44, the players have failed the organization, not the organization failing the players

Matthews drops from a top ~6 player league wide to a borderline top 30 player in the playoffs. Impossible to win when that is the best player leading your team.

The pens won a cup in 2017 with no Morgan Rielly level D, Caps won in 2018 with Carlson who Rielly isnt much worse then, the Panthers won with Montour/Forsling as their best D just this year.

Matthews being a stamkos type player to win a cup is the whole problem. How do the leafs add a Kuch, Vas, Hedman, Point?

The sharks core got a ton of hate too, but there team was almost at the finish line with 4 WCF runs and a SCF run.

Leafs havent unfortunately had that level of success even, if the leafs had an ECF run or two right now, the leeway ajd patience would be higher by the fanbase

Matthews has to elevate his game, as does marner, nylander etc. They can't be expected to be bailed out, they take 50+% of the cap and need to find a way to bring consistency and production

 

[HabzSauce]

It might be the injury, it could also be a case of no longer getting to beat up on weak teams like the Kings and the Canucks. Dallas and Florida are much stronger teams.

Draisaitl tore it up in 2022 playoffs too. Including 6 points vs stacked Avs team

 

[McVespa99]

I know. I meant Celeste would be better than any fiance that Auston would have lmao

Hard to say. Being rich and famous helps a guy punch waaaay above his weight class

 

[Kingfan1967]

Mathews as the #1 gets the tougher matchups, Drai is the #2 (anyone would be behind McDavid) and gets the slightly easier matchups , this tips it to Mathews for me.

 

[Wallet Inspector]

Some people in this thread are nuts, Draisaitl is already one of the best playoff performers of all time on a point per game basis.

 

[PuckG]

People are really using a 7 game playoff sample size while Draisaitl was injured while simultaneously ignoring another 67 playoff games to justify their point or bridge the massive gap between the two players in the playoffs.

What a god awful argument.

 

[PuckG]

Matthews. He is the man on his team. Until we see if drai is Drai without 97. There will always be ????

“The man on his team who doesn’t show up in the playoffs” vs “Not the man on his team who shows up in the playoffs.”

The same argument can be applied to Rantanen or Makar/MacKinnon (whoever you deem is the worse player). Until we see what the worse of the two can do without the other. There will always be ????

This, in fact, applies to every good player who plays with another I guess.