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.