Why is Auston Matthews considered a top 10 player?

[BlueBaron]

There's simply a lot of good players that don't reside in Toronto.

Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, Backstrom, Stamkos, Hedman, Bergeron, Marchand, Tavares, Karlsson, Gaudreau, Scheiffle, Tarasenko, Hall, Wheeler, Benn, Seguin, Pietrangelo, Subban, Getzlaf, Kopitar, Doughty, Burns, Kane, Keith, Josi, Suter, Giroux, Voracek, Ekman-Larsson, etc..

Then you get into young players like McDavid, Eichel, Pastrnak, Draisatl, Kucherov, Barzal Boeser, McAvoy, etc.

There's just lot of talent spread throughout the league.

Who knew?

 

[Devonator]

He is not only a top ten player...I would say Auston is a top five player in the NHL and for years to come.

 

[CujosMask]

When reading peoples comments, its still amazing to me how much people are bothered by Matthews being a Maple Leaf.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

Lol...

Why is his post that funny?

Matthews is NOT an undisputed top 25 player in the league.

4 goals in first game, 40 goals in rookie season, and playing for Toronto.


I swear to god these three things have completely blinded people that they believe such BS.

I don't see how a 69 point season, then being PPG the next (in just 31 games) warrants an automatic top 25 inclusion.

Who does he GO AHEAD "FOR SURE"

Proven cup winners, and PPG players (EVEN TODAY) like Kopitar, Getzlaf, Marchand-Bergeron?

Please.

I'd LOVE to hear that argument.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

Ok, so which form of the out producing game are you playing with Eichel today? Can't be points because he has already done that, can't be points per game because he is currently doing that. Take your pick. I think Auston is fine either way.

Or is it out producing him on Fridays when they both eat spaghetti? Maybe over the last 1o3 games?

Gotta love you making it seem like I pick random things, as if to suggest a "100 game" (not 103 but hilarious hyperbole) is not a good lump sum to set a marker at.

Or ya know the only season Matthews has even played in and finished.



But go on and keep making it sound like I make 103 game cut-off's and Friday's.


I used 100 games.

and the 16-17 season.

Both those things, and that is it.

Both, Eichel out-produced and had a higher PPG.


AND, even in those threads no where did I claim EIchel was better.

I even said Matthews was better in those threads where I PROVED EIchel had better stats.

That's still not enough for some of you.

[mod]

 

[SmokeyDuck]

Because people overvalue potential when evaluating current talent. Top ten player now? No. In the future, most definitely.

 

[93LEAFS]

Gotta love you making it seem like I pick random things, as if to suggest a "100 game" (not 103 but hilarious hyperbole) is not a good lump sum to set a marker at.

Or ya know the only season Matthews has even played in and finished.



But go on and keep making it sound like I make 103 game cut-off's and Friday's.


I used 100 games.

and the 16-17 season.

Both those things, and that is it.

Both, Eichel out-produced and had a higher PPG.


AND, even in those threads no where did I claim EIchel was better.

I even said Matthews was better in those threads where I PROVED EIchel had better stats.

That's still not enough for some of you.

And people wonder why Leaf fans get this reputation.

The only stat Eichel is better at since both entered the league is PPG. Matthews beats him in pretty much everything else. He has better possession stats raw and relative, he scores at a more efficient rate. The primary difference is Eichel plays more on the PP, despite Matthews scoring more efficiently on the PP and his team being more efficient on the PP. For example, Eichel has played 13 less games but has played 40 more minutes on the Powerplay, and they have the exact same amount of powerplay points.

All you proved was Eichel had more points in very selective criteria. Matthews scores better in all situations per minute played, he's a better possession player by relative and raw numbers (except FF% Rel which favors Eichel). He gets more primary points. This is all while being a year younger. If you include all Eichel's career games (like I've done for Matthews), he blows Eichel out of the water.

 

[Kcb12345]

I'd say trade value-wise he's a top 5 player. But in terms of talent he hasn't been in the league long enough yet to be above those guys or with those guys, but also the reason he's up there now is because we all know he will keep this up for years to come. Also you forgot Seguin in your list

 

[BlueBaron]

Gotta love you making it seem like I pick random things, as if to suggest a "100 game" (not 103 but hilarious hyperbole) is not a good lump sum to set a marker at.

Or ya know the only season Matthews has even played in and finished.



But go on and keep making it sound like I make 103 game cut-off's and Friday's.


I used 100 games.

and the 16-17 season.

Both those things, and that is it.

Both, Eichel out-produced and had a higher PPG.


AND, even in those threads no where did I claim EIchel was better.

I even said Matthews was better in those threads where I PROVED EIchel had better stats.

That's still not enough for some of you.

And people wonder why Leaf fans get this reputation.

It's not hyperbole, it's mocking.

You kind of glossed over a few points. Last season Matthews outscored your boy but had lower ppg. This year Matthews is a few points behind due to injury but has the higher ppg. You guys used to tell us points per game was everything but have since gone silent on that. Eichel really does not compare well to Matthews.

You should have just left Eichel out of it and stuck with Dra. You weakened your cheap shot.

 

[CujosMask]

Gotta love you making it seem like I pick random things, as if to suggest a "100 game" (not 103 but hilarious hyperbole) is not a good lump sum to set a marker at.

Or ya know the only season Matthews has even played in and finished.



But go on and keep making it sound like I make 103 game cut-off's and Friday's.


I used 100 games.

and the 16-17 season.

Both those things, and that is it.

Both, Eichel out-produced and had a higher PPG.


AND, even in those threads no where did I claim EIchel was better.

I even said Matthews was better in those threads where I PROVED EIchel had better stats.

That's still not enough for some of you.

And people wonder why Leaf fans get this reputation.

You decided to cut of Matthews first dozen or so games for no other reason than to to be able to say on HFboards that Eichel out produces him, which he doesn't. Imagine how sad is for a second. Those are the facts.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

He needs to get those assist totals up.

 

[firstemperor]

AM is in no way a top 10 player now (tbh not even close), but he certainly has top 10 potential in the future.

I can see why outside fans think he's not....but IMO, he is a top 10 player and pretty comfortably, right now. Genuinely though....I can see why others are skeptical about the notion and how inconsistent it would be to place him as such. There are very, very few players that come through this sport where you could debate as such.....Matthews is one of the rare exceptions.

Particularly if you over-analyze his rookie numbers and use PPG as the end-all, his ES production is almost other worldly- particularly once you combine that with his usage (significantly less ice-time than his peers, #2 PP unit as opposed to #1 for many other superstar players, and other contextual factors- like Hyman being glued on his line no matter the alternative- you would think over the course of a long season and a half, line switching game-by-game would at least present other alternatives).

Obviously, there are others with more pedigree and all but the reality is this team is still rebuilding without Matthews. We are very fortunate to have him. For everyone that says/thinks we lucked out, we did. Though it was a bit of a well-designed gameplan and not a out-right tank job (as it was in the McDavid draft...and every other team that out-right tanked that year trying to compete the year after).

I don't think our rebuild would be drastically worst- as we still have good pieces, but getting Matthews just fast-tracked it- for better or worst. At the end of the day, you need a superstar type talent to win in this league.

 

[Quares27]

He needs to get those assist totals up.

he plays with Zach Hyman who is maybe a 5 goal/year player if he's playing in his proper role (3rd/4th liner)

 

[Lahey]

Oh wow surprise surprise. The only people in this thread saying he’s not a top 10 player are the same ones who have a clear agenda against the leafs and Matthews, like the sabres fan who cherry picked stats to somehow prove Eichel was better (LOL), and the oilers fan who basically was cheering when Matthews was concussed. Some of you really really need to grow up and appreciate what he does on the ice and for the game as a whole. The NHL is a better league with Austin Mathews, and he is absolutely a top 10 player based on his overall game and what he brings to the ice every night. The guy is even surpassing his pace from last year when he scored 40 as a rookie.. I don’t know what else the kid could do besides win a cup.

/rant.

 

[authentic]

He needs to get those assist totals up.

Why don't other players need to get those goal totals up?

 

[Lahey]

Why is his post that funny?

Matthews is NOT an undisputed top 25 player in the league.

4 goals in first game, 40 goals in rookie season, and playing for Toronto.


I swear to god these three things have completely blinded people that they believe such BS.

I don't see how a 69 point season, then being PPG the next (in just 31 games) warrants an automatic top 25 inclusion.

Who does he GO AHEAD "FOR SURE"

Proven cup winners, and PPG players (EVEN TODAY) like Kopitar, Getzlaf, Marchand-Bergeron?

Please.

I'd LOVE to hear that argument.

You not calling him a top 25 player proves to me you haven’t watched a single game he’s played. “40 goals in rookie season has blinded people”??? Yeah lemme just dismiss the fact that he scored 40 as a rook.. like how can you honestly even say these things? It’s very clear you have an agenda here, and it’s really not well hidden..

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Why don't other players need to get those goal totals up?

Because those players are already top 10 in scoring.

 

[Lahey]

Because those players are already top 10 in scoring.

???? He was referring to Hyman and such scoring more goals. Not sure what you are referring to though.

 

[BHD]

Even if he isn't 'right now', he's already a tremendous player at the age of 20. If he keeps improving, then he will be a Top 10 player as soon as next season, making this a moot point.

 

[Lahey]

Even if he isn't 'right now', he's already a tremendous player at the age of 20. If he keeps improving, then he will be a Top 10 player as soon as next season, making this a moot point.

Absolutely, even though I think he’s a top 10 player right now, I could see him ranked between 10-20 as well, but to say he’s not even a top 25 player is insane.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

he plays with Zach Hyman who is maybe a 5 goal/year player if he's playing in his proper role (3rd/4th liner)

Look who Crosby and Malkin have played with in their careers. Most of them aren't even in the league anymore. Matthews needs to find a way to make those around him better. He will, he's young.

 

[authentic]

Because those players are already top 10 in scoring.

The top ten players are all the top 10 in scoring?

 

[The Grim Reaper]

???? He was referring to Hyman and such scoring more goals. Not sure what you are referring to though.

I was referring to other players considered in the top 10. I didn't comment on Hyman. I said that Matthews needs to increase his assist totals, that's it.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

The top ten players are all the top 10 in scoring?

Lets start over, because I don't think we're on the same page. The reason Matthews isn't in the top 10 is because he suffers from poor assist totals. He's not making players around him considerably better. He's close to the top 10, because he's an elite goal scorer, but I don't think he's elite enough (50-60 goals a year) to make up for his shortcomings dishing the puck.

 

[Mallard]

I can see why outside fans think he's not....but IMO, he is a top 10 player and pretty comfortably, right now. Genuinely though....I can see why others are skeptical about the notion and how inconsistent it would be to place him as such. There are very, very few players that come through this sport where you could debate as such.....Matthews is one of the rare exceptions.

Particularly if you over-analyze his rookie numbers and use PPG as the end-all, his ES production is almost other worldly- particularly once you combine that with his usage (significantly less ice-time than his peers, #2 PP unit as opposed to #1 for many other superstar players, and other contextual factors- like Hyman being glued on his line no matter the alternative- you would think over the course of a long season and a half, line switching game-by-game would at least present other alternatives).

Obviously, there are others with more pedigree and all but the reality is this team is still rebuilding without Matthews. We are very fortunate to have him. For everyone that says/thinks we lucked out, we did. Though it was a bit of a well-designed gameplan and not a out-right tank job (as it was in the McDavid draft...and every other team that out-right tanked that year trying to compete the year after).

I don't think our rebuild would be drastically worst- as we still have good pieces, but getting Matthews just fast-tracked it- for better or worst. At the end of the day, you need a superstar type talent to win in this league.

Curious to what your top 10 list. This is a serious post and not a jab at you or anything, just curious.