Auston Matthews or Pavel Bure

[EverTheCynic]

It's already Matthews, At 25 he's done everything Pavel Bure did in his career and more.

Both won rookie of the year

Both won the rocket

Both scored 60 goals

Both have hit 100 points or more.

But only Matthews has won the hart

But only Matthews has won the Ted Lindsay

And only Bure led his team past the first round of the playoffs.

 

[Paul4587]

Bure wasn’t healthy enough to ever have a shot at winning this poll.

 

[centipede2233]

I swear people say this for every high-level 90s player lol. Reality is It's more likely that he'd look worse in today's league than he did in his own time given how much more talented the league is as a whole now

And then you realized bure played in a stressful time where he had the KGB on his *ss, screwed over and d*cked around by canucks management for years, played with 1990’s equipment, played in an era with 2 line passes were illegal, 5 on 5 overtimes, and never played with a in their prime star player on any team he played for.

 

[Team_Spirit]

Matthews production in the clutch and grab era would be similar to his playoffs numbers; below 1ppg

Bure.

 

[BoHorvat 53]

This is such an unfair, comparison because it’s comparing careers when one of the players had an injury ridiculed career and retired early because of his injuries. Give me peak Bure over any version of Matthews. Seeing it’s a Leaf’s fan who made this poll and it’s quite clear what the intentions are here I’m voting Bure.

 

[God]

Matthews is already pretty close to Bure’s career, and last year was better than any Bure season. It’d be shocking if he didn’t end up well ahead at this point. The only big advantage Bure has now is the ‘94 playoff run, but I’m sure Matthews will have a big run eventually as well, just like McDavid finally did this year.

Matthews has pretty much surpassed Bure already IMO because I find it impossible to believe his play will crater significantly within the next 5 seasons, but I don't think any of his individual seasons has been better than Bure's. People have mentioned the team point differential in 00-01 but in 99-00 he won the Richard with 58 goals, 14 more than the next guy (Owen Nolan).

 

[Hockey Outsider]

This point differential still blows my mind
View attachment 570781

Pavel Bure is one of only five players in NHL history to lead his team by 55+ points. (The others are Gretzky who did that 8 times, Lemieux who did that three times, and Yzerman and Kariya).

I don't think Matthews has surpassed Bure yet (if we're talking about all-time rankings). But Matthews will almost certainly pass him, barring something unfortunate/unexpected (ie career-ending injuring).

 

[Evergreen]

Bure is my all-time favorite player but Matthews gets my vote. It would be a different story if Bure could stay healthy.

 

[Frosty415]

AM anec

 

[MessierII]

Should end up Matthews. At this point it’s still kind of close but I’d even go Matthews now.

 

[McRpro]

Matthews has surpassed Bure already. The gap will only widen from here on out.

 

[David Suzuki]

Bure even close

 

[Stamkos4life]

Matthews is already pretty close to Bure’s career, and last year was better than any Bure season. It’d be shocking if he didn’t end up well ahead at this point. The only big advantage Bure has now is the ‘94 playoff run, but I’m sure Matthews will have a big run eventually as well, just like McDavid finally did this year.

This point differential still blows my mind
View attachment 570781

2022 Matthews is still not as good as peak Bure. Imagine having 45 more goals and 55 more poitns than your next highest teammate.

But due to injuries, matthews will most likely have the better career.

 

[thadd]

Bure put up impressive totals during the dead puck era.
Matthews wouldn't score 20 goals in a season with all that trapping.
Not unless you can convince me that he'd actually use his massive body to its full potential.

 

[LivingRentFree]

Bure put up impressive totals during the dead puck era.
Matthews wouldn't score 20 goals in a season with all that trapping.
Not unless you can convince me that he'd actually use his massive body to its full potential.

Ugh. Painful to read.

 

[Rengorlex]

Bure put up impressive totals during the dead puck era.
Matthews wouldn't score 20 goals in a season with all that trapping.
Not unless you can convince me that he'd actually use his massive body to its full potential.

Yeah, every player now would be a 4th liner in the hyperbolical dead puck era. And Bure would score 200 goals in two periods!

 

[Petey But Really Jim]

This one will definitely garner a “leafs special” vote

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

People keep bringing up Bure's 99/00 and 00/01 seasons but keep failing to mention that during that time he was the biggest cherry picker in league history. I watched him live more than once and there were many shifts where he forgot the defensive zone existed.

Answer is Matthews.

 

[Regal]

2022 Matthews is still not as good as peak Bure. Imagine having 45 more goals and 55 more poitns than your next highest teammate.

But due to injuries, matthews will most likely have the better career.

Disagree. Bure did what was asked of him that season, but he was certainly a much bigger cherry-picked than usual so his overall effect on the game was lacking compared to Matthews who was a dominant possession player this year and much better defensive player.

Besides that, the teammate factor gets overrated a bit due to injuries. Kozlov was a good player at the time, but missed 1/3 of the season, which hurt his final totals, and the team in general had lots of players moving in and out of the lineup and Bure played parts of the season with numerous players. If his linemates were more consistent, they likely would have scored more but it wouldn’t have made him any better or worse. It’s just the nature of opportunity through a lineup. Given how he would blow the zone for breakaways, and the fact that he also played huge minutes that season, with nearly 27 a game, I don’t think his team held him back as much as people want to believe.

Bure was 7th in points and only 11th in points per game. Matthews was 6th in points, but third in points per game, and not far off from a prime McDavid. Bure was nowhere near a prime Jagr’s points per game. Matthews also won the Hart and Lindsay. Bure was 9th in Hart voting and wasn’t a Lindsay finalist.

Now, Bure’s 99-00 year was a better comparison, as he did finish 2nd in points and 3rd in points per game, while still playing high, but more reasonable minutes, and was a better all around player for a half decent team. He also was a Hart and Lindsay finalist. It was also a pretty weak year for forward competition, while this year was a very good one, and again, his points per game was considerably behind a prime Jagr, while Matthews was much closer to a prime McDavid.

I love Bure, and grew up watching him on the Canucks, but he tends to get overrated on here. Matthews’ scoring was slightly better and his possession game this year was dominant. While he isn’t as fun to watch, he was just a more effective player overall.

 

[JD1]

Who's career is/will be better?

Why do Leaf fans always do this sort of thing? Barring a career limiting / ending injury, the answer is Matthews. Not necessarily because he's a better player but because the player you're comparing him too had a career limiting/ending injury.

It's kinda like a dog owner asking whether a dog or a cat is going to win a fight. We know the answer without asking.

Bure was a terrific hockey player whose career was severely hampered by injury. It does neither his career nor Matthews career justice to ask this question

But it does seem like an inferiority complex looking for reassurance

 

[Rengorlex]

It's kinda like a dog owner asking whether a dog or a cat is going to win a fight. We know the answer without asking.

The cat.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

Matthews already, and the gap should only widen with time.

Why do Leaf fans always do this sort of thing? Barring a career limiting / ending injury, the answer is Matthews. Not necessarily because he's a better player but because the player you're comparing him too had a career limiting/ending injury.

It's kinda like a dog owner asking whether a dog or a cat is going to win a fight. We know the answer without asking.

Bure was a terrific hockey player whose career was severely hampered by injury. It does neither his career nor Matthews career justice to ask this question

But it does seem like an inferiority complex looking for reassurance

Seems like you are feeling a bit sad that a Leaf player is actually winning a poll. Let me guess - you don't make this kind of post when the shoe is on the other foot? How dare a Leaf player win a poll!

 

[NextYear67]

Matthews NEIC

 

[Rob Brown]

Bure put up impressive totals during the dead puck era.
Matthews wouldn't score 20 goals in a season with all that trapping.
Not unless you can convince me that he'd actually use his massive body to its full potential.

What a mind bogglingly stupid post.

 

[GrizzGreen]

Bure played for like 11 seconds and didn't play defense. Super exciting and talented player, especially for his era though