Matthews vs Draisaitl: Better player to build around

[Varan]

Kinda yes until this year. He has good defensive metrics this year. And is rumored to be in the selke running. I'd say he should finish top 15 but he may get overrated and finish top 7.

Him being good in his end doesn't close the gap considering Drai is capable of playing defense as well.

I have no clue about the Selke. This is the first time I'm hearing this.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

it's close. In a vacuum I take Matthews but factoring in contracts, give me Draisaitl.
The analytics guy for Kingston (link to page below) recently ranked his top 20 centers, wingers and defensemen, and Draisaitl and Matthews came in as his 5th and 6th best center in the league.
Certainly close.

Bryce Chevallier (L'Architecte) (@FauxCentre) on Twitter

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I'd say defense and playmaking are weaknesses for Matthews.

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

Him being good in his end doesn't close the gap considering Drai is capable of playing defense as well.

I have no clue about the Selke. This is the first time I'm hearing this.

I still said drai. I was just answering ur question. Also regardless of what drai could do his defensive metrics were god awful this year.

 

[CatchyTune]

Matthews. Doesnt need the best player in the league for a point boost.

 

[CupofOil]

Draisaitl is great on his own and makes others around him a lot better. Matthews is great on his own but I don't think he makes others better around him to the extent that Drai does.

Either way, it's close. I know some will say that Drai is much better because of his explosion this season but I also think Matthews gets a bit underrated (believe it or not) on HF because the media and Leafs Nation Matthews hype irritates non-Leafs HF posters.

 

[CupofOil]

Matthews. Doesnt need the best player in the league for a point boost.

He separated from everybody in the Art Ross race away from McDavid and was also a massive plus player so.... Unless you think that his point boost was due to RNH and Yamamoto.
And FTR, he drove the McDavid line for long stretches before they were split.

 

[Holymakinaw]

Drasaitl is the better player offensively right now, for sure.

But I think Matthews will end up the better player. Not only will he be a constant 50-goal-a-year threat, but he's already showing very good defensive ability, which Drasaitl simply does not.

 

[kevsh]

Not to duck on this but it depends on what you value more.

Matthews has that lethal shot is clearly stronger defensively but would probably benefit more (i.e. produce more) from have complimentary linemates. Draisaitl is better at driving offense overall (creating plays, passing and as that graphic on P2 pointed out, zone exits). And yeah, he can shoot too.

Now that I think about it, they are pretty much perfect compliments to each other; Together they would be an absolutely terrifying duo to face. Personally, I'd go with Draisaitl by a whisker as I believe Matthews' success would be more dependent on who he is surrounded with.

 

[CatchyTune]

He separated from everybody in the Art Ross race away from McDavid and was also a massive plus player so.... Unless you think that his point boost was due to RNH and Yamamoto.
And FTR, he drove the McDavid line for long stretches before they were split.

 

[filinski77]

I would go with Draisaitl, because I would take the actual production, and established level of elite-ness over the potential that may or may not happen.

Here are Matthews and Drai's league-wide point and goal per game rankings since they became full time NHLers:

Season #	Year	Matthews - P/GP	Matthews G/GP		Season #	Year	Draisaitl P/GP	Draisaitl G/GP
1	16/17	28	4		1	14/15	N/A	N/A
2	17/18	21	2		2	15/16	72	94
3	18/19	21	7		3	16/17	10	37
4	19/20	14	4		4	17/18	41	74
					5	18/19	4	2
					6	19/20	1	5

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

You can see that Draisaitl (other than his 17/18 season) has had great progress every year of his career, whereas Matthews has not really progressed as a goalscorer, and only marginally as a point producer. I find unreasonable to just state "Matthews is 2 years younger so he will get better and continue to get better compared to the league", because it is totally possible he stays in the 10-20 range in points, and 2-7 range in goals.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I would take the sure thing in Draisaitl. He is already a back to back 100 + player, he can score goals equally as well as setting up goals, and he has a physical edge to his game.

Matthews may equal Draisaitl at some point. But I am not sure he will ever be as good as Draisaitl is at making his teammates better as evidenced in both players assists totals. He may, but one has to take the sure thing right now.

Draisaitl is a 50 goal scorer, and Art Ross trophy winner. To outscore McDavid on the same team in actual points and PPG says something about Leon as a player.

 

[CatchyTune]

it's close. In a vacuum I take Matthews but factoring in contracts, give me Draisaitl.
The analytics guy for Kingston (link to page below) recently ranked his top 20 centers, wingers and defensemen, and Draisaitl and Matthews came in as his 5th and 6th best center in the league.
Certainly close.

Bryce Chevallier (L'Architecte) (@FauxCentre) on Twitter

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Do you happen to know where to find graphs like these? I knew I saw this somewhere on twitter but couldnt find it. Shows Matthews is elite defensively, to much dismay of leaf haters.

 

[CupofOil]

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Ok and ???

The RNH-Draisaitl-Yamamoto line was one of the best in the NHL in 2020.
RNH was a top 10 scorer in the NHL in 2020 and Yamamoto a PPG player (almost exclusively at even strength) on Draisaitl's wing. His point boost increased away from McDavid so...
This Draisaitl is a product of McDavid BS needs to stop. It's idiotic.

 

[Pyrophorus]

So if Draisaitl decided to become as good as Matthews defensively his points would have dropped from 110 to 100 points. Matthews had 80 points. That's still 20 points separation.

So, 10pts is arbitrary?

 

[Pyrophorus]

Wake me up when Matthews wins an Art Ross and a Hart.

Wake me, when he wins a Selke.

 

[bobholly39]

Voted Draisaitl.

I'm super high on Matthews - and for past couple of years now he'd be my #2 to build around after McDavid (yes, above even MacKinnon for a few reasons). But - it's hard for me to ignore Drai's season this year. His raw offensive output was absolutely ridiculous. I think a year form now we'll get a better sense if this season was simply a perfect storm/fluke, or if he can repeat that ~115-120+ point pace. But for now - I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and pick him first.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I would take the sure thing in Draisaitl. He is already a back to back 100 + player, he can score goals equally as well as setting up goals, and he has a physical edge to his game.

Matthews may equal Draisaitl at some point. But I am not sure he will ever be as good as Draisaitl is at making his teammates better as evidenced in both players assists totals. He may, but one has to take the sure thing right now.

Draisaitl is a 50 goal scorer, and Art Ross trophy winner. To outscore McDavid on the same team in actual points and PPG says something about Leon as a player.

Has Draisaitl ever had an assist like this?



So you can not say Matthews doesn't setup goals for his teammates.

 

[Llamamoto]

Wake me, when he wins a Selke.

You're implying that Matthews has won a Selke....

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

it's close. In a vacuum I take Matthews but factoring in contracts, give me Draisaitl.
The analytics guy for Kingston (link to page below) recently ranked his top 20 centers, wingers and defensemen, and Draisaitl and Matthews came in as his 5th and 6th best center in the league.
Certainly close.

Bryce Chevallier (L'Architecte) (@FauxCentre) on Twitter

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Do you happen to know where to find graphs like these? I knew I saw this somewhere on twitter but couldnt find it. Shows Matthews is elite defensively, to much dismay of leaf haters.

These same graphs show that Matthews is Couturier is better defensively and they’re determined by the subjective opinion of the author rather than objective evidence.

 

[Llamamoto]

Has Draisaitl ever had an assist like this?



So you can not say Matthews doesn't setup goals for his teammates.

Citing random highlights means practically nothing.

Although yeah, Draisaitl has had some better assists.

 

[Pyrophorus]

You're implying that Matthews has won a Selke....

You're right, I was unclear-I'm implying that Drai never will.

 

[CupofOil]

Has Draisaitl ever had an assist like this?



So you can not say Matthews doesn't setup goals for his teammates.

Drai does stuff like that a couple of times a game (maybe not the spin move but those type of passes) and then there was this...

 

[FlameChampion]

I think you have to go with Draisaitl.

I think Matthews is probably the better talent, his shot is filthy. Draisaitl just seems more mature, more driven, more committed to me and has a more rounded game. He has continuously gotten better. Matthews while talented, is much more inconsistent.

 

[CatchyTune]

Ok and ???

The RNH-Draisaitl-Yamamoto line was one of the best in the NHL in 2020.
RNH was a top 10 scorer in the NHL in 2020 and Yamamoto a PPG player (almost exclusively at even strength) on Draisaitl's wing. His point boost increased away from McDavid so...
This Draisaitl is a product of McDavid BS needs to stop. It's idiotic.

Just looked at his game logs. Mcdavid was involved in 51 of his points. He is still a great scorer, but to ignore Connor freakin Mcdavid as a factor cant be neglected.

 

[CatchyTune]

These same graphs show that Matthews is Couturier is better defensively and they’re determined by the subjective opinion of the author rather than objective evidence.

I'm not saying he is that good. But Matthews is a very good defensive player. The whole "loafer" thing is ridiculous. Didnt Babcock say he could be a top defensive center one day?

Not saying he is what he isnt. But he has the upper hand on Draisaitl no doubt. I dont like +/- as a stat, but can we really ignore Draisaitl leading the league in points with 110 and still being a -7?