Where does Auston Matthews rank on a list of top forwards?

[Erik Alfredsson]

1. McDavid

2. Draisaitl

3. MacKinnon

4. Kucherov

5. Pastrnak

6. M. Tkachuk

7. Crosby

8. Marner

9. Rantanen

10. Robertson

11. Hughes

12. Panarin

13. Matthews

I think there's a few other guys you could argue in that 10-20 range, but he's about 13th.

 

[Juxta Position]

1. McDavid
2. Mackinnon
3. Drai
4. Kucherov
5. Tkachuk
6. Pastrnak
7. Matthews
8. Rantanen
9. Marner
10. Robertson/Pettersson?

Bedard, Hughes and Stützle likely jump in there over the next 2-3 years.

Pastrnak and Tkachuk clearly passed Matthews this year IMO. He can clearly be a Top 5 guy as seen last year but still his inability to stay healthy (whether due to bad luck or something else) for a full season and his inability to elevate his game in the playoffs keeps him out of the Top 5 for me.

my list is similar but I have it like this:

1. McDavid
2. Draisaitl
3. Mackinnon
4. Kucherov
5. Rantanen
6. Pastrnak
7. Tkachuk
8. Marner
9. Matthews
10. Hughes


I guess it's not that similar....

 

[shakes the clown]

1. McDavid

2. Draisaitl

3. MacKinnon

4. Kucherov

5. Pastrnak

6. M. Tkachuk

7. Crosby

8. Marner

9. Rantanen

10. Robertson

11. Hughes

12. Panarin

13. Matthews

I think there's a few other guys you could argue in that 10-20 range, but he's about 13th.

are you dropping Matthews because of his playoff performance? If so, then your list is very hypocritical with Robertson and Panarin being ahead of Matthews.

 

[EverTheCynic]

People voting outside the top 10, post your top 10.

He had a down year, guy literally won the Hart/Rocket last year over McDavid.

Regular season doesn't matter. It's 82 games long and necessitates the game devolving into glorified pond hockey in order to play the postseason even moderately healthy.

Playoff hockey is when teams start playing the game properly. It is objectively different. Who cares about regular season? How has he been in the playoffs?

Not great? Yeah, ok. Then he's a not great player so far.

 

[sr edler]

Matthews' a little weird. Appears to have all the tools at his disposal, but during his 60 goal season Marner was the engine on that line, cho cho-ing around left and right, all over the ice.

 

[Zubrus Coffee Maker]

Matthews is a tough one to list, I put him at 10 but only because of this season. If have him neck and neck with Makar as guys with incredible seasons on their resume, but didnt have great years. Im obviously biased but my list goes like this:

1. Mcdavid
2. Draisaitl
3. Mackinnon
4. Kucherov
5. Pastrnak
6. Tkachuk
7. Rantanen
8. Hughes
9. Marner
10. Matthews

 

[Haatley]

Just above Mackinnon and equal with pasta and tkachuk. So 4th -6th

Mackinnon is the best of the players you mentioned.

 

[acor]

Among forwards??? Between 2 and 10, seriously.... There is McDavid in a tier of his own, and then group of players who are interchangeable from season to season... Hard to definetly say one of better than the other.

 

[authentic]

1. McDavid
2. Mackinnon
3. Drai
4. Kucherov
5. Tkachuk
6. Pastrnak
7. Matthews
8. Rantanen
9. Marner
10. Robertson/Pettersson?

Bedard, Hughes and Stützle likely jump in there over the next 2-3 years.

Pastrnak and Tkachuk clearly passed Matthews this year IMO. He can clearly be a Top 5 guy as seen last year but still his inability to stay healthy (whether due to bad luck or something else) for a full season and his inability to elevate his game in the playoffs keeps him out of the Top 5 for me.

Gotta love people ranking Tkachuk ahead with 1 elite season lol

4th for me(after Kucherov aswell, higher regular season peak, just as good in playoffs and also a ppg warrior last seasons). Could see an argument for Pastrnak aswell but I would have him 4th.

MacKinnon is better than Kucherov. His regular season peak was 4 years ago and was an anomaly in his career due to a drastically unsustainable powerplay Tampa had for 50 games.

 

[authentic]

are you dropping Matthews because of his playoff performance? If so, then your list is very hypocritical with Robertson and Panarin being ahead of Matthews.

Other than this season he's been way better than Tkachuk in the regular season and playoffs too. Same with Jack Hughes

my list is similar but I have it like this:

1. McDavid
2. Draisaitl
3. Mackinnon
4. Kucherov
5. Rantanen
6. Pastrnak
7. Tkachuk
8. Marner
9. Matthews
10. Hughes


I guess it's not that similar....

Marner and Tkachuk are not better than Matthews

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Tough call. I think he was arguably the second best last year and this year was outside the top 10. I’d average it out to 7th or 8th.
McDavid, Draisaitl, McKinnon, Tkachuk, Kucherov and Pastrnak ahead of him for sure and Jack Hughes likely to pass him this year.

 

[jonlin]

1. McDavid
2. MacKinnon
3. Draisaitl
4. Kucherov

5-10. Matthews, Pasta, Rantanen, Barkov, Tkachuk, Pettersson in no order

I need to see more from Robertson, Thompson, Hintz etc. before I rank them. Espesially Robertson has been mediocre in playoffs when away from Hintz. Hintz on the other hand has been elite even separated from JRob.

 

[Play]

1. McDavid
2. MacKinnon
3. Draisaitl
4. Kucherov

5-10. Matthews, Pasta, Rantanen, Barkov, Tkachuk, Pettersson in no order

I need to see more from Robertson, Thompson, Hintz etc. before I rank them. Espesially Robertson has been mediocre in playoffs when away from Hintz. Hintz on the other hand has been elite even separated from JRob.

Damn good ranking and explanation.

Can you do one for defenders too please?

 

[independent observer]

Where does Auston Matthews rank on a list of top forwards?

McDavid
Draisaitl
MacKinnon
Kucherov
Pasternak
Tkachuk
Hintz
Hughes
Bedard
Rantanen
Barkov
Crosby
Hischier (best two way forward)


This puts him not even in the top 10-20 area…

Last year I would have had him higher… maybe at no. 5 after Kucherov

 

[jonlin]

Damn good ranking and explanation.

Can you do one for defenders too please?

This is my ranking. It`s based on the last 2-3yrs. I dont like to rank players on one season only:

1. Cale Makar
2. Adam Fox
3. Roman Josi
4. Victor Hedman
5. Rasmus Dahlin
6. Miro Heiskanen
7. Quinn Hughes
8. Erik Karlsson
9. Jacob Slavin
10. Alex Pietrangelo

HM. Rielly, McAvoy, Lindholm, Morrissey, Doughty, Letang.

Montour is up there this year, but too small sample.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

I’d have him about 7th and trending down

 

[Ace of Hades]

1. McDavid
2. MacKinnon
3. Draisaitl
4. Kucherov
5. Pastrnak
6. Rantanen
7. Matthews
8. Tkachuk
9. Pettersson
10. Thompson/Barkov

Around 7th

 

[Haatley]

Gotta love people ranking Tkachuk ahead with 1 elite season lol



MacKinnon is better than Kucherov. His regular season peak was 4 years ago and was an anomaly in his career due to a drastically unsustainable powerplay Tampa had for 50 games.

Tkachuk has back to back 40 goal seasons. Back to back 100+ point seasons. But... let's pretend this year was his first "elite" season.

 

[authentic]

Tkachuk has back to back 40 goal seasons. Back to back 100+ point seasons. But... let's pretend this year was his first "elite" season.

1 elite playoff season* and 2 entire elite regular seasons lol

And now he's some playoff legend

Before this season in the playoffs:

Tkachuk 15 points in 27 games and was a minus player every time except once, twice including this year

Matthews 33 points in 39 games and was only a minus player twice out of 6, 7 including this year

Doesn't really seem too convincing does it?

 

[ORRFForever]

Depends what you're looking for. If you have a tough team and you want someone who can put the puck in the net, Top 10.

If you need someone to bring toughness to the team and help you win the playoffs - like Florida did, you'd have a lot of players in front of him.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Tkachuk and Pasta have zero business being ahead. Recency bias is alive and well.

Other than this season he's been way better than Tkachuk in the regular season and playoffs too. Same with Jack Hughes



Marner and Tkachuk are not better than Matthews

Pastrnak isn’t either. This year (his peak to date) he was about as good offensively as Matthews was last year without playing centre or being as good defensively.

 

[koyvoo]

I’d have him about 7th and trending down

But goal scorers generally peak at age of 26+…

 

[Sasha Orlov]

But goal scorers generally peak at age of 26+…

Yeah you're right, he's gonna score 70 next year

 

[Haatley]

1 elite playoff season* and 2 entire elite regular seasons lol

And now he's some playoff legend

Before this season in the playoffs:

Tkachuk 15 points in 27 games and was a minus player every time except once, twice including this year

Matthews 33 points in 39 games and was only a minus player twice out of 6, 7 including this year

Doesn't really seem too convincing does it?

So Matthews has had one elite regular season. Last year.

Tkachuk does so much more than score points. He is far better defensively, draws penalties, hits, fights. Matthews is scoring goals or doing nothing.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Hard to say cause he has been underwhelming in playoffs. Even players like Hintz and Tkachuk are doing better in playoffs.