Player Discussion Auston Matthews Discussion

[hamzarocks]

Matthews not even top 3 for Hart, surprised.

He didnt deserve it tbh

He was pacing 30+ pts back of the three finalists who all had challanges on their own team and narratives for their unique hart win

Panarin had a reg season pretty similar to Matthews where goals can be given the edge.

Mack/Kuch/Mcd were just way to far ahead

 

[authentic]

69 goals and a Selke nominated season but no Hart nomination is wild to me.

I don’t care what anyone says Matthews is a better and more valuable player than Kucherov

 

[Buds17]

There were valid reasons to have Matthews as a Hart finalist (goals, centre, defensive acumen). I can understand why point totals will typically mean the most to voters though (and I'm very much a proponent of points being king myself). This crop of nominees just happened to be incredible and one of the four was unfortunately going to be left on the outside looking in.

 

[Martin Skoula]

The Selke nomination is a big stretch and the Hart finalists show it.

Not surprised Matthews isn’t up for the Hart.. the other three are a whole step up offensively this year as far as driving the play.

People will say but goals.. but apparently the voters don’t care.

The Selke voters are biased idiots for nominating him, but the Hart voters got the finalists perfect because they’re scholars and gentlemen.

 

[Gabriel426]

MacK had a slower start to his career than AM, but NM is clearly better in the playoffs.

MacK had 10 pts in his first playoff year. It took AM till his third playoffs to surpass 10 pts total.

NM has much better goals and pts / game than AM in playoffs even though AM is supposed to be a sniper.

At one point, Mack was moved to RW bc the coach thought he can't handle being a C and hope to get his career back on track. It really took ROR and Duchense to be traded away for Mack to become the Mack he is today. Funny how the Avs got FOUR great young forwards in Landy, Mack, ROR and Duchense, and traded two away and then become a true contender with a Cup in hand.

 

[Buds17]

The Selke nomination is a big stretch and the Hart finalists show it.

Not surprised Matthews isn’t up for the Hart.. the other three are a whole step up offensively this year as far as driving the play.

People will say but goals.. but apparently the voters don’t care.

I think The Selke nomination for Matthews is very much deserved. I'm not overly surprised or disappointed that he missed the cut for The Hart.

 

[Gabriel426]

I think The Selke nomination for Matthews is very much deserved. I'm not overly surprised or disappointed that he missed the cut for The Hart.

Same feeling. I think whoever missed out on the Hart deserves to be there. Lets say AM took the place of Mack, it doesn't mean Mack is not deserved to be in the top 3. One of the four will be out and I don't think it is an insult to AM.

 

[alliuk12]

Trade him and get someone who is willing to go in the corner after the puck and can do something in the playoffs the team plays better when he’s not in the lineup i think it was 37 to 20 wins when he’s out of the lineup

 

[hullsy47]

Trade him and get someone who is willing to go in the corner after the puck and can do something in the playoffs the team plays better when he’s not in the lineup i think it was 37 to 20 wins when he’s out of the lineup

nm the concrrn is getting mathews to dominate and be ready to captain this team

 

[HamiltonNHL]

It was tough. I got really, really sick after Game 2,” Matthews said. “Played in Game 3, obviously just kind of going through that. I was still just kind of trying to recover going into Game 4, took a weird hit and couldn’t go on any longer.

What is his sickness ? It’s not physical.

 

[hamzarocks]

I don’t care what anyone says Matthews is a better and more valuable player than Kucherov

Nope

Gladly trade Matthews for Kucherov if they were the same age

Kucherov is trending to be an all time legend just like Matthews

He can pass a lot of guys all time if he can win 1 more ross

5 year age gap makes Matthews more valuable to leep from team building perspective but on ice this year and most years outside of 2022 Kucherov is the better player.

Matthews does have next 5 year period to show he can reach that level and see if he can win an ross + another hart and lindsay. His prime for competing for NHL awards is next 4-5 years now

Kucherov has maybe 1 or 2 years left at that level

 

[HamiltonNHL]

AM is our greatest asset, it just might be that our asset isn’t that great relative to others

His game doesnt translate into the playoffs.

His elite shooting doesnt have lanes and opportunities dry up in the post season.

Nylander's elite shot COMBINED with his elite skating, burst speed enable him to score in the post season.

Matthews is the only player who is described as elite, who has non-elite puck carrying and passing skills.

 

[Martin Skoula]

His game doesnt translate into the playoffs.

His elite shooting doesnt have lanes and opportunities dry up in the post season.

Nylander's elite shot COMBINED with his elite skating, burst speed enable him to score in the post season.

Matthews is the only player who is described as elite, who has non-elite puck carrying and passing skills.

It’s a 0 sum game though, if his lanes are blocked and he’s getting double teamed, someone else has to be wide open. Problem is Nylander has been his only linemate in his entire career that’s even remotely a shooting threat. Even if you negate his shot, he’s still an elite garbage man around the net but same problem there, we don’t have a single D or non-Nylander winger that hits the net more than they shoot wide or into a shin pad.

If we had a Franson clone on the back end that was automatic at getting that untelegraphed low hard wrister on the goalies pads it would solve so many problems it’s unreal that it hasn’t been addressed yet. Even if Klingberg was healthy, he’s not that guy, he needs to move in to shoot just like Rielly. Doesn’t need to be an elite OFD, just any playable defenseman that can generate rebounds and make the other team hesitate to block shots.

 

[pdson]

The Selke nomination is a big stretch and the Hart finalists show it.

Not surprised Matthews isn’t up for the Hart.. the other three are a whole step up offensively this year as far as driving the play.

People will say but goals.. but apparently the voters don’t care.

Nominated for the Ted Lindsay. I think i will take the actual players word over writers or yours.

 

[Jojalu]

Nominated for the Ted Lindsay. I think i will take the actual players word over writers or yours.

I do think they got it right.

Look how awful the Oilers were without McDavid healthy. TB goes nowhere without Kuch and Mack was incredible.

This shows that the players thought Matthews had the better year. Even if you don't believe he was top 3 defensively, he was top 10 for sure, while scoring 69 goals.

Unheard of

 

[Jojalu]

It's funny how the Lady Byng is considered when you look at the players who have won it.

Mack
ROR
Hull
Bossy
Gretzky
Datsuyk
Kopitar
Etc

 

[Tak7]

I do think they got it right.

Look how awful the Oilers were without McDavid healthy. TB goes nowhere without Kuch and Mack was incredible.

This shows that the players thought Matthews had the better year. Even if you don't believe he was top 3 defensively, he was top 10 for sure, while scoring 69 goals.

Unheard of

If we're going down that road, the playoffs were a perfect campaign for why Matthews should probably have won the Hart in that case - he went from being the best player on the ice in game 2, to being sick/hurt, and in those games that he missed their offense was utterly inept.

 

[Jojalu]

If we're going down that road, the playoffs were a perfect campaign for why Matthews should probably have won the Hart in that case - he went from being the best player on the ice in game 2, to being sick/hurt, and in those games that he missed their offense was utterly inept.

That is true, but the Leafs have a had a historically good record while Matthews is out.

I do believe he is their best player, but I also believe McDavid off the Oilers is a disaster.

 

[Tak7]

That is true, but the Leafs have a had a historically good record while Matthews is out.

I do believe he is their best player, but I also believe McDavid off the Oilers is a disaster.

Yep that's fair, I was just playing Devil's Advocate.

My Hart noms were MacKinnon, Kucherov, McDavid, and then Matthews.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

It’s a 0 sum game though, if his lanes are blocked and he’s getting double teamed, someone else has to be wide open

Then the Leafs are fatally flawed by design.

If we had a Franson clone on the back end that was automatic at getting that untelegraphed low hard wrister on the goalies pads it would solve so many problems it’s unreal that it hasn’t been addressed yet.

I like it.

Power plays should have 5 fast skaters that can shoot, more one timers the better.

JT PP2.

 

[Buds17]

It's funny how the Lady Byng is considered when you look at the players who have won it.

Mack
ROR
Hull
Bossy
Gretzky
Datsuyk
Kopitar
Etc

Staying out of the penalty box isn't necessarily going to make a player put up impressive stats. It does however become increasingly difficult to post impressive stats if a player finds himself in the penalty box often enough. Not the most prestigious of awards but one that does get a bad rap at times.

 

[nuck]

It was tough. I got really, really sick after Game 2,” Matthews said. “Played in Game 3, obviously just kind of going through that. I was still just kind of trying to recover going into Game 4, took a weird hit and couldn’t go on any longer.

What is his sickness ? It’s not physical.

My guess is first a flu or a stomach bacteria followed by something like a compressed nut. You can pinch it pretty good in the wrong position like from a "weird hit" and only rest and ice will bring it back. And you are not likely to discuss the specifics of such an injury.

 

[WillNy29]

The Selke nomination is a big stretch and the Hart finalists show it.

Not surprised Matthews isn’t up for the Hart.. the other three are a whole step up offensively this year as far as driving the play.

People will say but goals.. but apparently the voters don’t care.

apparently the players on the other hand care

He didnt deserve it tbh

He was pacing 30+ pts back of the three finalists who all had challanges on their own team and narratives for their unique hart win

Panarin had a reg season pretty similar to Matthews where goals can be given the edge.

Mack/Kuch/Mcd were just way to far ahead

why did the players vote him top 3 for Ted Lindsay? are the writers smarter or the players?

 

[Aashir Mallik]

He can stick to regular season stuff..

Not everyone is built for the playoffs

 

[notbias]

He didnt deserve it tbh

He was pacing 30+ pts back of the three finalists who all had challanges on their own team and narratives for their unique hart win

Panarin had a reg season pretty similar to Matthews where goals can be given the edge.

Mack/Kuch/Mcd were just way to far ahead

How many points is a Selke nomination worth?

I think McDavid had a better season, but the players disagree, and I'll trust their opinion over mine.

Points are the easiest way to judge a player, but it is not all that matters.