Playing the game at such a high level and within the rules is a great accomplishment. You can be physical and still win this award. It has nothing to do with that. Sure, Matthews could still be more physical and impose his will more out there but that doesn't mean he will take more penalties and have a higher PIM. You want him to be out there as much as possible playing at a high level for your team. Winning this award is not a bad thing at all. Is O'Rielly soft? Is Mack soft? No, they are not. They just play smartly and don't take any dumb penalties. They also respect others while on the ice.