Auston Matthews - POTENTIALLY Greatest American player of all time?

[WTFMAN99]

I'm not sold on Kane at all. He has always had an excellent supporting cast around him. Guys like Toews, Hossa, Panarin, Sharpe, Saad and the hawks have had Keith and Seabrook's on defence the entire time and they have also had Crawford in net. There really isn't a lot of pressure on him to carry his team. If he didn't have all that talent around him I don't think he is near as successful.

Modano and Chelios had good teams around them too?

 

[maacoshark]

Modano and Chelios had good teams around them too?

Modano and Chelios carried their teams. Kane doesn't. He just floats around waiting for a break out pass while his team mates do all the hard work.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Modano and Chelios carried their teams. Kane doesn't. He just floats around waiting for a break out pass while his team mates do all the hard work.

Kane has won a Conn Smythe, Hart, Art Ross....has Chelios or Modano?

Modano has had guys like Hull, Niewendyk, Belfour, Zubov, Hatcher, Lehtinen etc.

Chelios played with guys like Lidstrom, Shanahan, Yzerman, Hull, Roenick etc

 

[Ulysses31]

You obviously haven't been watching hockey very long if you believe that crap.

I think people need to stop with the notion that all the best talent comes out of Canada. Yeah, 50 years ago it did. Not so today. Canada may have the highest % of players but they certainly don't separate themselves by a country mile when it comes to talent.

Hockey is more universal than ever. It's not just Canada's game anymore. I know that's a bitter pill to swallow for some but one only need to look at the diversity in today's NHL to see the truth.

Only 25 years? who is so great?

1) Chelios
2)Kane
3) Modano?

None of those players are on same tier as even Crosby or McDavid, no top 10 all time players.

 

[saintunspecified]

At their career peaks LaFontaine was head and shoulders better than Mike Madano. It wasn't close.

 

[Sky04]

So obviously he's not there yet since he hasn't even had 2 full seasons in the NHL. But what are the chances he gets there? Who is even the best right now? Modano? Leetch? Patrick Kane is to one dimensional to be the greatest American of all time.

Edit: Wow alot of backlash for missing a word from the title. I would expect people would read the OP and be able to gauge I was talking about POTENTIALLY. I edited the thread title to spell out the obvious.

Gretzky was one dimensional, Matthews the greatest player of all time?!?!

Stupid point, until he's done a fraction of what Kane has done he doesn't even look on Pace to beat him.

 

[Royale With Cheese]

Why can't the mods stop these threads? This is absurd.

 

[llamateizer]

He is 299th best American
He is the 4th best Californian
He is the best for players born in San Ramon

At this rate he won't be able to beat Brett Hull and Mike Modano

After 2 seasons
Kane had 119 pts in 113 games
Matthews got 95pts in 108 games

 

[Dr Pepper]

Potentially? Sure.

Gonna be a while before he's in the discussion.

 

[WillTheThrill]

Way too early lol

 

[24 others]

POTENTIALLY, I am the Secretary General of the United Nations.

 

[Lapa]

Give it a year (or a decade) and get back to me. Way too early.

 

[RDTBay4]

One thing is for sure, he has the most threads on HFboards of any American player of all time.

 

[stepdad gaary]

technically im still in the running too

 

[Esq]

Modano and Chelios carried their teams. Kane doesn't. He just floats around waiting for a break out pass while his team mates do all the hard work.

10 out of 10 would read again for the lulz

 

[McFlash97]

American NHL Players ‑ All-Time Stats

Good luck Auston.

LaFontaine is the Greatest American player for me. Then Kane. Lafontaine's PPG is simply staggering by American standards. One of the most underrated players of all time. A true superstar in his heyday. Good Luck Matthews.

 

[Lshap]

Nice to see this Matthews kid finally getting some attention. However, this thread is premature and beginning to eat itself. Closed.