Is Auston Matthews a "generational goal scorer"? A deep dive.

[Dekes For Days]

Matthews is not used as effectively as either Stamkos or OV

No, he's not. And yet he's still able to be as effective at scoring PP goals as them. I look forward to the day that we fully take advantage of his talents.

 

[TDK67]

Wrote this whole thing over 4 years ago (1.5 yrs before his first Rocket win) and just wanna do a quick bump here.

The signs were there for him being a pretty special goal scorer very early on in his career.

Amazing to see how much he's evolved and really hope he finishes this season strong to cement this as one of the all time great goal scoring campaigns.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Wrote this whole thing over 4 years ago (1.5 yrs before his first Rocket win) and just wanna do a quick bump here.

The signs were there for him being a pretty special goal scorer very early on in his career.

Amazing to see how much he's evolved and really hope he finishes this season strong to cement this as one of the all time great goal scoring campaigns.

Nicely done! Generational is a subjective term and means different things to different people, but at this point, I think Matthews would be classified generational by anyone's definition, and it doesn't require doing a deep dive anymore either. Amazing stuff!

 

[Larcos_Unal]

You guys seriously need a deep dive to realize AM is a generational goal scorer? lol

 

[authentic]

Nicely done! Generational is a subjective term and means different things to different people, but at this point, I think Matthews would be classified generational by anyone's definition, and it doesn't require doing a deep dive anymore either. Amazing stuff!

Not one mention of how he sucks in the playoffs... Did you take your medicine today Gary???

 

[NoName]

He is the best goal scorer of this generation so, "Generational Goalscorer" seems accurate.

 

[Gary Nylund]

You guys seriously need a deep dive to realize AM is a generational goal scorer? lol

The OP was made over 4 years ago.

Not one mention of how he sucks in the playoffs... Did you take your medicine today Gary???

I never said anyone "sucks" in the playoffs, not even Marner.

 

[Jojalu]

Wrote this whole thing over 4 years ago (1.5 yrs before his first Rocket win) and just wanna do a quick bump here.

The signs were there for him being a pretty special goal scorer very early on in his career.

Amazing to see how much he's evolved and really hope he finishes this season strong to cement this as one of the all time great goal scoring campaigns.

This was an unbelievable post 4 years ago.

Well done!

Seems the only thing you underestimated would be his ability to have the monster year.

 

[TDK67]

This was an unbelievable post 4 years ago.

Well done!

Seems the only thing you underestimated would be his ability to have the monster year.

Never would have guessed he'd have a serious shot at 70 (and I was/am clearly a huge fan/truther lol)!

My most optimistic guess years ago (and idk if I articulated it in the OP) was that he'd win multiple Rockets if he had multiple fully healthy (or nearly fully healthy) seasons.

I don't think that was a huge stretch to imagine in 2020 well before his first Rocket win given how much he was leading all of his peers by very basic g/gp numbers (let alone g/60 & 5v5 g/60).

 

[hoglund]

Shortened seasons and covid killed 2 seasons where he was on pace for more than 50, but ended up with 30 something.

 

[tom leafers]

I cant believe our boy has already played 535 games as a leaf- time goes way to fast

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Matthews isn't a generational goal scorer.

You usually get a couple generational goal scorers, like Bure and Selanne, come around every generation. That's why they're called generational. At this stage in his career Matthews is more on par with Ovechkin and Gretzky.

That makes him one of the greatest goal scorers OF ALL TIME.

Players like that are a bit more rare than just your ordinary average run of the mill generational goal scorers. This isn't something Toronto fans will ever see again. Not from a Leafs player anyway.

Sixty goal scoring franchise centremen don't just grow on trees around the arena.

Which is why I can appreciate what Matthews brings to the table. Apparently he's really good at defense too. But I haven't noticed anything like that myself.

I've been too busy watching him score goals.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Now do playoffs

Auston is a generational goal scorer. He’s not a generational hockey player.

He can’t drive a line himself.

His game also doesn’t translate to the post season. The open ice shots he needs aren’t there.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Now do playoffs

Auston is a generational goal scorer. He’s not a generational hockey player.

He can’t drive a line himself.

His game also doesn’t translate to the post season. The open ice shots he needs aren’t there.

I decided to have a look, here's what I got (unless I messed up the math, which I don't think I did).

Matthews career goals per game:
Regular season .6
Playoffs .44

Yup, story checks out.

I hear so much talk about how Matthews and Marner are the greatest Leafs of all-time, and I call BS. Maybe one day they'll get there, but they're not there yet. The Stanley cup is the goal and if your level of production takes a big dip in the playoffs, IMHO it's completely fair to wonder how great you truly are. Regular season superstars who can't shoot straight in the playoffs - that's the book on these guys as of right now, there's still time to change the narrative but after 7 playoff seasons, it's high time they got started.

 

[WillyC]

lol… until someone else comes along and scores 4 goals in his first NHL game… wins the Calder while finishing 2nd for the Rocket… then continues to add more Rockets… adds the Hart… scores 60, then flirts with 70 while being a 8 goals ahead of the Rocket runner-up.

Yeah, Auston Matthews is pretty much generational and then some.

 

[hamzarocks]

lol… until someone else comes along and scores 4 goals in his first NHL game… wins the Calder while finishing 2nd for the Rocket… then continues to add more Rockets… adds the Hart… scores 60, then flirts with 70 while being a 8 goals ahead of the Rocket runner-up.

Yeah, Auston Matthews is pretty much generational and then some.

For sure generational goalscorer

Not generational player though

 

[Donnie740]

Did this question really require a “deep dive”?

Next we’re going to have a “deep dive” into the Russ Courtnall for John Kordic deal - - was it a bad trade for Toronto?

 

[Dekes For Days]

Did this question really require a “deep dive”?

It shouldn't have, but unfortunately the majority of this site still refused to accept Matthews' obvious dominance and trajectory back when this thread was made.

 

[al secord]

I decided to have a look, here's what I got (unless I messed up the math, which I don't think I did).

Matthews career goals per game:
Regular season .6
Playoffs .44

Yup, story checks out.

I hear so much talk about how Matthews and Marner are the greatest Leafs of all-time, and I call BS. Maybe one day they'll get there, but they're not there yet. The Stanley cup is the goal and if your level of production takes a big dip in the playoffs, IMHO it's completely fair to wonder how great you truly are. Regular season superstars who can't shoot straight in the playoffs - that's the book on these guys as of right now, there's still time to change the narrative but after 7 playoff seasons, it's high time they got started.

So.... is Matthews a generational goal scorer?

 

[Gary Nylund]

So.... is Matthews a generational goal scorer?

Probably best to wait until his career is over before deciding but it's a subjective term, so at the end of the day, everyone's going to have to decide this for themselves. For me, I guess I would say he's definitely trending in that direction. Or to put it another way - almost certainly yes, it sure looks that way so far.