Matthews and Marner enter the “Top 5 Scorers” Club

[nsleaf]

With the regular season over now, Matthews and Marner are the two most recent Leafs to finish top 5 in points in a season. Which is, in my view, a key barometer which every great player must achieve at least once in their career. By my count, this has been done 45 times in Leafs’ history, and is only the 5th time in the last 50 years.

Auston Matthews 2021
Mitch Marner 2021
Mats Sundin 2002
Doug Gilmour 1994
Darryl Sittler 1978

Other Leafs’ notables to finish top 5:

Frank Mahovlich 1961, 1962, 1963
Ted Kennedy 1945, 1947, 1951
Max Bentley 1948, 1951
Gordie Drillon 1938, 1940, 1941
Syl Apps 1937, 1938, 1941
Busher Jackson 1932, 1933, 1935, 1937
Charlie Conacher 1931, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936
Joe Primeau 1932, 1934
Ace Bailey 1929, 1931
Babe Dye 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925
Harry Cameron 1922
Reg Noble 1918

Matthews and Marner are also the youngest to accomplish this feat since Frank Mahovlich in 1961. All three were 23 years old.

Suffice to say that after just 5 seasons, they are quickly climbing up the ranks of all-time Leafs’ greats. The fact they are so young means they have all the opportunities in the world to re-write the record books.

Makes sense, the vast majority of those scorers played in a 6 team league and Marner/Mathews played in a seven team league.

 

[tmlms13]

I hope by the mid 2020's the league will have done something to address the Hard Cap issues. It's become an absolute joke around the league with the LTIR loopholes. The NHL is the only league in the world where you get punished for being too good at player development, and we're seeing the result, perfectly healthy players aren't playing because they are "injured" TB has a payroll of 98 million, Leafs did this a ton too, Hawks did that with Kane a few years ago.

There needs to be somekind of soft cap where you can go over to resign your own players or get a compliance buyout like once every 5 years.

Like Luongo is costing Vancouver 3.0m in dead cap and hasn't played there since 2014. I almost have sympathy for them. If it wasn't for that I bet Tyler Taffoli would be playing for Vancouver.

 

[Busher]

Makes sense, the vast majority of those scorers played in a 6 team league and Marner/Mathews played in a seven team league.

For sure. There’s a reason it was done 40 times from 1918-1967, and just 5 times after 1967. Matthews and Marner doing this in 2021 is definitely more impressive, having done so in a 31 team league. But it’s still impressive in any era. Whatever the number of teams or players involved, you’re still best of the best.

Unsurprisingly, for the same reasons you mentioned, Montreal also has a bunch of top 5 scorers before 1980. But after 1980? Zero (0) top 5 scorers.

 

[Fogelhund]

I think they're to similar of players to make it work like with Matthews.

The problem is more personalities. There is a story that the Marner's and McDavid's didn't like each other very much, both growing up and playing in the GTA. It has been repeated by many. I don't know if it's still the case, or if they could put aside past issues to play together. I'm not worried about play style, you'd find that collection of players a way to work.

 

[Busher]

The problem is more personalities. There is a story that the Marner's and McDavid's didn't like each other very much, both growing up and playing in the GTA. It has been repeated by many. I don't know if it's still the case, or if they could put aside past issues to play together. I'm not worried about play style, you'd find that collection of players a way to work.

That was Marner and Strome. All three of Marner, McDavid and Strome (add Matthews in there too now) all appear to be very good friends. Not that I’m implying anything.

 

[Fogelhund]

That was Marner and Strome. All three of Marner, McDavid and Strome (add Matthews in there too now) all appear to be very good friends. Not that I’m implying anything.

It was definitely Marner and McDavid... though it's possible that was more Marner's father. Again, you hear stories, doesn't make them true. I'm not sure who used to post about that in here.

 

[Busher]

It was definitely Marner and McDavid... though it's possible that was more Marner's father. Again, you hear stories, doesn't make them true. I'm not sure who used to post about that in here.

Fair enough, I wasn’t aware. In any case, it appears as if they’re good friends now.

But even so, I’m not even thinking about McDavid, now or in the future. I’m more than happy with our current core.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

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I hope by the mid 2020's the league will have done something to address the Hard Cap issues. It's become an absolute joke around the league with the LTIR loopholes. The NHL is the only league in the world where you get punished for being too good at player development, and we're seeing the result, perfectly healthy players aren't playing because they are "injured" TB has a payroll of 98 million, Leafs did this a ton too, Hawks did that with Kane a few years ago.

There needs to be somekind of soft cap where you can go over to resign your own players or get a compliance buyout like once every 5 years.

Like Luongo is costing Vancouver 3.0m in dead cap and hasn't played there since 2014. I almost have sympathy for them. If it wasn't for that I bet Tyler Taffoli would be playing for Vancouver.

It is Jacobs who is a cheap *ss and his gang of followers who run da league .. it is setup for small market teams to compete .. and to make Jacobs $$$ .. until Leafs Habs and Rangers put a gang together and oust Jacobs it will continue .. da only good thing about this system is ALL teams are pretty equal so makes for decent games to watch .. but it is a tough deal given 32 teams for Leafs to break .. there are not that many teams which make HUGE amounts of $$$ so likely it will continue

 

[nsleaf]

For sure. There’s a reason it was done 40 times from 1918-1967, and just 5 times after 1967. Matthews and Marner doing this in 2021 is definitely more impressive, having done so in a 31 team league. But it’s still impressive in any era. Whatever the number of teams or players involved, you’re still best of the best.

Unsurprisingly, for the same reasons you mentioned, Montreal also has a bunch of top 5 scorers before 1980. But after 1980? Zero (0) top 5 scorers.

Just slightly more impressive, 7 team league verses a 6 team league.

 

[BlueAzN]

I don't understand why this fanbase isn't utterly ecstatic. This is truly the best it's gonna get. 2 of the top 5 players in the league at the same time, a great supporting cast of young and veteran players. The greatest goal scorer of his generation -- probably going to end up better than Ovechkin, and has a shot at being the greatest goal scorer of all-time adjusted for era. A shot at the cup every year since these kids were rookies until they retire.

THIS IS IT, BOYS AND GIRLS. If you're not enjoying this, you need therapy. Whether we win it all or not. Good chance we do at least once. But it's hard, and requires a lot of luck.

Can we calm our tits on Marner? He's not a top 5 player lol, not even top 20. He's skilled yes, but when it matters most he will shrink. Not enough steel in his veins.

 

[LeafSteel]

What Marner does during the season is going to mean jack$#it if he can’t bring it in the playoffs.

Matthews has. Marner needs to bring it or he’s part of the problem here…