Would all of you Leafs fans just quit it with this "generational" nonesense? There is nothing generational about Matthews other than his hype. He is an absolutely tremendous player and that's where it ends. Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr, Howe, Crosby, OV, etc. Those are generational players, guys so dominant they don't need excuses. They're at the top of the scoring race, year after year, from the moment they enter the league.
Many people consider Crosby a generational talent but he's not as clearcut as guys like Gretzky and Lemieux. If Sid/OV is the cutoff for generational players, just take a look at what they accomplished in their first few years. Sid put up 120 points and won every major award in only his second season, while OV put up 65 goals and repeated by taking home every major award. Has Matthews done that? Does it look like he's trending toward doing that? Guys like Boeser and Barzal are putting up similar, if not better rookie seasons than what Matthews did last year. Yes, they are a year older but my point still stands, since one year in age/development should be negligible for a "generational" player. Crosby had over 100 points when he was 18. THAT'S generational.
Generational players are the best players of all time, the best the sport has ever seen. Can Leafs fans, with a straight face, actually say that about Matthews?