NHL Releases Top 10 Players List

[Echo Roku]

From his past performances since his rookie season? What I am saying is not a completely irrational stance on this, at all. If he proves it again he deserves to be mentioned with these players.

So nothing based on actually watching him play.

Got it

 

[The Podium]

You guys are serious hey? What makes Matthews > Tavares? I'm seriously confused.

Better goal scorer, skater, hockey IQ, both are strong on the puck, both grind well down low, Tavares is the better playmaker.

Theyre close, but Matthews physical attributes and potential make him better. There P/GP were close last year, but Matthews was in and out of the lineup with injuries and playing piss poor PP time. If he is healthy, and stays on the 1st PP unit, he'll likely be pushing 100 points this season.

And, just to get this out of the way, there is obviously no bias here.

 

[Holymakinaw]

You guys are serious hey? What makes Matthews > Tavares? I'm seriously confused.

I never said he was. Tavares should be #9 on the NHL's top-10 list, and Matthews #10.

As for points........they'll both spend so much time together on the 1st PP unit, look for them each to pot 40 and get 80-90 points.

Yay!

 

[Rabid Ranger]

The guy hasnt had one good playoff series and they have him top 10. Not one top 10 scoring finish either. Its for hits everyone knows it. He has the talent to be a top 10 player no doubt. However until he actually does it the he belongs no where near the top 10.

Says you. Those in the NHL "community" see it otherwise. It appears to be a tough pill to swallow for a lot of posters here that Matthews is held in such high regard by the NHL media/team management.

 

[Oilers Propagandist]

Better goal scorer, skater, hockey IQ, both are strong on the puck, both grind well down low, Tavares is the better playmaker.

Theyre close, but Matthews physical attributes and potential make him better. There P/GP were close last year, but Matthews was in and out of the lineup with injuries and playing piss poor PP time. If he is healthy, and stays on the 1st PP unit, he'll likely be pushing 100 points this season.

Thank you for a reasonable answer. I was under the assumption the whole time that Tavares was signed to be the #1 center, while looking at your pre-season roster vs the habs on your board, I was shocked to see Matthews > Tavares on the depth chart.

Idk if I agree with your assumptions of Matthews pushing for 100 points, but that's why the seasons are played for.

 

[StumpyTown]

74 goals in his first 2 seasons, at the age of tender ages of 19 & 20 might have SOMETHING to do with it.

Drasaitl shouldn't be anywhere near the top-10 list.

Then by your standard, Laine should be 8 or 9. (I'm not advocating for that, just making a point). 80 goals in his first 2 seasons, at the tender ages of 18 & 19...

 

[Holymakinaw]

Then by your standard, Laine should be 8 or 9. (I'm not advocating for that, just making a point). 80 goals in his first 2 seasons, at the tender ages of 18 & 19...

No, it's not that "black & white". Laine is a great goal scorer but that's all he does.

Matthews is also a very good two-way player, a possession hog, takes face-offs, and sets other players up. Laine doesn't do all that other stuff to the same degree.

Laine should be in the top-20 though, IMO.

 

[hockeeyyy]

lmao @ Matthews over MacKinnon

After MacKinnon's first season, the next three seasons were largely disappointing for him. 206 points in 300 games. He's had one spectacular season (obviously last season), and now you and others want to elevate him to top-ten status? Seems a little reactionary to me. If you want someone who has been exceptional for the last few years over Matthews, you'd want Marchand. But by and large, most people see Matthews as the superior player to someone like Marchand, and certainly has a better foundation to build off of than MacKinnon as a top-ten player.

 

[Spilot23]

Glad they didn't buy into the MacKinnon hype.
Karlsson > Hedman and Draisaitl in place of Matthews please.

Other wise, sexy list.

I'm fine that Mack needs to repeat but Draisaitl in the top 10 yikes.

 

[The Podium]

Thank you for a reasonable answer. I was under the assumption the whole time that Tavares was signed to be the #1 center, while looking at your pre-season roster vs the habs I was shocked to see Matthews > Tavares on the depth chart.

Idk if I agree with your assumptions of Matthews pushing for 100 points, but that's why the seasons are played for.

Just to put it into perspective.

Matthews scored 63P in 62 GP (1.02 P/GP)
Matthews TOI/GP: 18:08 42nd among NHL Cs
Matthews PPTOI/GP: 2:09 72nd among NHL Cs (154 amongst all NHL forwards)
Matthews 5 on 5 ZS% 49.12 140th among NHL Cs

Tavares scored 84P in 82 GP 1.02 P/GP
Tavares TOI/GP: 19:56 13th among NHL Cs
Tavares PPTOI/GP: 3:10 20th among NHL Cs*
Tavares 5 on 5 ZS% 51.7 104th among NHL Cs

Draisaitl scored 70P in 78 GP 0.9 P/GP
Draisaitl TOI/GP: 19:19 24th among NHL Cs
Draisaitl PPTOI/GP: 2:50 35th among NHL Cs*
Draisaitl 5 on 5 ZS% 54.31 77th among NHL Cs

*Both Tavares and Draisaitl were on the top PP unit, meaning they had the PP start in the Ozone. Matthews on the second PP unit had to change on the fly and had the added difficulty of gaining the zone and setting up.

As you can see, Matthews was put in a more difficult situation than either Draisaitl or Tavares, yet preformed as well or better than either of them.

 

[Oilers Propagandist]

Just to put it into perspective.

Matthews scored 63P in 62 GP (1.02 P/GP)
Matthews TOI/GP: 18:08 42nd among NHL Cs
Matthews PPTOI/GP: 2:09 72nd among NHL Cs (154 amongst all NHL forwards)
Matthews 5 on 5 ZS% 49.12 140th among NHL Cs

Tavares scored 84P in 82 GP 1.02 P/GP
Tavares TOI/GP: 19:56 13th among NHL Cs
Tavares PPTOI/GP: 3:10 20th among NHL Cs*
Tavares 5 on 5 ZS% 51.7 104th among NHL Cs

Draisaitl scored 70P in 78 GP 0.9 P/GP
Draisaitl TOI/GP: 19:19 24th among NHL Cs
Draisaitl PPTOI/GP: 2:50 35th among NHL Cs*
Draisaitl 5 on 5 ZS% 54.31 77th among NHL Cs

*Both Tavares and Draisaitl were on the top PP unit, meaning they had the PP start in the Ozone. Matthews on the second PP unit had to change on the fly and had the added difficulty of gaining the zone and setting up.

As you can see, Matthews was put in a more difficult situation than either Draisaitl or Tavares, yet preformed as well or better than either of them.

Thanks for the info, both will be centering their own lines so it will be interesting to see how Matthews does this upcoming season as with Draisaitl.

Draisaitl should slot on the 1st PP unit and with a competent PP he should have more points than this past season.

I seriously thought you guys were full of it saying Matthews is the #1 center but Babcock clearly thinks that.

 

[goblin3]

Honestly lost all credibility when they had Barkov @ 33.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Can't wait to read 30 pages of riveting discussion about Matthews being in the top 10.

Wait a minute I remember others saying Matthews was only listed in TSN's top 10 of their top 50 list because they are always pro Toronto, so what reason would the NHL Network have to put Matthews in their top 10? Since the NHL Network is now based out of the United States and you can not watch it in Canada anymore, they have no reason to be pro Toronto.

 

[Bonzo111]

No Scott Darling? Whatever.

it ain't right

 

[Tripod]

Why not 80+ points Tavares then?

Then why not 100+ point Giroux?

 

[Wildcarder]

Stamkos belongs on this list over Matthews or Tavares.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Where is Nathan Mackinnon
what he hell?

 

[Sasso09]

Matthews better than Kopitar, Giroux and Mackinnon?

Okayyyyyyyyyy

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Marchand, Mackinnon, Bergeron, P. Kane, Kopitar, Giroux >>>> Matthews

 

[WilliamNylander]

Matthews is way too low. Hate it when list creators feel the need to make these lists clickbaity by dropping Matthews all the way to 10.

 

[dss97]

Glad they didn't buy into the MacKinnon hype.
Karlsson > Hedman and Draisaitl in place of Matthews please.

Other wise, sexy list.

Stop.

Draisaitl is not a top 10 player, and I'm a huge supporter of his.

 

[LeafsNation75]

First of all, Draisaitl was McDavids winger more than he was the 2C.

Second Tavares isnt the 1C, theyre actually sharing minutes and will be together on the 1st PP. If anything I'd still argue Matthews will be the 1C. Yes Matthews > JT

I remember on July 1st when Tavares signed and the Leafs projected lines were shown on TSN, they had Matthews as the #1 centre and Tavares as the #2 centre.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Matthews is way too low. Hate it when list creators feel the need to make these lists clickbaity by dropping Matthews all the way to 10.

These American companies should let Toronto outlets take care of making lists, save themselves some embarrassment.

 

[LeafsNation75]

After MacKinnon's first season, the next three seasons were largely disappointing for him. 206 points in 300 games. He's had one spectacular season (obviously last season), and now you and others want to elevate him to top-ten status? Seems a little reactionary to me. If you want someone who has been exceptional for the last few years over Matthews, you'd want Marchand. But by and large, most people see Matthews as the superior player to someone like Marchand, and certainly has a better foundation to build off of than MacKinnon as a top-ten player.

Until last season the stats have shown that Matthews first 2 seasons was lot better than MacKinnon's first 4 seasons.

 

[mrv52]

Clearly the NHL should have reworded this "Top 20 Top 10" players. It would have at minimum eliminated the Matthews nonsense in here.