Post-Lockout Forward Tournament: Tier 1, Round 1: Auston Matthews Versus Leon Draisaitl

[logan5]

Drai's numbers are greatly inflated by playing with McDavid. on a non McDavid team, he is a 80 point player, which is pretty good. To put into perspective, imagine Matthews playing alongside McDavid.

 

[Pete Taylor]

Regular Season: Matthews
Post Season: Drai and its not close
Overall, Id go with Drai.

Leon in 49 games has 77 points and 31 goals, Auston in 50 games has 44 points and 22 goals.

If you want to win a series, you go Leon.

 

[Pete Taylor]

Drai is better at essentially nothing.

Slower
Not as good along the boards
Much worse defensively
Not as good off a scorer
PP Merchant

I guess he’s a better powerplay passer?

Drai is better at puck protection, playmaking, and has better vision. Both are great players but saying Drai is better at basically nothing shows how well you actually know hockey, or just how biased you are.

 

[authentic]

Lol does Draisaitl come with McDavid? If not it's an easy answer.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

I voted Dry but I was actually gonna vote for Matthews from recency bias without looking at their overall body of work. its really close

 

[Joe n]

Drai is better at puck protection, playmaking, and has better vision. Both are great players but saying Drai is better at basically nothing shows how well you actually know hockey, or just how biased you are.

How is he better at puck protection. If anything they are equal.

 

[Pete Taylor]

How is he better at puck protection. If anything they are equal.

Honestly its close. Two of the best in the league at it. I just prefer Leon.

 

[Duke74]

Drai's numbers are greatly inflated by playing with McDavid. on a non McDavid team, he is a 80 point player, which is pretty good. To put into perspective, imagine Matthews playing alongside McDavid.

I think you're selling Draisaitl a bit short. In the COVID-shortened season, he had 110 points mainly on a line with RNH and Yamamoto. He's definitely regressed this year though so it's hard to say what kind of numbers he'd have without McDavid based on this year alone.

Lol does Draisaitl come with McDavid?

Only if Matthews comes with Marner and/or Nylander.

 

[HolyHagelin]

Drai's numbers are greatly inflated by playing with McDavid. on a non McDavid team, he is a 80 point player, which is pretty good. To put into perspective, imagine Matthews playing alongside McDavid.

Ultimately that was my math too

 

[Three On Zero]

Draisiatl is heavily carried by another center, requiring stacking a line as opposed to playing natural positions. Matthews has proven to be the better 2way player and doesn’t need to be sheltered by a better player for elite production

 

[bobholly39]

Better career to date - Draisaitl
Better playoffs - Draisaitl by a LOT. Phenomenal come playoffs

I still voted Matthews, but it's close.

My rationale is - I love the way he's been great since day 1 and improving. Up until last season (slight off year), his ppg and gpg improved every single year, it's a hell of an upwards trajectory - and that usually bodes well for continued longevity/consistency in his career.

Draisaitl has also never been #1 on a team. He's always #2 to McDavid. It doesn't mean he's not capable of being #1, but having not seem him as a #1, there's always going to be a few lingering questions there.

It's very close though. Draisaitl's playoff record is hard to pass up