Realistically, Which Calibre Of Centre Will Matthews Become?

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GlitchMarner

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Jul 21, 2017
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He has been hyped by some as a "generational" player and that's garnered some backlash by people who have claimed he is being overhyped and overrated because of the market he plays in.


I don't think anyone credible would argue he will be another Gretzky/Lemieux, but what can he realistically be expected to be?

Will he be in the next best tier of centres, consisting of players like Esposito (five Art Rosses), Mikita (four Art Rosses), Clarke (three Harts), Messier, Crosby (one of the best ever) and likely McDavid (already two Art Rosses and Pearsons)?

Will he fall into that Dionne/Trottier/Yzerman/Sakic/Forsberg/Malkin tier?

Will he more of a Perreault/Savard/Hawerchuk/Modano/Sundin/Tavares/Stamkos type? A superstar centre.

Will he have some big seasons but be an inconsistent star or a star with a shorter prime? For example: Lecavalier, Giroux, Yashin, Henrik Sedin, Mike Richards, Brad Richards.

Obviously he's not a Zhamnov/Morrison (a top C who would be a good 2C) or a Bozak or Desharnais (bottom of the barrel first line C).


I think he'll fall into the Sakic tier if he fulfills his potential or the Tavares tier at worst. Looking for opinions and hopefully a constructive and mature discussion.
 
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CantLoseWithMatthews

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I think he'll be one of the best players of this time, but not the best. I think he can be better than a Sundin/Tavares/Stamkos but we'll have to see
 

Apotheosis

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The first part would require some leaps in production, but the second part I think could be realistic.

He was PPG last year with multiple injuries, the worst offensive winger in the NHL, low 5V5 ice time by star standards, split PP time on a worse PP than the leading one and he played through said injuries when it was explicitly stated that he wasn't 100 percent for the playoffs. He has 100 point potential with elite defence. That's Malkin level and fitting to be under McDavid as the second best player/centre of said generation.
 

Dicdonya

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Jul 21, 2011
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Somewhere around Kopitar + extra cheese.
40-50 goal potential every year, another 30-35 assists, impossible to dislodge off a puck, able to stickhandle in a phone booth, decent defensively, PP magic...AM34 is something special.

Not sure if the extra cheese was entirely goofing around, or you actually meant better than Kopitar by a little.

If the latter, nah. Maybe he can be about as good as Kopitar, but he won't be better.

So I would put his potential somewhere between a Kopitar and Tavares. I expect him to be somewhere comfortably between about top 5 and top 15 best centers in the league. So really freaking good, but not in the Crosby, McDavid tier.
 
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WetcoastOrca

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If he reaches the third tier guys like Sundin, Tavares, Stamkos then I think he’s done really well. No chance on that first tier and very little chance he ever challenges the likes of Malkin, Yzerman, Sakic, Forsberg etc.
I think a lot of people forget just how great those players were.
I agree with the posters mentioning Kopitar as a good comparable. Probably more goals but less assists than Kopitar though. And not the Selke defense although solid defensively.
 
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Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk

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Not sure if the extra cheese was entirely goofing around, or you actually meant better than Kopitar by a little.

If the latter, nah. Maybe he can be about as good as Kopitar, but he won't be better.

So I would put his potential somewhere between a Kopitar and Tavares. I expect him to be somewhere comfortably between about top 5 and top 15 best centers in the league. So really freaking good, but not in the Crosby, McDavid tier.

I expect him to score a little better than Kopitar, while failing to collect the Selke trophy noms.
Reasonable to see him 5-15, he might crack top 5 if he gets more PP time and some fantastic wingers.
 
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Dicdonya

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I expect him to score a little better than Kopitar, while failing to collect the Selke trophy noms.
Reasonable to see him 5-15, he might crack top 5 if he gets more PP time and some fantastic wingers.

Yeah I can agree with that. I do think he will score more overall than Kopitar did/does (except for maybe last year when Kopi went off for 92pts), and definitely agree there could be a few years he is considered in the top 5.
 
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