Realistically, Which Calibre Of Centre Will Matthews Become?

[gamer1035]

Kopitar has been ppg once. Same as matthews.

Matthews has a 40 goal season, kopitar doesnt.

I don't care if haters think Matthews peaked in his rookie season, they're not even comparable. Kopitar is a poor man's Matthews.

 

[Cleatus]

I'd say the Sundin/Tavares tier at the very least, but think he could reach the Sakic/Forsberg tier if he can become the kind of goal scorer I think he will be (yearly Rocket contender, multi-time winner).

 

[Tofveve]

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.

Lol, that made me laugh

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

I say he reaches at least David Clarkson level.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Kopitar has been ppg once. Same as matthews.

Matthews has a 40 goal season, kopitar doesnt.

I don't care if haters think Matthews peaked in his rookie season, they're not even comparable. Kopitar is a poor man's Matthews.

Kopitar is also a Selke winner and finalist multiple times. Tone down the ‘hater’ talk. There’s more to hockey than measuring points.

 

[Cleatus]

Kopitar has been ppg once. Same as matthews.

Matthews has a 40 goal season, kopitar doesnt.

I don't care if haters think Matthews peaked in his rookie season, they're not even comparable. Kopitar is a poor man's Matthews.

Both players have different strengths. Matthews is on a completely different offensive level, but Kopitar has always been an amazing defensive forward, and who knows if Matthews will ever be that good defensively (he'd likely have to sacrifice a fair bit of offense, which I'm not sure I'd want to see happen, I like him how he is).

 

[Panthera]

He'll be in the conversation for second best center in the league, maybe even one of the front runners in it, but I don't see him rivaling McDavid or creating an undeniable separation between himself and everyone that isn't McDavid

 

[BrendanGallagher11]

Malkin 2.0
Guess whos crosby?

 

[AvsFan29]

3rd line, with a potential 2nd line cieling. If he stays healthy he can have a great 3rd/2nd line career.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

I think he can fall into the Kopitar and Malkin level of centres.

Malkin level? He is borderline generational with Crosby.

 

[WesMcCauley]

Malkin tier. Second best centre of his generation behind McDavid.

Difference between beeing the second best center and Malkin. The gap between Mcdavid and Matthews is pretty big which says a lot about Mcdavid because Matthews is a superstar.

Malkin has scored 106+ points three times and has a career ppg at 1,19. Dont see Matthews getting close to that. If he can be a consistent ppg center i think we all should be impressed and happy with that. With that said, thats not Malkin tier, Malkin is atleast a tier above that.

 

[WesMcCauley]

Malkin level? He is borderline generational with Crosby.

Agree. Malkin is much closer to Sid and McJesus than he is to guys like Kopitar, Getzlaf, Tavares, Stamkos etc.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Let’s wait until he puts up a more than a point per game for a full season. He’s proven already he’s going to be a very good goal scorer. But is he more than a point per game type player? Too soon to say.
He’ll need to get a lot more assists though if he wants to challenge the top 3 or 4 centers.

 

[Tofveve]

I'm bad with star and superstar projections.

I never thought Crosby would have the career he's had for one. It took me forever to believe. I'm off to the same start with McDavid.

 

[Hunter368]

I think he has the potential to be a top 10 C year after year....fairly reasonable. Top 5 C year after year is within reach but that's a bit more of a stretch but possible still as he continues to develop.

 

[Plural]

I thinl he'll be 2nd best C in the world soon enough. No quite Malkin level but Getzlaf+/Kopitar+ level.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I think he can fall into the Kopitar and Malkin level of centres.

Which is it? Those two aren't in the same tier.

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

Worst part is that once the season does start and the leafs will do well more of the types of thread will follow for Rielly, Marner etc..

Matthews gets underrated defensively somehow I don't even know how.. Read his draft reports watch him play he's a two way phenom. Won't talk about his peak or prime. I'm just going to enjoy the ride.

 

[NotProkofievian]

I dunno, he seems like a pretty good center already.

 

[LeafsNation75]

3rd line, with a potential 2nd line cieling. If he stays healthy he can have a great 3rd/2nd line career.

Are you being serious or are you trolling everyone with that type of a response? At the very least Matthews is a 1st line elite level centre without having to be compared with anyone else.

 

[oooooooooohCanada]

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'm pretty confident in saying that he is better than Tavares already.

He should score 40 every year at the minimum going forward and his assists will go up playing on a better PP unit and with another goal scorer on his wing. 40/40 is what people should expect him to hit each year going forward. And he will flirt with 50 goals in his best years now that he is playing on the PP with Marner.

Also, according to Mike Johnson, he was 2nd in defensive plays per game behind Bergeron last season. Not sure what that entails exactly or where he gets his stats from, but he said that on TV.

 

[Dicdonya]

I'm pretty confident in saying that he is better than Tavares already.

He should score 40 every year at the minimum going forward and his assists will go up playing on a better PP unit and with another goal scorer on his wing. 40/40 is what people should expect him to hit each year going forward. And he will flirt with 50 goals in his best years now that he is playing on the PP with Marner.

Also, according to Mike Johnson, he was 2nd in defensive plays per game behind Bergeron last season. Not sure what that entails exactly or where he gets his stats from, but he said that on TV.

Sweet, he may very well be and do all of that. So far he has not done any of that, however this is a thread about projections so if that is how you feel then that is totally valid and awesome, I in no way deny that it may become true.

I think he gets to around Kopitar level. Which to me is the absolute best of the best centers in the league not named McDavid and Crosby. If that is not good enough for you, or anyone else, I do not care, its simply an opinion, one that I could care less if I am wrong about.

 

[Mackinnonen]

Ceiling: Malkin
Floor: Seguin

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Probably Stamkos.

 

[Leonhard Euler]

I never thought Crosby would have the career he's had for one. It took me forever to believe. I'm off to the same start with McDavid.

I'm curious what does McDavid has to do to make you a believer? Not trying to be a d!ck here, genuinely just being curious.