Realistically, Which Calibre Of Centre Will Matthews Become?

[frag2]

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.

Did we ever get an explanation how a defensive play per game is measured?

Is it like a grasping at straws metric like loose puck retrieval’s?

 

[HugginThePost]

Did we ever get an explanation how a defensive play per game is measured?

Is it like a grasping at straws metric like loose puck retrieval’s?

You'd have to think so.....

.....have to fit the agenda after all.

 

[nbwingsfan]

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 has a 92 point season, Matthews career high is 69 so far.

Matthews is PPG in 62 games, add in playoffs and now he's on a 75pt pace. All is takes is a small slump to ruin his "PPG pace".

Kopitar has also played on an awful offensive team while being a top 3 defensive forward.

Someday I expect Matthews to be as good as Kopitar, but that hasn't happened yet.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

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.

I like this comparison best.

 

[X66]

Like I've said for a long time, Malkin.

Matthews even strength production is already at the same level as Malkin's when he was winning and challenging for scoring titles.

The only real difference is the 5+ minutes of PP time a game that Malkin used to get.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Top 10 center during his career... prob a few seasons where he flirts with top 5. Doubt he will win any Mvps…. but will prob finish in top 5 in voting a few times.

Stamkos is prob a good comparison... Matthews is prob a little better all around player tho.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Like I've said for a long time, Malkin.

Matthews even strength production is already at the same level as Malkin's when he was winning and challenging for scoring titles.

The only real difference is the 5+ minutes of PP time a game that Malkin used to get.

The only difference.

 

[DRW204]

Top 5 C league wide within a few years.

 

[Spirit of 67]

Consistent top 5 or 10 centre for most of his career easily. Generational is certainly a bridge too far though, let alone all time status.

The way people love to throw around the term "generational" nowa days it's easy to call him that.
Heck, it's like every team has to have a "generational player."

Anyway, he will be considered one of the top C's of his generation and on of the greatest American born players ever.

 

[Spirit of 67]

I say he reaches at least David Clarkson level.

I'll go one step further and suggest he's already past that.

; ^ )

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

Getzlaf/Stamkos hybrid, kids money.

 

[nbwingsfan]

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).

"Completely different level"....?

Again, Kopitar JUST had a 92pt season. He's also had 70 or more points seven times in his career, including an 81pt season and a 73 in 75games season.

Hell even their first two seasons are very similar stats wise, while Kopitar has been on a very defensive team, especially compared to the Leafs.

Sure he's a better goal scorer, but for Matthews to be on a "Completely different level" than a guy who just scored 92pts and is consistently hovering around PPG then Matthews had better be scoring 100+pts (which he hasn't come close to doing)

 

[Legionnaire]

Top tier. He has an uncanny knack for finding the puck and putting it in.

 

[The Podium]

I'd say 2nd best C of his generation. Yzerman/Malkin/Sakic tier

 

[Sasso09]

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.

Please explain how tavares is a tier above Giroux? Giroux has been the better player since day one, much better defensively and outscored him all but 2 seasons together.

 

[GlitchMarner]

Please explain how tavares is a tier above Giroux? Giroux has been the better player since day one, much better defensively and outscored him all but 2 seasons together.

Yeah, I guess he's not necessarily better. I just thought of Giroux when thinking of inconsistent Cs. But then again, few Cs have hit the heights he has in his best seasons and some of his "down" seasons are still good seasons.

 

[Coffey]

He will be up there for sure.
Toronto fans have every right to be excited with him and Tavares down the middle.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Somewhere between Evgeni Malkin and John Tavares.

 

[pbgoalie]

Getz with a brain

 

[Foppberg]

Kopitar/Sundin level. Consistent 70-80s point guy, not as good defensively as Kopitar though.

 

[Uncle Bill]

If Matthews rises to Scheifele’s level, he’ll be a valuable player for years.

 

[Fear]

Kopitar's last season was a bit of an anomaly in his career. If he did that every year he would be in the Malkin tier. When people compare Matthews to Kopitar, are you talking about this year's Kopitar or career Kopitar? Big difference

 

[Cleatus]

"Completely different level"....?

Again, Kopitar JUST had a 92pt season. He's also had 70 or more points seven times in his career, including an 81pt season and a 73 in 75games season.

Hell even their first two seasons are very similar stats wise, while Kopitar has been on a very defensive team, especially compared to the Leafs.

Sure he's a better goal scorer, but for Matthews to be on a "Completely different level" than a guy who just scored 92pts and is consistently hovering around PPG then Matthews had better be scoring 100+pts (which he hasn't come close to doing)

Fair enough. I guess I should say I just believe Matthews will be on a completely different offensive level than him not too far down the line, and by the end of Matthews career, we'll all see he's at least decently above Kopitar in the offense department (sorry if that idea also upsets you).

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I'd say 2nd best C of his generation. Yzerman/Malkin/Sakic tier

Let’s hold off on these type of predictions at least until we see who is in his ‘generation’. A generation is not three years. There’s still at least seven more drafts to go before we see who he is competing against. Jack Hughes this year for one. Too many people think a generation is a three year period. Even under a generous definition you need to include a 10 year period.

 

[apollo678]

When discussing greatness, I actually don't think that the stats will matter if he leads the Leafs to a Cup.
The Leafs will likely spread the offense around given the incredible depth. McDavid played 21:33 mins per game last year. Matthews was 18:08 - I don't see that changing all that much.
If Matthews brings the Cup to Toronto, and ends the long drought, nothing else really matters to Leafs fans.