Auston Matthews should not envy Mitch Marner because Vegas has done the hard work for him
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Mitch Marner is leading the NHL Playoffs in points and everyone acts like it was Toronto's fault, however let's take a look at who they've played to make sure.
Sitting at home recovering from an MCL tear suffered during the season, Auston Matthews is getting a chance to see what Mitch Marner can actually do come playoff time; probably adding a lot of insult to a pretty rough injury.
Leading the NHL Playoffs in points, Marner has been the key factor in Vegas being a Western Conference finalist and one has to wonder where it all went wrong in Toronto because clearly he has the tools to be a dominant and powerful playoff performer.
But it might not exactly be all it's cracked up to be when you boil it down.
The teams Vegas has beaten prove Marner is playing in the softest bracket in the playoffs
This is one of the biggest arguments that may give credence to Marner having an easier time this season. In the first round he faced Utah; a young team that had quite a few playoff staples however are getting a lot older.
The top players on the Mammoth don't have that playoff edge yet, and it's only through growth and extensive postseason experience will they learn it. Dylan Guenther is 23, Logan Cooley is 21, Lawson Crouse and Clayton Keller are 28 and 27 respectively; they are still a very young team.
Then Anaheim was next, and while the Ducks did put up as good a fight as the Mammoth, it was the inexperience again that led to their demise. Only John Carlson and Alex Killorn were the playoff staples on that team meanwhile the real leaders like Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson are just simply too young.
Compare it with Vegas, who has Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev, Mark Stone, Shea Theodore, Reilly Smith and Brandon Saad; all Cup winners with serious playoff pedigree who have done than their fair share of heavy lifting for Marner.
Eichel, Karlsson, Howden and Hertl are doing the dangerous work so Marner never has to
There's a lot to say about how good Jack Eichel has been since leaving Buffalo but you can't take away from just how strong William Karlsson, Brett Howden and Tomas Hertl have been either.
Eichel is second on the team with 15 points meanwhile Howden has 10 points with an astounding eight goals and playing on Marner's wing; he's that deadly shot Marner can feed the puck to.
Karlsson just returned from an absurdly long time away and already has three points in six games. Once thought of as someone on the outs in Vegas has now become someone attached to Marner's hip and allowing Marner to play wing - his natural fit.
Hertl has been a little quieter but is also someone who has proven playoff production and though it's not mind-boggling when it comes to the scoreboard, he can certainly provide more than his share of secondary offence.
They also take a lot of pressure off of Marner's shoulders. Howden is a physical and gritty player who can create separation, Karlsson and Hertl are both possession monsters and elite face-off takers so Marner can focus on playmaking, getting the puck up the ice and finding scorers.
Though it's not to take away from his defence which has always been elite, it's just that he's able to relax a little bit in his own end knowing his team has him covered - and we haven't even touched Shea Theodore or Pavel Dorofeyev.
Chayka's job now is to build Matthews the shelter Vegas never gave him in Toronto
If you're John Chayka, you have to keep a close eye on what the Golden Knights have done to help Marner and give Matthews the exact same treatment.
Bring in players who not only know how to win and contribute in the postseason, but also people who will help elevate him and protect him. It's as important to have a 40-goal or 50-assist guy on his side, but what happens if people run all over him?
That's where a Tom Wilson or Will Cuylle steps in. They are both irritating as heck to play against, love to fight and have no issues taking that extra little bit of aggressiveness and try to leverage it against the opponents.
You can then also give him a defensive group that isn't as slow as molasses. Morgan Rielly, Simon Benoit, Philippe Myers, Brandon Carlo, and Chris Tanev all need to go though in the case of the latter should probably be brought in for player development.
Getting some real puck movers who can not only take shots from the point, give tape to tape passes that don't end up as floating pucks but also ones who are willing to take a few more risks is key; Matthews is great but he can't play both positions at once.
It's also about finding those analytical darlings to help out. It's your Hertl's, your Colton Sissons, your Brett Howden's - you need the role players who actually have proper roles and the numbers to back it up.
They tried it before with Nick Foligno and Ryan O'Reilly to minimal success, but it wasn't about the philosophy at that point, it was player selection.
The best way for John Chayka and the Maple Leafs to convince Auston Matthews to stay is to ensure he gets everything Mitch Marner has and then some.
Or he'll be heading somewhere else that will and Toronto can only look in the mirror when they ask how it all went wrong.
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