Auston Matthews' top-10 snub sets up the biggest reputation test of his Maple Leafs career

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has been hit with a major snub by EA Sports, as he is not ranked as a top-10 center in the league in the new video game, NHL 27.

For years, Matthews has firmly found himself near the top of the center rankings in the game. In fact, there was a time when he was among the best players, point-blank-period. Now, however, he is ranked at a 92 overall, which is actually below William Nylander.

This recent snub contributes to this season being different than previous ones. Matthews is facing a test of his reputation. He is also looking to prove that the last two seasons were injury-induced outliers, and not true proof of a decline.

Matthews has never entered a Leafs season with this much to prove individually

Matthews was typically always near the top of the EA Sports NHL rankings thanks to his scoring. After scoring 69 goals in 81 games during the 2023-24 season, Matthews was given a rating of 95 overall in NHL 25.

Last season, however, he had just 27 goals in 60 games. He had a total of 53 points and averaged less than half a goal per game. This culminated in the lowest scoring rate of his entire career.

Furthermore, near the end of last season, he suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear after a hit from Radko Gudas. This took Matthews out of the season, and this Summer, the captain has been recovering. The injury creates yet another variable for Matthews heading into the season.

Simply put, this season is a test for Matthews. He is no longer trying to prove he is the best goal-scorer in the league. Instead, he is trying to repair his reputation as a natural goal-scorer.

Matthews doesn't need 69 goals again to force his way back into the NHL's elite tier

If you look at Matthews' averages over the course of his career, he typically gets you 51 goals over 82 games. This includes 93 points and a 15.5 percent shooting percentage. Last season, that shooting percentage was down to 12 percent. Moreover, he only had five power-play goals.

While it would be nice, Matthews doesn't need another 69-goal campaign to prove that he is still one of the best in the league. A return towards normal shooting efficiency and power-play output will be enough to restore confidence.

Under head coach Jim Hiller, Matthews has another opportunity to improve. The system has the potential to bring about higher shot volume, a bigger power-play role, and more one-timers. There are new variables this season, and Matthews will be looking to take advantage.

The question is not whether Matthews can reach the 70-goal plateau. Instead, it is whether or not last season was the beginning of a decline or another injury-related outlier.

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