Maple Leafs Fans Erupt Over Auston Matthews' New NHL Center Ranking
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs fans are outraged as the NHL Network voted Auston Matthews 7th in their top centers list and will no doubt look to prove the doubters wrong.
While there's a lot of debate about who the best players are in the world, there's no doubt that a select few are the cream of the crop. When it comes to the ever-important center position, it seems the league isn't lacking in superstar talent.
Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Aleksander Barkov are some of the world's best, and their production reflects their ranking on NHL Network's Top-20 centers.
Why Auston Matthews' Ranking Sparks Controversy
Releasing what they believe is the upper echelons of talent in the NHL, the familiar names took the list, however one glaring ranking seemed to stand out: Auston Matthews at 7th.
Matthews ranks behind the likes of Jack Eichel and Leon Draisaitl, who while incredible talents, it could be argued that Matthews it at least to their level, and Draisaitl often has the benefit of working with Connor McDavid; the world's best player.
Here's what the official writeup for Matthews says on NHL.com:
The No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft is on Team USA's preliminary roster for the Olympics.
Matthews leads the NHL in goals since entering the League for the 2016-17 season (401 in 629 games) and has scored at least 30 in each of his nine seasons, including 60 twice.
He succeeded John Tavares to become the 26th captain of the Maple Leafs on Aug. 14, 2024, and had three assists in three games at 4 Nations.
Matthews leads the NHL in goals since entering the League for the 2016-17 season (401 in 629 games) and has scored at least 30 in each of his nine seasons, including 60 twice.
He succeeded John Tavares to become the 26th captain of the Maple Leafs on Aug. 14, 2024, and had three assists in three games at 4 Nations.
It can be understood that Barkov and MacKinnon rank above him, as their playoff and regular season accomplishments speak for themselves. It could be noted that perhaps the only reason Eichel ended up ahead of Matthews is due to his 2023 Cup win with Vegas.
Matthews' injury really hurt his ranking this season, and while he put in a valiant effort, it really put a damper on things the fact he was dealing with an injury since the preseason.
How Fans Reacted to Matthews' Drop
Fans are pretty upset too and have taken to social media to let their opinions be heard:
A lot of fans also point out that this is simply the NHL Network trying to farm engagement and create a debate amongst fans.
It seems to be that the list and NHL Network are going to have a lot to think about especially if Matthews is back to full form.
While there are concerns that he isn't 100%, there's no doubt he's motivated and though his personal account of his injury status may leave fans a bit anxious, we have to trust that he is ready to go.
Matthews had 78 points in 67 games for the Leafs last season (33 goals, 45 assists) even though he dealt with a bunch of absences that ranged from a couple games to a couple weeks.
There is no doubt that the NHL is chock-full of incredible and world-class talent, but the slight disrespect to Auston Matthews will hopefully end up proving his doubters wrong during their next list.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 21 | 950 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Fans Erupt Over Auston Matthews' New NHL Center Ranking Do you think Auston Matthews deserves a rating higher than 7th? | ||
| Yes | 511 | 53.8 % |
| No | 439 | 46.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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