Editor In Leaf
Fansided

Maple Leafs: How does Matthews’ World Cup success affect the Leafs?

By Neal DeRosa

Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Auston Matthews puts on a team jersey after being selected as the number one overall draft pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Auston Matthews puts on a team jersey after being selected as the number one overall draft pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Well, if people didn’t know how good Auston Matthews is, they know now. The Maple Leafs forward has been the big attraction at the Air Canada Center, and he hasn’t even tried on his new Leafs jersey yet.

Through two games, the Maple Leafs future has one goal, one assist and leads the North Americans in 5v5 CF% at 71%. What happened to all this “growing pain” everyone was talking about?

Before getting too ahead of ourselves, there are some things we need to take into consideration. Matthews is on the top line alongside McDavid, which certainly contributes to Matthews strong possession and production through two games.

In contrast, the World Cup is filled with average-to-above average NHL players, and Matthews has stood out to say the least. I would not say that the defensemen on Finland and Russia are special, but Matthews’ play has definitely been impressive.

More from Editor In Leaf

What does this mean for the Leafs?

When projecting the Leafs starting lineup, one thing is for sure: the Leafs should have three scoring lines on the ice throughout the season (barring injuries). With Kadri, Bozak/Nylander, and Matthews up center ice, it should be pretty easy to do this.

In addition, they also have enough capable wingers to occupy these three lines. If they are able to put some two-way scoring forwards with Bozak, then all three lines should be able to be effective.

Clearly, more than two scoring lines is the route teams should be going if they have the resources to do so. Just ask Team USA how a top six/bottom six model is working for them. Opposing teams are easily able to matchup with lineups that only have two scoring lines or even one scoring line.

With Matthews’ success so mainstream, opposing teams could match up up his line with their best defensive pairing. As a result, the Kadri/JVR line will be occupied by the second pairing and the Bozak/Nylander line with the third pairing. Even if they want to switch it up, one scoring line is always left for the third pairing.

Recently, this model was brought into the spotlight by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who put Kessel on their “third line” with Bonino. This lineup change made sense after looking at opposing matchups and Kessel’s offensive success with defensive zone starts. All three of the Pens’ stars were able to produce despite not being together. Coach Sullivan was even able to reunite them on the powerplay, something Babcock will certainly look into.

The Leafs’ wingers should also be spread to satisfy which center they would work best with. There is going to be a lot of line juggling this year but the overall model should not change.

One game certainly is not going to be the make-or-break for the 19 year old, but it should be very interesting to see how Matthews fairs against the elite defensive core of Sweden.

Next: Matthews Excites Fans Through Two Games

In particular, Matthews vs Hedman/Stralman might give everyone a better idea of how good Matthews is right now and how he will do against top opposition when presented in the NHL this year. It does not seem like Matthews is too fazed, actually it seems like he is welcoming it with open arms.

Follow @NickDes52 for more articles, news and analysis regarding the World Cup of Hockey and the Toronto Maple Leafs

Home/Editorials