Toronto Maple Leafs: 2017-18 Forward Grades

Auston Matthews 

Despite missing 20 games with a separated shoulder and a concussion, Auston Mattews continued his upward trajectory into the stratosphere of best players in the NHL.

At this point, there’s one player in the NHL you’d trade him for – Connor McDavid – and for emotional reasons, I wouldn’t even do that.  Auston Matthews, two seasons into his career, is on the path to becoming the best player in Toronto Maple Leafs history.  He’s already the most talented, now all he has to do is put up the numbers to prove it.

This season, despite his injuries, he was his usual dominant self.  He is one of several players in the NHL for which you’d tune into to watch, regardless of who’s playing.  Every time he steps on the ice, something amazing seems to happen.  No one is better at making impossible moves in situations were there isn’t room to do them.

Matthews finished the season with 32 goals and 63 points in 62 games.  Despite injuries, Matthews scored at a 45 goal pace (and three separate injuries means three separate sets of games where he’s warming up/getting his timing, not to mention the three games he left early after being injured).

Matthews finished 5th in 5v5 goal scoring, only four back of eventual champ McDavid.  But Matthews played 400 less minutes and missed 20 games.  He is easily the best goal scorer in the NHL today.

Despite the injuries, Auston Matthews is the easiest player to grade.

– James Tanner