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Toronto Maple Leafs: Where Does Auston Matthews Rank Among Young NHL Stars?

By Eric Cruikshank

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 28: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates with the puck during an NHL pre-season game against the Detroit Red Wings at Scotiabank Arena on September 28, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 28: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates with the puck during an NHL pre-season game against the Detroit Red Wings at Scotiabank Arena on September 28, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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SUNRISE, FL – DECEMBER 3: Aleksander Barkov #16 of the Florida Panthers skates with the puck against the Minnesota Wild at the BB&T Center on December 3, 2019 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FL – DECEMBER 3: Aleksander Barkov #16 of the Florida Panthers skates with the puck against the Minnesota Wild at the BB&T Center on December 3, 2019 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) /

#7 – Aleksander Barkov

Barkov has been called underrated so many times that he I think it is safe to say he is no longer underrated.

Coming off his first full 82 game season, Barkov finished tenth overall in points with a team-leading 35 goals and 96 points.

Barkov has already finished as one of the top candidates for the Selke Trophy multiple times in his young career and has been widely considered as one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL, despite having some of the weakest goaltending in the league for the past two seasons.

While Barkov’s style of play is not as exciting as his contemporaries, he is one of the most creative shootout men in the league. Barkov is ranked eighth in shootout percentage among players with at least 45 career attempts with 44.9% since the shootout was introduced in the 2005-2006 season. To give context, some of the active players above him include Jonathan Toews, Tyler Seguin and T.J Oshie. Not bad company there.

#6 – Jack Eichel

This is the year where Jack Eichel will be considered as one of the best offensive centers in the league.

The Sabres have cooled off after a hot start to the year, but Jack Eichel has remained consistent. Eichel is currently riding a ten-game point streak with 19 points in that stretch, including a four-goal performance against Ottawa in the earlier part of November, to give him a team-leading 38 points through 28 games.

One of Eichel’s most surprising qualities is his wrist shot, which is extremely deceptive and does not look like he will get nearly the amount of power he does. Eichel has also improved his puck protection and is utilizing his long reach to keep defenders at a safe distance away from the puck.

Eichel has consistently improved year after year, and while expectations have significantly lowered ever since being drafted in the shadow of Connor McDavid, he has arguably been able to do more with less than anyone else in the NHL.

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