Toronto Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews Can Win The Rocket Richard

Through fifty-one games, Auston Matthews has the chance to become the first Toronto Maple Leafs player to win the Maurice Richard Trophy for most goals by a player in a single season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are hardly ever represented during the NHL Awards, although it isn’t much of a surprise when you consider the team’s poor management throughout the years.

Auston Matthews has a chance to become the first Toronto Maple Leafs to win an award since he won the Calder Trophy himself in 2017 for best rookie.

The chart below highlights awards won by a Toronto Maple Leaf 1993-present.

(chart created by David Scala)

The Rocket Richard trophy made its debut in the 1998/1999 NHL season, and there have been twelve different winners. Alex Ovechkin leads the way with eight Rocket Richard trophies.

Toronto Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews

Pavel Bure, Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla, and Steven Stamkos combine for eight wins, and Jonathan Cheechoo, Milan Hejduk, Ilya Kovalchuk, Vincent Lecavalier, Rick Nash, Corey Perry, and Teemu Selanne combine for seven wins. If that does’t show you how dominate Alex Ovechkin has been as a goal scorer in the NHL, I don’t know what will.

Auston Matthews has been a scoring machine this season, and he has continued his torrid pace adding yet another goal last night in a 5-3 win against the Dallas Stars. Matthews has scored 20 goals in his last 21 games played, with 15 of them scored at even strength.

Matthews leads the NHL in even strength goals with 27, and is now one goal behind David Pastrnak who leads the NHL in goals with 37. Pastrnak has been on a tear himself, scoring 12 goals in his last 21 games played. It wouldn’t be a Rocket race without Alex Ovechkin either, who has scored 15 goals in his last 21 games played as well.

The ability that sets Auston Matthews apart from David Pastrnak and Alex Ovechkin is his elite goal scoring ability at even strength. David Pastrnak and Alex Ovechkin get the majority of their goals on the powerplay, whereas Auston Matthews doesn’t know what a powerplay goal is due to the limited times Toronto is actually given one.

Powerplay Goals In The Last 21 Games Played (via hockeyreference): 

David Pastrnak- 16 PPG

Alex Ovechkin- 11 PPG

Auston Matthews- 9 PPG

David Pastrnak’s goal scoring on the powerplay has been dominate all season, but in his last 21 games he has only scored 4 powerplay goals to go along with his 8 at even strength.

Auston Matthews on the other hand has outscored Pastrnak on the powerplay during his last 21 games with 5 powerplay goals, along with his 15 goals at even strength.

If Matthews can keep up this pace, he might even have the chance to crack 60 goals. The biggest obstacle in Auston Matthews’ career has been health and longevity. Matthews has only played one full NHL season through his first 4 seasons, and the nagging wrist injury that kept him out of the 2019/2020 All-Star Game raises a few concerns going forward into the stretch run and potentially into the playoffs.

If Matthews can continue to stay as healthy as a hockey player can be and play all 82 games he will have a chance not only win the Maurice Richard, but also set a team franchise record for most goals scored by a Toronto Maple Leaf.