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5 New Year’s Resolutions Bound to Benefit Maple Leafs Through 2021

By Shaun Filippelli

TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 07: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his third period goal at 16:54 against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 07, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 07: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his third period goal at 16:54 against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 07, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images) /
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Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
TORONTO,ON – JANUARY 8: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Resolution #4: Matthews Wins the Race

Amidst a productive offensive unit that includes the likes of Mitch Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander, and Zach Hyman, the Maple Leafs hope for even more after adding Joe Thornton, Wayne Simmonds, and Jimmy Vesey. Yet, all eyes remain focused on Matthews when it comes to goal scoring, and rightfully so.

Good thing for Toronto, the former number one pick doesn’t seem phased with that type of expectation. Through his first four years in the league, Matthews has already amassed 158 goals and continues to show year-over-year progress with his per game pace.

Through 2019-20, his 47 goals in 70 games had Matthews poised to break Toronto’s single-season goal-scoring record of 54. However, following the unexpectedly shortened season, that title is still being held by Rick Vaive.

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1229950984861954048?s=20

That production kept him amongst the leaders of the pack in the year-long race for the Maurice Richard Trophy, with the award as the league’s best scorer waiting at the finish line. He battled alongside Alex Ovechkin and David Pastrnak, two of the game’s most prolific, who ultimately shared the win.

Again, it’s not that Matthews isn’t doing the job that’s required of him. Not only does he consistently lead his own team in scoring, but he’s also now finding his place around the best in the league. Toronto simply needs more, to help them reach new heights.

Resolution: Amidst continued progress, it’s up to Matthews to set the bar to the levels he can reach. As the 23-year-old anticipates further growth and development, he has to work on finding a new gear of goal scoring that results in him doing more than just being near the leaders. Matthews needs to strive to be the best of them all.

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