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Toronto Maple Leafs: Can Auston Matthews Score 60 Goals This Year?

By Stephen Nixon

CALGARY, AB - APRIL 4: (L-R) Mitch Marner #16, Auston Matthews #34 and T.J. Brodie #78 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate after Matthews scored a goal against the Calgary Flames during the third period of an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on April 4, 2021 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)
CALGARY, AB - APRIL 4: (L-R) Mitch Marner #16, Auston Matthews #34 and T.J. Brodie #78 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate after Matthews scored a goal against the Calgary Flames during the third period of an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on April 4, 2021 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs superstar, Auston Matthews led the NHL in goals scored last year, but can he do it again?

Auston Matthews scored at an unbelievable pace last year, but it shouldn’t have surprised anyone who’s watched him his entire career. No matter where he’s played, whether it’s with the USA Development Team, Switzerland or the NHL, Matthews has always found the back of the net.

The 24-year-old is just hitting the prime of his career, which is dangerous for netminders across the NHL.

If we look at his career, for the most part, he’s continued to score at a higher-rate every single year (all stats: hockeydb.com).

  • 2016-17 Season:
    • 40 goals, 82 games played (.49 goals per game)
  • 2017-18 Season:
    • 34 goals, 62 games played (.55 goals per game)
  • 2018-19 Season:
    • 37 goals, 68 games played (.54 goals per game)
  • 2019-20 Season:
    • 47 goals, 70 games played (.67 goals per game)
  • 2020-21 Season:
    • 41 goals, 52 games played (.79 goals per game)

If it wasn’t for the past two seasons being cut short due to the pandemic, Matthews would have easily beaten Rick Vaive’s record of 52 goals in a single season, and probably would have shattered that number last year.

Based on the shortened campaigns, he’s never hit 50 goals in a single season, but that should change this year.

Matthews Will Easily Beat Rick Vaive’s Goal Record

Since the 2004 NHL Lockout, Alex Ovechkin is probably the only player we could predict who would be guaranteed to score 50 goals every season. Although he doesn’t do it every year, he’s scored 50 goals eight times in his 16-year career and nobody would be shocked if he did it again this year.

Matthews is at that Ovechkin-level, when it comes to goal scoring. After a 55-goal and 65-goal pace the past two seasons, Matthews will finally get an 82-game season to break every Leafs record there is and to lead the league in scoring in a full year for the first time in his career.

It’s hard to predict that Matthews will score at his .79 goal pace again this year, but why can’t he?

Throughout last season, he clearly had wrist issues, but that never slowed him down. Now that he finally had surgery on that wrist, there shouldn’t be anything to stop him from being even more productive in the regular season.

If he’s healthy and plays close to 82 games this year, Matthews should strive for 60 goals. That’s a .73 goals per game rate, which is lower than his pace last year, and is slightly higher than his 2019-20 season, so we know it’s possible.

Obviously you need some luck when it comes to scoring that many goals, but Matthews has an ability to score in almost every way. Whether it’s his incredible wrist shot, hard slap shot or using his body in front, Matthews can score in any way possible and that should continue this year.

Next. Josh Ho-Sang Could Be This Year's Alex Galchenyuk?. dark

Take whatever money you have in your savings account and bet it on Matthews to win the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy again this year, because it’s the biggest lock in sports.

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