Editor In Leaf
Fansided

Auston Matthews Could Be Best Toronto Maple Leafs Player Ever

By Mitchell Hartman

TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 2: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Florida Panthers during Game One of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 2, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Panthers defeated the Maple Leafs 4-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 2: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Florida Panthers during Game One of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 2, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Panthers defeated the Maple Leafs 4-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Late Wednesday evening, Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews signed a 4-year extension with the team, ensuring he’ll be a Leaf until, at minimum, the end of the 2027-28 season.

This not only gives the Toronto Maple Leafs 4 more years of one of the league’s top players, but also 4 more years of Stanley Cup contention.

Matthews, who’s already put his name into the Leafs record books already, now has a chance to do it again, and there’s a good chance he does.

Now that he’s guaranteed to be in Toronto until he’s 30, he may end up as the best Leafs player ever.

Auston Matthews Could Be Best Toronto Maple Leafs Player Ever

Matthews, who is only 25, is already top-5 in Maple Leafs goals scored, power-play goals, and game-winning goals. It’s almost a guarantee he is at the top of all these lists by the time his extension is over.

On top of this, Auston Matthews has the Leafs record for goals in a season(60), as well as being the only Leafs player ever to win the Rocket Richard Trophy (which he has two of) and a Ted Lindsay Award.

Further adding to his resume, Matthews also has a Calder Trophy, and a Hart Trophy (which only 3 Leafs have won), as well as being named to 2 all-NHL teams.

And as I mentioned before, he’s still only 25.

Talk about a legend in the making, if he isn’t one already.

With a player like Matthews on their team until the 2028 season, the Leafs are almost guaranteed to make the playoffs every year, and playing on a strong team would only help Matthews break more Leafs records.

The only thing missing is that elusive Stanley Cup.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are close to their first Championship since 1967, and while they have been quite unlucky in recent years, they need better results in the playoffs.

This new extension proves Auston Matthews is willing to do what it takes to win with this team, and if he didn’t want to be in Toronto, he wouldn’t have signed the extension.

Whether he decides to stay or leave at the end of his extension in 2028, I believe Matthews will be the greatest Toronto Maple Leafs player of all time, and it’s going to be a pleasure to watch him.

Next. Matthews Is Nice, Now Do Nylander. dark

Let’s see if he can lead this team to a Stanley Cup.

Home/Analysis