Toronto Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews and the Top 3 Centres in the NHL

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The start of the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp and another NHL season are just around the corner.

With the Toronto Maple Leafs recently signing franchise centre Auston Matthews to a contract extension, It’s as good a time as any to take stock of team, player, and position rankings.

The Leafs and Edmonton Oilers provide the best hope to bring Lord Stanley’s mug back to Canada for the first time since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.

The Colorado Avalanche are also considered strong contenders to add another title since their last victory two seasons ago.

It is no surprise that these three teams also have top-of-the-league centres. Strength up the middle is necessary to win a championship.

Leafs prospect Matthew Knies caused a stir recently with his thoughts on the hierarchy of NHL centremen.

Ask many long-time followers of the league and you are unlikely to come up with a consensus ranking, but let’s dive in and offer our thoughts

Who are the best centres league-wide heading into this season?

Assessment Criteria

A combination of factors was considered when evaluating the centre-ice position. They included both traditional and advanced stats, offensive vs. defensive play, awards won, and championships.

Another element given thought was the stage of the player’s career. Are they relatively unproven youngsters, in their prime years, or a veteran on the home stretch of their careers?

The NHL Network recently revealed its Top 20 Centers. This was used as a reference point to help come up with our list and narrow it down to the Top 3.

Let’s start with a group on the periphery of the upper class.

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Toronto Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews and the Top 3 Centres in the NHL

Honorable Mention

Before a deeper examination of the Top 3, let’s make note of those that occupy the second tier, just outside cracking the elite.

It should be prefaced that this is not a slight to any of these players. In fact, despite not making the upper level at the centre position, many would be considered Top 20 players in the league.

Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins is a surefire Hall of Famer who has been the face of the NHL since he was drafted and before Connor McDavid arrived with the Edmonton Oilers.

He has a resume littered with NHL awards, championships, and statistics that have set the bar for the current generation of players. Yet, he didn’t crack our Top 3 because the sun is setting on his career.

Crosby is no longer the dominant player he was during his prime. All athletes should age gracefully and maintain the standard he has set with his determination, but he is now below the top tier.

Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils had a breakout season a year ago, but he needs to stack another season or two on top of that before joining the top of the class. Late-bloomer Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres is in a similar situation. More proof is needed.

Jack Eichel of the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights improved his status with his performance last year, but more needs to be accomplished. Injuries have hindered him and he needs to stay healthy.

Elias Petterson of the Vancouver Canucks has performed well, has youth on his side, and plays at both ends of the ice, but his team has accomplished little. Until the Canucks become a factor he can’t be among the elite.

Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning has proven to be a clutch performer during the team’s championship runs. He, along with Leon Draisaitl of the Oilers, in my opinion, would occupy the fourth and fifth spots in these positional rankings.

Who does that leave to occupy the Top 3 spots at centre?

McDavid of the Oilers, Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Nathan MacKinnon of the Avalanche are the current Mount Rushmore of NHL centres.

A deeper look will reveal who deserves the top ranking and why.

Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

A Deeper Look At The Top 3

The trophy cases of McDavid, Matthews, and MacKinnon will likely soon require additional storage space at their respective homes.

The three of them have collected more than their fair share of hardware, with more to follow as they each navigate through the prime of their careers.

McDavid has collected 5 Art Ross trophies for most points, 3 Hart Memorial awards for MVP, 4 Ted Lindsay awards (player voted MVP) along with last season’s Rocket Richard trophy for most goals. (All statistics courtesy of NHL.com.)

Matthews is a 2-time Rocket Richard winner, a Hart and Ted Lindsay winner from 2021-2022, and has a Calder trophy (top rookie) from 2016-2017.

MacKinnon won the Calder in 2013-2014 and Lady Byng in 2019-2020, but has the trophy McDavid and Matthews want most, the Stanley Cup that he won in 2021-2022.

The edge here goes to McDavid, despite MacKinnon being the only one of the three able to call himself a Stanley Cup champion.

A Breakdown of the Big 3’s Traditional and Advanced Scoring Stats

McDavid has 850 career points, MacKinnon 759, and Matthews 542. On a points-per-game basis, this equates to 1.49 for McDavid, 1.13 for Matthews, and 1.09 for MacKinnon.

The career goal totals of all three are closely bunched. McDavid stands at 303, followed by Matthews at 299, and MacKinnon at 281.

McDavid leads in assists with 547, then MacKinnon at 475, with Matthews trailing at 243.

Advanced stats are closely aligned between the three players.

McDavid leads in career point shares (100.7), followed by MacKinnon (87.4), then Matthews (71.8). Matthews has a career Corsi-For percentage of 53.8, McDavid is 53.3, then MacKinnon at 52.4.

The shot attempt differential for all three players is also similar across their careers. McDavid’s numbers range from 9.1-23.2, Matthews 7.4-25.6, and MacKinnon 5.0-32.7. (All statistics courtesy of HockeyReference.com.)

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Offensive Vs. Defensive Play Comparisons

When it comes to goal-scoring Matthews has the clear edge. McDavid has publicly stated that he studied Matthews to help with his shooting. A huge compliment to Matthews.

It worked, based on McDavid’s career high in goals last year, but Matthews is still the top sniper.

He announced himself to the NHL with a four-goal debut against the Ottawa Senators and has overtaken Alex Ovechkin as the league standard for goal-scoring.

Matthews leads the NHL in total goals scored since his debut during the 2016-2017 season. He has also led the NHL in even-strength goals on four different occasions. His career goals-per-game average is far above McDavid and MacKinnon.

While Matthews is the standard in goal-scoring, McDavid is unmatched in his playmaking ability.

McDavid has led the NHL in assists on three different occasions and for his career, he averages almost one assist per game.

MacKinnon is no slouch in dishing off assists and he will soon reach 500 for his career.

McDavid is the best playmaker of the trio, followed by MacKinnon, then Matthews.

Comparing the trio defensively, there is more discrepancy in their stats.

Only Matthews is strong in the face-off circle. His rookie season was the only time that he finished with less than a 50% winning rate. For the rest of his career, he has won draws at a rate of 51.9-56.2%.

McDavid has had a success rate of over 50% in only two of his eight NHL seasons. In the past two years, he was at 53.7 and 51.9. He has improved, but he doesn’t approach Matthews’ consistency.

The most surprising of the three is MacKinnon. He has had one single season over 50% in his ten-year career.

Matthews is the best of the three on draws, and it’s not close.

None of the three play much short-handed, so most of their shot-blocking numbers come during even-strength play, but it is interesting to compare nonetheless.

Their 82-game averages for block shots over their careers are as follows: Matthews 76, MacKinnon 40, and McDavid 32.

The last defensive metric to dissect is giveaways/takeaways. Throughout their careers Matthews is +100 (477/377), McDavid is +69 (563/494), and MacKinnon is -51 (389/440). (All statistics courtesy of HockeyReference.com.)

Matthews has a significant edge in all three defensive categories. He is the better defensive player, with McDavid lagging in second, and MacKinnon last.

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Who Is The NHL’s Top Centre?

Head-to-head records offer more food for thought when comparing these stars.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Oilers favors Matthews (11-3-2) over McDavid (5-9-2). Avalanche vs. Toronto Maple Leafs sees a slight edge to MacKinnon (7-5) over Matthews (5-4-3). Oilers vs. Avalanche favors McDavid (9-4-4) over MacKinnon (8-7-2).

The biggest intangible is the championship that MacKinnon holds over McDavid and Matthews.

McDavid and MacKinnon are both capable of breathtaking, dazzling end-to-end rushes that leave fans and players alike in awe. Matthews is more likely to impress with his quick release or strength in the corners.

After last season, it is impossible to justify knocking McDavid off his perch as the best player, therefore, centre in the NHL, especially with his increased goal-scoring. He is also still the league’s best playmaker.

The look at defensive metrics shows that Matthews offers more help in all other areas of the ice.

McDavid is the top centre in the NHL, followed by Matthews, with MacKinnon third.

Next. The 6 Biggest Questions Heading into the Leafs Camp. dark

Thanks to Matthews’ defensive work, it is closer than some might think. Should Matthews bounce back this season and approach his prior Hart trophy form, there just might be a new king of the mountain.

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