Since entering the league in 2016, there has been little doubt regarding Auston Matthews’ placement as an elite talent. For a while, he was in the conversation as a top-three center in the NHL.
That has drastically changed.
NHL Network’s most recent ranking placed Matthews as the league's eighth-best center. Yes, Matthews is a top-10 NHL center when he’s at the top of his game. But that’s just the thing. The 28-year-old just hasn’t been himself over the last two seasons.
Now, there is one major variable that has changed in the last two seasons. Craig Berube did his best to transform Matthews from a 60-goal scorer into a defensive center. And for the most part, it worked. Matthews is now among the best two-way centers in the game.
Unfortunately, he’s massively underrated as a defensive forward.
That’s a situation that could change dramatically under Jim Hiller. Hiller’s influence promises to bring Matthews back to the form that once made him the game’s premier goal scorer.
But will that be enough? Will Auston Matthews ever return to his Rocket Richard form? Or are we witnessing the gradual decline of one of the game’s greatest goal scorers?
Those questions will need serious answers. And when they come, Maple Leafs fans hope that they reveal that the last two seasons were naught more than a blip on the radar.
Fully healthy Auston Matthews should be dangerous
A fully healthy Auston Matthews should be a force to be reckoned with. The untimely knee injury that ended his season essentially forced the Maple Leafs captain to get some much-needed rest.
He went through a grueling first half of the season, followed by an extended run at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics. As such, Matthews didn’t really get much of a chance to allow his body time to recover.
That’s something that could have changed this summer. Matthews got an extended layoff and now seems poised to return at full throttle.
If that’s really the case, Matthews could have a renaissance unlike anything we’ve seen before. If the Maple Leafs are to have any chance to compete this season, they’ll need Matthews at full strength.
Why 2026-27 should be different for Maple Leafs
Just about every team goes into a new season saying that this time things will be different. That’s usual rhetoric. But the 2026-27 season will certainly be different for the Maple Leafs. The biggest changes happened in the front office. There’s a new coaching staff and new support players who promise to take much of the pressure off the top-heavy Leafs’ lineup.
The question will be if that’s enough to materially change anything in Toronto.
A stronger supporting cast for Auston Matthews should help take the pressure off the former first-overall pick. While it might not necessarily mean less ice time for Matthews, taking the pressure off pressure-packed shifts should bode well for the team’s most important player’s longevity.
Let’s see what happens. There is no question that this season will provide Matthews with a shot at redemption. So, it will be a matter of taking advantage of that opportunity.
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