Auston Matthews Isn't Getting Enough Love For the Hart
Auston Matthews is having an absolute monster season on a lackluster Toronto Maple Leafs team.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a lot of trouble scoring this season outside of Auston Matthews the core four and defensively, they have been atrocious for the most part. These factors plus iffy goaltending for stretches this season, make it feel like a disaster of a year.
Through all this, the Leafs are still in a tight race for the third divisional playoff spot. The Lightning, Red Wings and Maple Leafs are all currently fighting for that spot. Due to the struggles the Leafs have had this year the playoff race is going to be extremely tight.
So through all of these struggles and with how bad the Leafs have been why does Matthews deserve more looks for the Hart Trophy?
Auston Matthews is Having a Hart Trophy Level Season
In 52 games played Matthews has scored 48 goals for the Maple Leafs which leads the league in scoring by six goals.
Matthews has also scored six hat tricks which breaks the franchise record. Matthews has also broke the franchise record for multi-goal games and is on pace for over 70 goals at the time I am writing this article.
If he can complete this incredible goal total it would be the first 70-goal season in the NHL since the 1992-93 season where Mogilny and Selanne both scored 76 goals (Stats from Statmuse).
That in itself is incredible but what makes this even more impressive is how much the Leafs have relied on Matthews and the core four for any goalscoring. Outside of the core four, the five leading goalscorers for the Leafs are Jarnkrok (10), Knies (9), Robertson (8) and Rielly, Bertuzzi, and McMann all at seven goals. Another thing worth noting is Matthews leads the core four in scoring and has scored 20 more goals than William Nylander who is the second-leading goal scorer on the team.
Matthews does have tough competition this season for the award. McDavid has been unbelievable since his tough start but so have the rest of the Oilers who have bounced back.
Both Makar and MacKinnon have been unreal, and Kucherov is having a monster season in Tampa Bay however Matthews' defensive numbers have been significantly better than Kucherov's. Matthews has posted a goals against per 60 of 2.2 in comparison to Kucherov's 3.1 and Matthews also has an expected goals per 60 of 2.57 in comparison to Kucherov's 2.95 (Stats from EvolvingHockey.com). While that doesn't factor in for a lot of voters I think it probably should get more consideration when it comes to voting.
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Matthews has willed this Leafs team into the position they are currently. He has been scoring in every single way somebody can and his defensive game hasn't suffered for it. Without depth goal scoring and other teams doing all they can to lock down the Maple Leafs top line and he has still found a way to do it almost every single night. Matthews has to be at least top two in Hart voting if he continues on the way he has been playing.