We all know what Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews can do. After drafting him first overall from the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, he has been one of the main faces of the franchise ever since.
Not only has Matthews been a dominant force both offensively and defensively on the ice, he has also led the Toronto Maple Leafs into becoming perennial contenders as a result.
But at the same time, he has also been racking up big numbers in the process. In doing so, he is quickly approaching many Leafs records despite just at the young age of 26.
So what are some of these team records Matthews is about to smash? Let’s find out!
Upcoming Team Records for Toronto Maple Leafs Superstar Auston Matthews to Break
Goals
Considering goal-scoring is his main strength, there’s no doubt many goal-related records on the Leafs will eventually fall to Matthews. At 356 career goals, he is just nine away from Dave Keon for third on the all-time list. With 14 games left in the season, and the way Matthews has been going lately, he should be able to pass Keon before the season’s end. On the other hand, Mats Sundin and his franchise-leading 420 goals should be able to survive until next season.
Even Strength Goals
Matthews has always been a lethal weapon on the Leafs power play. But apparently he can be just as potent at even strength as well. He currently trails both Ron Ellis and Dave Keon by only four goals for second overall and by eight goals for Sundin’s all-time lead with 273. With the Leafs struggling on the power play lately, any Matthews’ goals down the stretch will most likely be at even strength if the trend continues, so we say he reaches the top this year.
Game-Winning Goals
We had iterated before that Matthews has helped lead the Leafs to much success. One way he has done it is by scoring key goals that help determine the outcome of many games. In fact, Matthews has compiled a staggering 61 game-winning goals already for his career, leaving him just two behind Keon for second overall and 18 behind the all-time leader in Sundin. He has a good shot at passing Keon this year and eventually Sundin in another year or two.
Hat Tricks
When Matthews scores, he also likes to do it in bunches. As a result, he has accumulated 13 hat tricks already in his career, including his personal best six times this year. Needing only one more to tie Charlie Conacher and five more to catch Darryl Sittler and his all-time record of 18, we say Matthews will shatter it by next year.
Shots
In order to score goals, one should be attempting as many quality shots on net as one can. Matthews certainly has taken full advantage of that and has pumped 2189 career shots on net to date. He is 78 away from Bob Pulford for sixth on the Leafs all-time list, so he might get there by the end of this season.
Points
He may be just hitting his prime right now, but Matthews has already amassed a whopping 631 points in just his eighth season with the team. In doing so, he is only nine points away from catching Ellis for sixth on the all-time list. Then again, there’s also Mitch Marner hot on his tail with 630 of his own points, so it could be a continuous battle between those two when the eventual franchise record falls in the near future. (All stats from hockey-reference.com)
Those are just a few records Matthews will likely chase down eventually either this year or in the near future. Nevertheless, to Matthews, all of it may not mean as much to him as much as the one main record he wants to break, which is helping the Leafs to finally win the Stanley Cup and end their record 57-year drought.