What's wrong with Auston Matthews?
- Thread starter ZBBM
- Start date
ZBBM
Well-known member
Last night is just another data point that something is really off. The media has clammed up about it, but it is the elephant in the room. He can't handle pucks, whiffs on shots, etc.
The reality is that he's not a 1C right now. This will never happen, but on the merits he needs to drop to 2C to get some easier matchups. I get Tavares has huge D liabilities as 1C....
Anyway, all the tinkering with lineups is going to come to nothing in the playoffs when your star player is not anywhere close to his usual play. They should have addressed this months ago in hope that he could come back at full strength in time for the post-season — or else to be ready for next season.
The reality is that he's not a 1C right now. This will never happen, but on the merits he needs to drop to 2C to get some easier matchups. I get Tavares has huge D liabilities as 1C....
Anyway, all the tinkering with lineups is going to come to nothing in the playoffs when your star player is not anywhere close to his usual play. They should have addressed this months ago in hope that he could come back at full strength in time for the post-season — or else to be ready for next season.
Ozzie
Active member
Maintenance Days....Load Management.... Injured Reserve. Whatever it takes. Matthews needs to be at the best he can be for Game 1. This is just as important as Leafs finishing first and playing a WildCard.
Assuming Florida finishes first, I'd rather play Tampa with a rested Matthews than grind him into the ground.....maybe finish first....and play Ottawa with Matthews playing like he's doing now...... or even worse.
Assuming Florida finishes first, I'd rather play Tampa with a rested Matthews than grind him into the ground.....maybe finish first....and play Ottawa with Matthews playing like he's doing now...... or even worse.
Frank E
Active member
Auston Matthews has 1 goal in the last 5 games. That's a 16 goals/82 game pace, and over the past 5 games it's a S% of 4.8%.
Here's his S% over the past 5 seasons:
2020-2021 = 18.5% (41g in 52 games)
2021-2022 = 17.2% 60g in 73 games)
2022-2023 = 12.2% (that was his problematic season but still managed 40 goals in 74 games)
2023-2024 = 18.7% (69 goals in 81 games)
2024-2025 = 11.5% (currently at 23 goals and his S% is dropping)
He's not getting better playing through this right now, he's getting worse.
Here's his S% over the past 5 seasons:
2020-2021 = 18.5% (41g in 52 games)
2021-2022 = 17.2% 60g in 73 games)
2022-2023 = 12.2% (that was his problematic season but still managed 40 goals in 74 games)
2023-2024 = 18.7% (69 goals in 81 games)
2024-2025 = 11.5% (currently at 23 goals and his S% is dropping)
He's not getting better playing through this right now, he's getting worse.
ZBBM
Well-known member
And the goals he's scoring are ones that any competent player can score. No butt-elevating OMG goals as in years past.
Nobody here is a doctor, ok well one is, but nobody here has really any idea what medical issue Matthews is currently playing through. But like you said whatever it is and whatever plan the Leafs have him on currently clearly isn't working. Matthews playing like this basically guarantees an early playoff exit. Something has to be done to get him closer to 100% and I just can't see how constantly playing him over 20 minutes a night including top PK minutes is going to do that.
Matthews took two extended breaks this season. After his first one he scored 5 goals in 8 games. After his second one he scored 9 goals in 10 games. That's 14 goals in 18 games coming off breaks. That means he has 9 goals in the other 32 games this season. Maybe this is being a little too simplistic but it's hard to think that another break wouldn't benefit him again.
The team should carve out a 10 game, 24 day stretch late in the season and place him on LTIR for that. Maybe make it so he has a game or two at the end of the season to play in to shake off some rust prior to immediately going into the playoffs. That will also give the Leafs obviously a good chunk of cap space so they can bring up some reinforcements if they want to give any other players (Tanev and McCabe specifically) a game or two off heading into playoffs.
Sure, it'd suck to lose Matthews for a 10 game stretch and maybe that ends up costing us the division, but I'd take a healthier Matthews in playoffs over the top seed any day of the week.
Ozzie
Active member
I think the best AM34 goal this year was a bank shot to hit an open net.
Those are some good thoughts.
Even from the management perspective: if Matthews comes back from that break and scores a bunch of goals in the first round or two of the playoffs, the Leafs would have a better chance of winning a round or two or going deep. If the Leafs lose in the first round, Treliving would probably be in a win or else last year. Marner's probably gone. Tough sell to sign UFAs and win the following year.
It's going to be tough to win the division either way - one path with an ailing/less effective Matthews, the other without him in the lineup for some number of games. But maybe if he sits for a while the rest of the team rises to the occasion as they have so often done.
Why is he still doing penalty killing though, I'd like to see an end to that right now.
Why is he still doing penalty killing though, I'd like to see an end to that right now.