For nearly any other player in the National Hockey League, a 40-goal season would be near the top of his career achievements.
For Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, his 40 goals in 2022-23 were his lowest single-season total since 2018-19. Many fans of the team and those who cover the Maple Leafs would go so far as to call it a “down year” for the 2022 Hart Trophy winner.
Two games into the 2023-24 NHL season, however, Matthews has silenced the doubters, recording back-to-back hat tricks, a feat not done since Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin did it in 2017-18.
On Monday’s episode of "Daily Faceoff Live," Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discuss the red-hot start to the 2023-24 season for Matthews and if the 26-year-old could score hit the 70-goal mark this season.
Tyler Yaremchuk: Auston Matthews is back home in the goal column: six goals in two games for an absolutely remarkable start to the season. He’s shooting 46 per cent, Frank! I’m not a numbers guy, I know that’s not sustainable, but this start gives him a big cushion for the rest of the year. What’s the goal-scoring ceiling for Matthews in 2023-24?
Frank Seravalli: I don’t think there is a ceiling, and that’s the honest answer. If you were to tell me that, by April, Auston Matthews will have 70 goals and be the NHL’s first 70-goal scorer in 30-plus years (Teemu Selanne with 76 for the Winnipeg Jets in 1992-93), I’d say: “Yeah, okay, that makes sense.”
Health is going to play a huge factor, but I see no reason why Matthews can’t get back to the level he appeared to be at a couple seasons ago when he won the Hart Trophy. This is a special player and he looks like he has his swagger back — I hate the term swag — but when you look at Matthews, there’s this cool factor to him, this quiet confidence.
That didn’t exist last year. There was this aura of invincibility that existed around Matthews for years, but was punctured last season. I’m going to chalk most of that to health since he acknowledged last March that his hand and wrist injury was still really bothering him. Maybe that’s how you can explain going from 60 to 40 goals. But for me, he’s back.
You can watch the full show here…
More must-reads: