In recent months, I asked 30 renowned National League players to tell me which player was currently, in 2024, the top scorer on the Bettman circuit.
It was Auston Matthews, of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who easily won this vote by obtaining 90% of the votes. Leon Draisailt (Edmonton), Sam Reinhart (Florida) and Alexander Ovechkin (Washington) also received votes.
When I met Matthews and told him the result, the Maple Leafs captain couldn’t help but smile. “It’s very nice to hear especially since this result comes from the players. I face them on a regular basis and I respect them a lot. It makes me happy,” he told me with great humility.
Several players I spoke to never hesitated for a second to answer Matthews when I asked them the question. “It’s hard not to say Matthews. He scored 69 goals last year,” Victor Hedman of the Tampa Lightning told me.
“He almost scored 70 goals. It’s hard to believe,” said Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid with an admiring tone.
Matthews also received praise from Nathan MacKinnon, last year’s Hart Trophy winner and 51-goal scorer. “No hesitation for me, it’s Matthews because he has the best throw.”
It was precisely the quality of Matthews’ shot that regularly came up in the players’ responses to explain why the No. 34 was so good at scoring goals. “It’s the way he takes his shots that impresses. In addition, he has this talent to stand out and score goals from different places. You have to constantly monitor him,” explained Bo Horvat of the New York Islanders.
Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers also admires the way Matthews scores his goals. Reinhart, who scored 57 goals last season, wants to take inspiration from Matthews in the years to come. “Matthews always wants more. He is never satisfied. That’s what I learn from him, which is to always want more.”
Connor Bedard also told me that Matthews was currently the top scorer in the NHL. For the young star of the Chicago Blackhawks, Matthews maintains a high level of performance. “What impresses me is his consistency. I have the impression that he never experiences lethargy.”
If right now, according to the players, Matthews is the best sniper, it will be interesting to see where he will be at the end of his career in NHL history. For now, eyes are on Alexander Ovechkin who could beat Wayne Gretzky’s prestigious goals record (894) this year.
What’s interesting about Matthews is that after the same number of games as Ovechkin, he has more goals than No. 8 of the Washington Capitals. Now, Matthews must stay healthy and he must continue to score a lot of goals once he reaches his thirties like Ovechkin still does.
*Saturday evening, the Canadiens-Maple Leafs game will be shown from 6 p.m. on TVA Sports and on TVA from 6:30 p.m.*
