"7th best center is ridiculous": NHL fans react to Auston Matthews' ranking in Top 20 NHL centers list

Fans on social media reacted to Auston Matthews’ ranking on the NHL Network’s Top 20 Centers list.

On Wednesday, NHL Network released its list of the top 20 centers in the league. Connor McDavid topped the list, followed by Nathan MacKinnon at number two and Leon Draisaitl at number three.

Sidney Crosby was ranked fifth, while Alex Ovechkin, the NHL's leading goal scorer, was not included.

Two-time 60-goal scorer Auston Matthews, was placed seventh, sparking varied reactions from fans on X. One tweeted:

"At worst, he's the 7th best forward. 7th best center is ridiculous."

Another chimed in:

"Insane what playing one season with severe back pain, so much so he missed a significant amount of time and went overseas for treatment, does to a player. Understandably had a relatively down year, but #7 is insane."

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

"Literally after one injured season... Ridiculous. I'm fine with moving Drai ahead of him after that monster season, but any lower than 4 is just nonsense," a third fan posted.

"Recency bias is genuinely too harsh to this guy. He’s on any other team and no one would dare taking him out of the top 5 cause of a down year," one X user wrote.

"He breaks 50 this year even with marner gone. #Hottake is that he will have more power plays goal without marner this year," one opined.

"There are not 6 players in hockey better than AM34, if you think so you’re a dumb ass and this includes you @NHLNetwork," another chimed in.

Former NHLer ranks Jack Hughes above Auston Matthews in top 20 centers list

Former NHL player and analyst Mike Rupp believes that a fully healthy Jack Hughes surpasses Auston Matthews.

During the discussion on NHL Network, he stated he would rank Hughes above the Maple Leafs captain on the NHL Network’s Top 20 Centers list.

"A healthy Jack Hughes, I would take him over Auston Matthews," Rupp said.

Jack Hughes underwent shoulder surgery in March. He is expected to be back in the New Jersey Devils' lineup when the training camp begins in September.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta