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TSN hockey analyst Bryan Hayes has been quite vocal about his belief in Auston Matthews' ability to reach the 70-goal milestone in a season.
Matthews is the leading scorer this season with 54 goals. If he continues to score at his current pace, he could end up with 69 strikes. However, his goalscoring form has cooled off in recent games, with the 26-year-old forward managing only one goal in five games and two in his last eight.
Matthews needs 16 goals in 18 games to reach 70 goals. Despite his recent goal drought, Hayes knows that Matthews remains the best goalscorer. And if anyone is capable of accomplishing the NHL milestone, it's Auston Matthews.
In a recent segment of SportsCentre with Jay Onrait, Bryan Hayes said:
"I'm not quite there yet. This guy is a freak of nature as you just said he's still the best goal-scorer in the world. 16 goals in 18 games if there's one guy in the National Hockey League that can do that. It's Auston Matthews."
"But he's really cool down. Two goals in his last eight games, only one in his last five, and now (Mitch)Marner is injured, and he's not going to play Thursday. So, that will have a factor on whether or not he can get there.
Matthews is seven goals away from breaking his career-high mark of 60 goals set in 2020-21. The Maple Leafs take on the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.
Auston Matthews could become the first player to score 70 goals since 1992-93
If Matthews reaches 70 goals, he will become the first player to do so since Teemu Selane and Alexander Mogliny scored 76 apiece during the 1992-93 campaign.
Last season, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers came close to achieving the mark, managing 64 goals in 82 games. Only eight players in NHL history have scored at least 70 times in a season.
NHL icon Wayne Gretzky holds the league record for most 70-goal seasons (4), which includes an NHL record 92 goals for the Edmonton Oilers in 1981-82.
