Ex-NHLer refuses to rank Auston Matthews higher than his highly-debated #7 spot in Top 20 centers list 

Former NHLer Jason Strudwick isn’t willing to bump Auston Matthews above his No. 7 spot on the NHL Network’s “Top 20 Centers Right Now” list.

The rankings sparked plenty of debate among fans, with one arguing:

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

Holmberg Fan

@HolmbergFan

@NHLNetwork @MapleLeafs At worst, he's the 7th best forward. 7th best center is ridiculous 😭😭😭

Another fan questioned:

"I know he had a down year but does that really mean he's this low?"

.

@leafsplswin

@NHLNetwork @MapleLeafs I know he had a down year but does that really mean he's this low?

On TSN’s "FanDuel Overdrive," Strudwick stood firm, saying seventh is exactly where Matthews belongs at this point.

"No, I don't have Matthews any higher than (seventh) at all. No, I could not at all endorse any idea where Matthews moves up that list. But it's okay to be seventh,” Strudwick said (Timestamp- 1:30 onwards).

He added that being ranked as the seventh-best center in the world is still an impressive feat, but added there’s room for Matthews to prove more by scoring at his usual pace and helping push the Toronto Maple Leafs deeper in the playoffs with their retooled lineup.

“There's the ability for him to really flex his muscles, continue scoring, and push his team deeper than they have with this new mix they have here with the Leafs," Strudwick said. "But as it is right here today, the end of August, there's no way I could endorse him going up higher."

Matthews is coming off a season where he missed 15 games due to injury, finishing with 33 goals and 78 points in 67 appearances.

Jason Strudwick sets the bar for a "successful" Auston Matthews season

Jason Strudwick outlined his expectations for Auston Matthews' upcoming season with the Maple Leafs. He believes Matthews' performance will be primarily judged by his goal-scoring abilities (Timestamp- 1:21 onwards).:

“I think with Matthews, it's always going to be about the goal totals and I think he has to be north of 45 goals. That's what I look at...”

Strudwick admitted that losing Mitch Marner to Vegas, a major piece of Toronto’s power play, will likely hurt Matthews’ production. Even so, he stressed that for Matthews to call the season a success, he needs to hit the 45-goal mark.

Analyst Dave Feschuk backed up that view, pointing out that Matthews has averaged 52 goals per 82-game season throughout his career.

"He has, you know, he didn't have last year, but um yeah, he's averaging 50," Feschuk said.

While assists will play a role, Feschuk added that the focus remains on Matthews' ability to find the back of the net consistently.