NHL analyst denies Auston Matthews' capability of netting 50 goals & racking up 100+ points in 1st season without Mitch Marner 

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NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers - Source: Imagn
NHL analyst denies Auston Matthews' capability of netting 50 goals & racking up 100+ points - Source: Imagn

NHL analyst Frank Corrado isn’t convinced Auston Matthews will hit the 50-goal, 100-point mark in his first season without longtime linemate Mitch Marner.

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Matthes led the league with 69 goals and won the Rocket Richard Trophy in the 2023-24 campaign. But he slowed by injuries last season, finishing with 33 goals in 67 games.

Now, he faces a new challenge as Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in the offseason.

Corrado believes that this change will have a significant impact on Matthews' production, projecting him to net 48 goals and just shy of 100 points this upcoming season.

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"I'm going to deny that. I'm going to deny it. I'm going to say that Auston Matthews gets 48 goals and 90-something points," Corrado said on TSN's "FanDuel Overdrive" (Timestamp- 0:10 onwards).
"That's where I'm at with it, and I think that's a very good year, especially considering you don't have Mitch Marner (traded to Vegas) for the first time really in your career," he added.
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Corrado stressed that Matthews doesn’t have to score 55-60 goals every season to show his worth. He noted that Matthews’ two-way game makes him valuable regardless, and staying healthy will be the key to keeping his production high.

However, fellow analyst Bryan Hayes offered a more optimistic take on Matthews' outlook.

"I think he's going to come out like a rocket," Hayes said (Timestamp- 1:29 onwards). "Again, presuming health, which is obviously something you can't predict, and it's on him to prove to everyone he's he's a-ok come day one of camp, but Marner's a big part of it, but there's still other really quality players here.”
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The debate around Matthews' potential production will undoubtedly continue as the Toronto Maple Leafs prepare for the upcoming season.

Mike Rupp ranks Auston Matthews No. 9 in his top center list

Auston Matthews came in at No. 7 on NHL Network’s list of the top 20 centers. On Mike Rupp’s personal rankings, though, Matthews landed at No. 9, just behind Jack Hughes at No. 8.

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"I still think Auston needs to have his moment, and that doesn't mean that Jack Hughes has had his moment. … A healthy Jack Hughes, I would take him over Auston Matthews," Rupp said via NHL Network.
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However, Rupp later clarified on X/Twitter that if it’s the version of Matthews who scored 69 goals in a season, that changes the conversation entirely.

How do you think Auston Matthews will fare next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Edited by Veer Badani
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