Auston Matthews on track for 74 goals

If there’s one certainty in the NHL this season, it’s that Auston Matthews will win the Maurice-Richard.

This morning, my colleague Mathis Therrien summed up last night’s game for you: the American scored a hat trick. His 46th, 47th and 48th goals of the season.

And right now, he’s on track for 74 goals.

Auston Matthews:
-48 goals in 52 GP (missed one game due to injury)
-Back to back games with hat trick
-6 hat tricks this season
-On pace for 74 goals#LeafsForever

– NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) February 18, 2024

No player since the 1992-1993 season (Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny) has managed to score 70 goals in a single season. Not even Steven Stamkos or Alexander Ovechkin, whose retirement is approaching, has been able to score that many in a season.

Matthews is truly in a class of his own, and his teammates know it.

William Nylander: “It’s insane”.

Ryan Reaves: ” I can’t even do that in a video game “

Bobby McMann: ” It just seems like every time it’s on his stick it goes in the net “

How Auston Matthews hit another level of goal-scoring on Saturday night in Toronto.https://t.co/oVe94RYZ2k

– Nick Barden (@nickbarden) February 18, 2024

In the race for the NHL’s top scorer, he leads closest challenger Sam Reinhart by nine goals.

Despite a big season from Auston Matthews, who I think has a chance of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s (or Caufield Ovechkin’s) record eventually, things aren’t necessarily rosy in Toronto. Many questions remain unanswered ahead of the trade deadline.

Is Brad Treliving confident with the group in place? Tyler Bertuzzi isn’t necessarily the player he was in Detroit, so some see him changing addresses. Is Ilya Samsonov the right man for the job in front of the net?

Another problem is the defense. It’s such a problem that Mitch Marner had to play defenseman last night. To make up for this lack of backs, Quebecer Marshall Rifai was recalled from the Marlies.

NHL : Maple Leafs recall a Quebecerhttps://t.co/K3JgWORcf3

– RDS (@RDSca) February 18, 2024

Will Treliving reach out to his former team, the Flames, for a defenseman? Chris Tanev has always been linked to the team, but the price seems too high.

Is Noah Hanifin a more realistic target? He wouldn’t cost less than Tanev (on the contrary), but Toronto could pay a first-round pick and a prospect, for example. In Tanev’s case, his value seems to be a second-round pick, which the team doesn’t have until 2027.

Another issue is his partisan base, but that’s another discussion…

Leafs fan tosses another Leafs fan’s hat on the ice pic.twitter.com/O8gL5fQP3t