Current Players Predict Historic Year for Maple Leafs Star

Already the best goal-scorer in the league, Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews may have an even higher ceiling.

Apr 16, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) looks on against the Florida Panthers during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

If there was somehow any debate on who the best goal-scorer in the NHL was, Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews put that debate to rest last season.

The 2022 Hart Trophy winner one-upped himself last season, posting an absurd 69 goals in 81 games. Not only was that his career-high, surpassing the 60 he scored in 2021-22, but it was the most by any player in a single season since Mario Lemieux scored 70 in 1995-96.

To illustrate just how great Matthews' season was, the second-leading goal-scorer - Florida Panthers star Sam Reinhart - finished 12 behind him with 57 goals.

“Someone asked me was it weird being in the race,” Reinhart said, per the Hockey News. “I’m like, ‘Well, I wasn’t really in the race. I mean, we got a little race for second, which was pretty cool.’

"I think when you have a talent like that, who can score from any position at any given time, it’s not too often you see numbers like he put up. To be a part of it, to be in that environment, was pretty cool."

Even after Matthews' ridiculous season, players around the league believe he can raise the bar even higher. Utah Hockey Club forward Clayton Keller, who recently skated with Matthews in Arizona, predicted that the Leafs star would score "70 to 75" goals this season, and said there's no ceiling on how many he can rack up. Nashville Predators star Filip Forsberg agreed with that statement, and brought up an even more interesting possibility.

“He was obviously one away from 70, so 70 is clearly possible,” Forsberg said. “I think 80 is impossible until I’m proven wrong. But somebody would have probably said the same about 69 before last year.”

Only four players have ever scored 80 goals in a season. Lemieux had 85 in 1988-89, Brett Hull scored 86 in 1990-91, and Wayne Gretzky scored 87 in 1983-84 and 92 in 1981-82.

For any player to reach that height again, especially in the modern day, would be nothing short of incredible. There's a miniscule chance of it happening again, but if any player could do it, then Matthews would probably be the one.

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